00:00 The number of Filipinos who bought a vehicle increased in the first three months of 2024.
00:05 The increased number of vehicles has a heavy effect on traffic.
00:08 EJ Gomez has the first news.
00:11 It took three years before Karl could buy his own vehicle.
00:19 Karl admitted that he used to commute.
00:23 This year, it's a bit less crowded. So I bought it in March, especially that it's very hot now.
00:32 He said that the traffic is okay and sometimes it's crowded because of the high price of oil.
00:37 It's very convenient for me because I go home to Batangas every week so I can be with my family there.
00:43 And also, it's very difficult to commute nowadays, especially that there's a frequent stop-and-go strike.
00:52 Karl is the only one out of almost 40,000 Filipinos who bought a vehicle this March
00:57 based on the data of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. or CAMPI,
01:03 a Truck Manufacturers Association.
01:05 The March 2024 data is 1.6 percent higher than the total 36,880 in March last year.
01:13 In the first three months of 2024, the number of buyers increased by 12.7 percent in the same period in 2023.
01:20 This year, it's expected that the total passenger cars and commercial vehicle sales will reach almost half a million or 468,300 units
01:31 according to CAMPI.
01:32 This is because of the higher consumer demand and the growing economy.
01:38 It's also proven to be a good investment destination for the Philippines.
01:43 One of the fastest growing markets in terms of vehicle sales and vehicle production in the Philippines is in ASEAN.
01:50 According to Automobile Association Philippines or AAP, the vehicle is also a status symbol, which is why more Filipinos are buying it.
01:58 The auto, if you look at the Filipino psyche, it's like a trophy. We use that as a sense of achievement.
02:06 Buying a vehicle is difficult to handle because while Filipinos are getting rich, there's a chance to buy through credit.
02:14 But the effect of that on the road is that there will be no significant traffic.
02:20 And based on the latest data of the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA,
02:26 Php4.9 billion is wasted every day due to traffic in Metro Manila this 2020.
02:32 According to the JICA estimate, the country will lose Php9.4 billion every day by 2027 if traffic is not solved.
02:42 But it can be solved.
02:45 The enforcement of driver education and licensing needs to be improved.
02:49 The attitude of the Filipino driver is to prioritize the path they will take.
02:53 Using the road in an orderly manner therefore is a good solution.
02:57 Stop gaps, but the long term really would be mass transport.
03:01 This is the first news. EJ Gomez for GMA Integrated News.
03:07 [Music]
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