Felix Mabilog is extremely proud of winning the P1.3-billion contract to supply 1,470 Enforcer units to local police units.
MANILA, Philippines–Never too late. Starting this May, Columbia Autocar Corp. will be delivering the first batch of 1,470 Enforcers to the different Philippine National Police units across the country.
The P1.3-billion contract had just been signed earlier this year after a lengthy bidding process challenged innumerable times since Supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck in early November of 2013.
Felix J. Mabilog Jr., president of CAC, the newly annointed local distributor of India-based vehicle manufacturer Mahindra, couldn’t suppress this feeling of elation and pride during the presentation of the adapted Enforcers to local government mayors and key officials recently at the Manila Hotel grounds.
Staying the course
“We did our best to win this bidding,” Mabilog said. Through the months following the revision of tender submissions, CAC stayed its course by dutifully complying with each added requirement, never faltering for a moment.
The result: a modified Mahindra Enforcer that the PNP and local government units will be able to satisfactorily use not just to secure peace and order in the local communities, but also to support in disaster and relief operations should there be floods, fire, earthquakes and other adversities.
Mahindra’s Enforcer will be a familiar sight in many of the country’s barangays.
The Enforcers (Bolero in India) for delivery to the LGUs’ police units comply with the required stringent specifications, allowing them to decently wade through high waters, navigate narrow, dusty and steep barrio or sitio roads, and carry the heavy load of people and stuff that quaintly goes with the everyday routine travel of a local government vehicle.
The cab and chassis were imported from India, but the body, flooring, roof, leather seats, siren, two-way radio, and other suit-for-purpose modifications were fabricated at CAC’s manufacturing plant and/or supplied by contractors and subcontractors.
The bid price for the 1,470 Enforcers averages at about P600,000-plus per unit, impressive value for money to spend with the people’s taxes. If there are any doubts to the “Made in India” vehicle’s sturdiness, its track record as a beast of burden on Indian roads should put to rest any balking.
Furthermore, Mahindra will be piggy-backing on Kia Motors’ 47 dealership outlets for servicing. This will ensure that the delivered Enforcers will be able to receive the required after-sales service.
CAC has also been extra cautious about maintaining transparency when needed throughout the bidding process to dispel any doubts of irregularities. The winning unit price (“very, very low,” according to Mabilog) puts to rest any allegations of under-the-table deals.
In the Philippines, individual companies have brought in Mahindra vehicles exclusive for their own use.
The Enforcer (Bolero) is currently the No. 1 light commercial vehicle in India, with units more than two decades old reportedly still being made to do milk runs by their owners, many of them small entrepreneurs.
“When the economy is going up, we need these types of light vehicles to transport people and goods,” Mabilog said. And for this reason, CAC-Mahindra is bullish about pushing the brand, specifically targeting the middle class segments of the market as well as start-up businesses.
Part of the grand vision starts with the setting up of 15 Mahindra dealerships, about 12 of them outside of Metro Manila. The Enforcer that will be sold in the open market will have front and back seats in the cab, plus the pickup bed. Best, it will cost slightly higher than the bid price for the Enforcers delivered to the LGUs.
Permanent business
“This is not a one-shot deal,” Mabilog said of the Enforcer winning deal. “This is a permanent business for us, that we are going to continue like our other brands—BMW, Kia.” He said that CAC will put up a new company that will concentrate on light commercial vehicles—pickups, vans and others.
Aside from the Enforcer pickups, CAC is introducing the Xylo in the Asian utility vehicle segment and aggressively pricing it at around P800,000.
“We are talking here about light commercial vehicles for flower shops, the Go-Negosyo businesses in the provinces. Ito talagang pang trabaho, pangnegosyo (This is really for work, for business). We think this is the right vehicle and the right opportunity for us,” Mabilog said.
Now, that sounds like CAC is really bent on some serious business.
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