General Motors (GM) and The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) officially mapped a new direction for the Chevrolet brand in the Philippines with a contract signing ceremony held Wednesday, Nov. 11. The ceremony marked the appointment of TCCCI as the exclusive and independent distributor of Chevrolet cars and parts.

This is the first time that GM has appointed a company in Asia to be its “exclusive and independent distributor,” Atty. Albert Arcilla, managing director and chief operating officer of TCCCI, said. “GM looks at TCCCI as the one who really understands the Philippine market.”

TCCCI is backed by movers in the auto industry who are known for successfully steering various brands to top sales charts. The TCCCI board is led by Mr. Richard L. Lee as chairman emeritus. The company’s COO, Atty. Arcilla, is backed by 15 years of experience in the motoring industry. He is expected to bring his professional expertise to drive the new business and map a dynamic path for Chevrolet.

In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Arcilla disclosed that TCCCI will introduce three new models next year, one of them a hybrid.

Meanwhile, the new company is concentrating on building the strong image of the Chevrolet brand through the models now in the local market. “We have a model for every category – the Spark 1.0-liter and Aveo 1.4-liter for the small cars; the Optra for the 1.6L sedan, the Captiva 4x2 and 4x4 for the SUV segment, and the Suburban and Tahoe for the big SUV category,” he said.

He added the company will service all Chevrolet vehicles through the 12 dealer-networks around the country. “There is no better builder of a brand image than a happy owner,” he said.

Atty. Arcilla also disclosed that TCCCI will go into the production of some models in two years.

The partnership between GM and TCCCI was officially launched Wednesday. The guest of honor was Senior Commercial Attaché from the US Embassy. Patrick Wall along with Steve Carlisle, president of General Motors Southeast Asia Operations and General Motors Thailand; Antonio Zara, vice-president, ASEAN Vehicle Sales, Marketing & Aftersales; Chee Sing Cheong, director, ASEAN Regional Distributors Operations were on hand to celebrate this new phase for Chevrolet under the stewardship of TCCCI.

They were joined by the executive committee members of the Covenant Car Company, chairman emeritus, Richard Lee; chairman of the board, Jose Cuisia, Jr., member of the Board of Directors; James Lim, executive director; Selene Yu, and managing director and Chief Operating Officer, Albert Arcilla.

“Chevrolet is a powerful brand steeped in heritage. But it is also just as versatile, having adapted to the times and adopted new technologies to bring greater value and a far more exceptional motoring experience. We want to reacquaint Filipinos with all these wonderful things. Now that The Covenant Car Company Inc. is charting Chevrolet’s course, we hope to invigorate the brand and drive it closer to their heart,” said TCCCI chairman, Jose Cuisia.

Cuisia, Arcilla, Carlisle and Zara officially marked TCCCI’s inception with a contract-signing.
TCCCI assumed operations last Oct. 1.