Porsche mechanics go for gold

I love cars and everything that has to do with them. But in an almost decade-long involvement in the motoring industry, I’ve also come to value the importance of proper education and training provided by the many car companies that have invested heavily in the Philippines. The Coyiuto-led PGA Cars group has their Porsche Training and Recruitment Center-Asia (PTRCA), the first of its kind in the world outside of Europe that specializes in all things Porsche. The Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. (TMPC) is just about to inaugurate its university. Situated inside TMPC’s Sta. Rosa facility, it will primarily be a technical school but will offer four-year programs, according to Lexus Manila president Danny Isla.

 

On the other hand, Asian Carmakers Corp., distributor of BMW Automobiles headed by newly-elected Palawan governor Jose Ch. Alvarez, inaugurated its 2.3-hectare JCA-Technology Center in Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan in Northern Mindanao late last year. These are heartwarming stories that give hope for us all, to hear people giving back to society and us Filipinos reaping the benefits.

 

But what about success stories of people who have undergone their own trials and tribulations in search of a better life? Recently, I found myself in the company of four individuals who completed their certification tests for higher technical proficiency at PGA Cars-Porsche Philippines.

 

The path to Porsche technical proficiency is as follows: You take a basic automotive technical training course at Don Bosco Technical Institute. Midstream into the basic program, you take a PTRCA-specific qualifying exam. Should you qualify, you will start attending PTRCA-specific classes in both theoretical and practical skills and knowledge. After graduating from the PTRCA program, you will get drafted to work as an apprentice for two years at one of the thousands of Porsche service networks worldwide, with the Middle East being the most popular destination. You can also become a Porsche apprentice for two years by taking an evaluation exam if you’re already an experienced technician from another brand or have substantial work experience in independent specialist shops.

 

Porsche requires all their technicians, after finishing apprenticeship, to take on higher levels of knowledge by getting certification exams for Bronze, Silver and, finally, Gold Medal Level Porsche-certified technicians. And to make sure all their certified technicians remain sharp, the test is conducted every three years. But the exam is, again, an opportunity to upgrade your skills to the next level so the exam indeed works both ways; should you fail these qualifying exams twice in a row, you will be demoted from your position.

 

Levels of mastery

 

A Bronze Medal technician is required to master a specific area of expertise, such as electrical or mechanical (engine, suspension or driveline) aspects, of all things Porsche. Graduating to the Silver Level allows you to increase your area of expertise and start doing basic troubleshooting. But it is the Gold Medal technicians (currently none yet in the country) who are the true experts and have mastery over all aspects; they can troubleshoot and experiment (with reason, of course) outside of the box, in this case the PTRCA Rules and Service Book, to find and fix a particular problem. Porsche ideally recommends at least one Gold Level technician, then two to five Silver Level technicians, and the rest are Bronze level technicians in every Porsche dealership.

 

Rouven Gamboa is a PTRCA alumnus who graduated at the top of his class. He’s been very thankful for the success he has reaped through his hard work, counting everything as a blessing. A nice guy, too; we exchanged a fair amount of nonsensical esoteric data about the nuances of the 997 versus the newer 991. There’s no doubt that if I buy a Porsche (with my salary?!), I’ll be happy to know he’s working on my car.

 

Tito Gacute entered the Porsche after-sales and service team through the different route. He has worked abroad, at a German competitor’s dealership, before finally deciding to settle down with Porsche. According to him, the certification tests, both theoretical and practical and which are taken abroad (usually in Singapore for the Asean region), have been both exciting and nerve-wracking. He says that being a Filipino in the company of fellow Southeast Asians from Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, and also of neighbors from South Korea and Taiwan, drums up his competitive spirit because he wants to prove that Filipinos are the best. His Silver Medal status, which he earned only a few months ago, shows that he’s one stop away (about another three years) from being a true master Porsche mechanic.

 

Bryan Amolar took basic automotive technical tuition from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and worked as an on-the-job trainee for Porsche Philippines, working in the tool room. His aptitude was impressive. So upon the recommendation of his supervisor, he took an evaluation exam to become a proper Porsche apprentice mechanic and worked for two years before taking his Bronze Level certification. For him, walking home in his Porsche technician’s uniform is a source of great pride as friends and peers in his neighborhood salute his accomplishment, having done something good with his life while coming from a difficult background. From a simple roadside mechanic who used to fix bicycles in his spare time to a Bronze Level Porsche technician, Bryan has come a long way. Hard work, perseverance and prayers, Bryan says, truly pay off in the end.

 

Lito Bulaklak is another PTRCA alumnus. He has also accomplished his Bronze Level technician’s certification and hopes to be able to work abroad to improve life for his entire family. Like everyone else, he’s very happy with the opportunities he was given and is earnestly working harder to pay the debt forward and also to give back to those around him.

 

More adaptable

 

When I asked him if the language barrier and the accents of their foreign higherups (either German, or Singaporean with their Sing-lish) were difficult to deal with, Bulaklak said that Filipinos have a far better mastery of the English language and a greater aptitude for learning compared with our Asean brethren, and are far more adaptable. He said that the only difficulty was the change in weather and diet whenever they’d attend training abroad; it added no small amount of stress when they were to take their exams for advancement.

 

Rey Perido is the first and only locally trained certified Porsche service advisor. He has worked for other manufacturers in the past as a service advisor. In PGA Cars-Porsche, there are also many service advisors, but Rey is the first to be certified by Porsche. To be certified by Porsche means Rey has to complete extensive training in the technical aspect and, more importantly, has to be deemed to have excellent communication, coordination and organization skills to ensure that the Porsche technicians’ concerns are properly communicated by him to the client.

 

Being a Porsche service advisor seems like an easy job. But it actually requires a surprisingly large amount of technical proficiency to pass for as Bronze Level technicians, yet have that sophisticated, well-groomed, well-versed, well-informed, and reputable and credible appearance you’d expect from someone fixing a multimillion-peso sports or luxury car.

 

After all, perception is practically the truth in this rarefied field; as a service advisor you want to give peace of mind to clients; and being extremely bright, communicative and attentive is crucial. You also need to be able to handle difficult clients, and this is where Rey shines, according to his peers.

 

Five people. Five lives which have inspired others to be the best they can be, making a difference for themselves and for their families and friends. There are more stories to be told here, but suffice it to say, their success is also ours as fellow Filipinos.