By Kris Crismundo | Philippine News Agency
Sales of automotive vehicles in August 2022 jumped by 90.5 percent to 30,185 units from 15,847 units in August last year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) reported Wednesday, Sept. 14.
“The recovery of the industry is indeed on track as we reached monthly sales of above 30,000 units – a pre-pandemic monthly performance level last recorded in 2019,” CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said in a statement.
The government placed Metro Manila under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to threats of Delta variant in August 2021.
Operating capacity of business establishments was limited under ECQ.
Month-on-month, auto industry sales also improved by 8.5 percent, increasing from 27,813 units in July 2022.
Both passenger car and commercial vehicle segments recorded growth month-on-month and year-on-year basis.
The industry sold 6,733 units of passenger cars and 23,452 units of commercial vehicles in the previous month, the joint report showed.
From January to August 2022, total industry sales rose by 25.1 percent to 212,872 units from 170,112 units in the same period a year ago.
While year-to-date sales of commercial vehicles grew by 39 percent to 160,790 units, passenger cars’ sales still recorded a decline of 4.3 percent to 52,082 units in the said period.
Gutierrez said the industry is optimistic to hit its sales target for 2022 at 336,000 units with the outcome of sales last month.
Meanwhile, industry players will be holding the 8th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) on Sept. 15 to 18 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
This year’s PIMS, with a theme of Mobility + Humanity – Innovating for Common Good, aims to highlight how the industry players work together in reshaping the future of mobility that will contribute to nation building. – gb
