50th Ford dealership in PH to rise in Talisay, Cebu

From left, Talisay City Councilor Marietta Bucao; FAVI Corporate Planning Jose Daniel Borromeo; Talisay City Vice Mayor Alan Bucao; FAVI GM Andre Rafael Borromeo; Ford Philippines managing director PK Umashankar; and Ford Philippines Sales Director Jonathan Legaspi. NESTLE SEMILLA, INQUIRER VISAYAS

TALISAY CITY, Cebu—The 50th dealership facility of Ford Philippines will soon rise in Talisay City, south Cebu.

Ford Philippines, together with Fairlane Automotive Ventures, Inc. (FAVI) on Feb. 5, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the facility in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City.

PK Umashankar, Ford Philippines managing director, said the dealership facility in Talisay will be the benchmark in the country when it comes to automotive sales and service delivery of Ford.

“Ford Talisay is expected to follow the new global dealership branding guidelines of Ford, showcasing a more globally-aligned exterior and interior look and feel, called Ford Signature, to offer customers a better dealership environment and experience,” said Umanshankar.

“This is is a testament to the growing preference for the Ford brand nationwide, and in line with our commitment to expand our reach to new customers in the province of Cebu and in the greater Visayas region and give them access to our segment-defining vehicles and after-sales services.”

The upcoming dealership will have a total floor area of 1,397 sq.m that features a showroom for six cars as well as 12 service bays.

It is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

In a separate interview, FAVI General Manager Andre Rafael Borromeo said they chose to build the fourth branch of Ford in Talisay City since it is a strategic area for a car business.

“Talisay is actually very close to areas in the south, and also it’s very close to Cebu City south. And with the construction of a third bridge at the SRP (South Road Properties), we believe that it is a good location for the business. We consider what the future looks like here in Talisay,” said Borromeo.

The construction of the new Ford Talisay dealership facility signified the expansion of the Ford brand in Cebu to cater to the growing demand for automotive products and services in the province.

FAVI already have three existing Ford dealership facilities in Cebu: Nivel Hills, Cebu City; Mandaue City; and Minglanilla town.

Once the construction in Talisay City will be finished, the dealership facility in Minglanilla will be closed.

Borromeo said Ford vehicles are really in demand in Central Visayas, hence opening a bigger showroom and service center is just timely.

The new dealership facility will also be enabled by new technological features that will help facilitate faster and more customer-focused sales and after-sales delivery.

It will also aim to connect the customer’s purchasing journey with the on-ground, in-store environment, paving the way for a more connected, seamless, and best-in-class automotive retail experience.

“We thank our partners from FAVI led by Max Borromeo and Andre Borromeo for their collaboration in bringing the Ford brand to more customers and building a world-class retail environment with this new dealership facility,” Umanshankar said.