What is the dream vehicle of most Filipinos? What is their preferred pickup, van, or sedan? These and other questions that concern the Pinoy’s taste in motorized vehicles will be answered by the Autofocus Automobile of the Year 2004 — People’s Choice Awards.
Autofocus, a television program devoted to automobiles and auto enthusiasts which airs 11 p.m. every Tuesday over NBN 4, will be launching a nationwide poll to determine the most popular makers and models of vehicles in the country.
The first of its kind in the country, the poll is open to anyone with access to a mobile phone.
Butch Gamboa, host and producer of Autofocus, which is now on its sixth year, explains the objectives of the People’s Choice Awards: "Usually, the car that people buy is a compromise between the one that they really want and their budget. Oftentimes, they are dictated upon by other members of the household. So, what they buy is not necessarily the car that they really want.
"This poll will not take sales figures, price, etc. into consideration. It is, purely and simply, an opportunity for people to vote for the vehicle closest to their hearts — a reflection of the true sentiment of the people, whether they are car owners or not."
Gamboa said the poll could also help car companies gain insights into what Filipinos think about their vehicles and what they also like in their cars.
"Hopefully, the results of the poll will help industry participants get a real feel of the preferences of the public as far as their products are concerned," he said.
The poll will be conducted from Nov. 1 to 30. There will be several categories of vehicles to choose from which will be based on vehicle classifications used by the Chamber of Automobile Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (TMAP).
Those who participate in the polls will get a chance to win valuable raffle prizes at the end of each week of the polling period.
The vehicle with the most number of votes in each category will be given the "People’s Choice Award" in their respective classes, said Gamboa. The vehicle with the most number of votes will be named ‘Automobile of the Year-People Choice,’" he added.
The polling will be tabulated daily during the whole month of November and disseminated through participating print and broadcast media.
The final results will be confirmed during the awarding to be held on Dec. 10. Autofocus will organize a car pageant on the day of the awards night.
The Autofocus 2004 Automobile of the Year — People’s Choice Awards is organized by Sunshine Television Ventures, the producer of Autofocus as well as the longest running automotive program on TV, Motoring Today, and Breaking Barriers which also airs on NBN 4 in cooperation with Wingmakers Event Management, Inc.
Details of the polling procedures using SMS or texting will be aired by Autofocus very soon.
