Prodigal son from Bohol leads new batch of Porsche Mechatronics

WITH Divinagracia (back row, extreme left) and the other PTRCA scholars are (seated from left) Porsche managing director Roberto Coyiuto III; Sen. Grace Poe; PGA Cars Chair Robert Coyiuto Jr.; Don Bosco Technical Institute director Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug, SDB; and PTRCA director Hertz Pura. Standing in the third row (middle) is the event’s master of ceremonies David Celdran.

Joseph Lord Divinagracia was forced to go to Manila to find his fortune, when his wayward ways when he was a student in Bohol cost him the trust of his hardworking parents.

His parents were reluctant to put him through college, so Divinagracia found himself applying at the Don Bosco Technical Institute for a technical/vocational course in automotive mechanics.

Divinagracia did not know  that his move would later pay off handsomely and bring him back into the good graces of his parents.

On Aug. 31, Divinagracia was honored as the valedictorian of the ninth batch of 16 graduates of the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia (PTRCA), the first training facility of its kind outside the Porsche headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Divinagracia was given the top Technical Excellence Award for his proficiency in both the theoretical and practical aspects of being a Porsche Mechatronic, or a specialized mechanic for the million-peso luxury sports vehicles known for their superior handling and mouthwatering designs.

Intensive training

To earn the title of Porsche Mechatronic, Divinagracia and his fellow graduates went through an intensive nine-month training on both theoretical and practical work from Porsche technical training manager Hertz Pura.

They also went through English and Communication lessons to prepare them better for their role as Porsche technicians.

This training will come in handy as all of the graduates of the latest batch produced by the five-year-old training facility will be deployed to the Middle East—six will go to Kuwait, four to Dubai, three to Saudi Arabia, two to Qatar and one to Oman.

The need to supply the global network with certified Porsche Mechatronics led to the establishment of the PTRCA in April 2008.

It was set up in the Philippines due to the efforts of the Porsche distributor PGA Cars, which is chaired by Robert Coyiuto Jr. It was Coyiuto who convinced Porsche AG to establish the facility in the Philippines, given Filipinos’ facility with English as well as their ability to meet global work standards.

But what makes PTRCA a standout is that it was set up specifically to provide technical and financial support to underprivileged but deserving students, who have what it takes to work on Porsche vehicles in any country where Porsche vehicles are distributed.

Divinagracia said in his speech, on behalf of his fellow graduates, that it was an honor to have such a rare opportunity to be a Porsche Mechatronic, and he has no intention of letting Porsche down.

He added that what he gained from the program was more than just a title, which is the longed-for trust of his parents that he had once lost.