Behind the Heel

From left, moms Audrey Pastelero, Aliza Apostol, and Nicole Hernandez pose with the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

In observance of International Women’s Month, last week Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCI) did something extraordinary dubbed “Behind the Heel.”

TCCI empowered women with safety on and off the road, not by presenting the usual sitdown seminar/ conference on road safety, but by organizing a day full of exciting and challenging physical activities: a Krav Maga training session in a yoga studio and defensive driving lessons at the wheel of Chevrolet vehicles outdoors in Westgate, Alabang.

The participants were mostly young female influencers and bloggers with a few print media motoring journalists. TCCI senior vice president Lyn M. Buena herself joined the training and was seen practicing self-defense moves, Krav Maga style.

Guests, together with Lyn M. Buena, SVP and Director for Marketing Services of TCCCI, learned Krav Maga, a self-defense system that originated in Israel.

Krav Maga is an effective, modern, and dynamic self-defense and fighting system designed to be practical and intuitive for people of any age, shape, or size. Krav Maga (“contact combat” in Hebrew) was developed in the 1950s, combining the most effective techniques and philosophy from various martial arts and fight training.

KRAV MAGA WORKOUT

It was originally taught to the Israeli Army, followed by instructions for civilians beginning in the late 1970s. “Embraced by the FBI and SWAT teams alike, Krav Maga is also a staple of high-end gyms across the globe, where a faster and less combative version provides a workout that could literally save your life,” according to Time Magazine.

After the strenuous workout provided by the Krav Maga session, the “Behind the Heel” event participants had a hearty but healthful buffet lunch at the Beyond Yoga Studio café downstairs.

Next in the schedule was the defensive driving session at a fenced-off section of the Westgate parking compound, adjacent to CW Home Depot Alabang.

Acquiring self-defense know-how allows women to protect themselves from possible physical attacks.

To have the proper knowledge and safety skills when confronted by an unforeseen dangerous event while driving, each participant took the wheel of a Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV and a Chevrolet Colorado High Country Storm pickup truck to exercise defensive driving techniques, including advanced vehicle control and emergency braking.

They discovered that proficiency in defensive driving is enhanced when matched with vehicle safety features that help to protect occupants.

SAFETY FEATURES

The Trailblazer, for one, has many active and passive safety features aside from dual front airbags, such as electronic stability control, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), panic brake assist, Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), hill start assist, hill descent control, anti-rolling protection, and trailer sway control.

In addition, the top-end Trailblazer Z71 is equipped with forward collision alert, front and rear parking assist, lane departure warning, side blind zone assist, rear cross traffic alert, and tire pressure monitoring system, plus Remote Engine Start that allows the driver by pressing on the key fob, to cool down the cabin before entering the vehicle.

The Chevrolet Colorado High Country Storm pickup has electronic stability control, ABS, EBD, cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, hill start assist, hill descent control, trailer sway control, front and rear parking sensors, and rear camera with dynamic guidelines.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Meanwhile, not many feminists are aware that aside from promoting safety for women, Chevrolet has advanced the careers of women in what still is a male-dominated industry.

In 2014, General Motors, the American multinational corporation that is home to Chevrolet, appointed Mary Barra as its chairperson and chief executive officer, making her the first female CEO of a global automotive company.

In 2018, Dhivya Suryadevara was appointed GM chief financial officer. With these two powerhouse women at the helm, GM is now the only major auto company in United States history to have both a female CEO and CFO.

What’s more, when Chevrolet began working on the new design of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, the bowtie company sought the knowledge and perspective of four female GM engineers in improving the car’s architecture, including insulation, child safety, and aerodynamics.

To work on aesthetic solutions for the exterior and interior profiles of the Chevrolet Equinox small SUV, the second best-selling vehicle in America, Chevrolet placed its confidence in young female designers like Mara Kapsis.

Because of GM’s unparalleled efforts to build a culture of diversity, GM was named by gender equity data and insight group Equileap, as the number one company in the world that promotes gender equality in the workplace.

Here in Manila, TCCI’s “Behind the Heel” initiative during International Women’s Month, supported GM’s commitment to empowering women and diversity.