Text and photos by Marinel Peroy
With her 10-month stay in the Philippines as Honda Car Philippines’ president, Ms. Rie Miyake expressed excitement in her post and sees an exciting 2024 for the Philippine market.
Speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, Miyake looked back and shared her journey with Honda before taking the helm of Honda Cars Philippines.
Prior to her post in the Philippines, Miyake’s illustrious career at Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and held various management positions which honed her management and leadership skills and lives the “Honda Way of Life” consists of Fundamental Beliefs such as “Respect for the Individual” and “The Three Joys”), a global tenet that Honda espouses.
While she started her career in Japan, Miyake held international posts such as in North and South American markets. Her well embedded experience in Honda has provided her the opportunity to master various facets of operations such as in automobile sales, parts export, logistics, and business planning operations. Not to mention that she also took the helm of the Export Planning Department of Honda’s global automobile business.
Honda’s dream for Philippines
The 2023 launched of the most powerful Civic Type R has been breaking track records and collecting awards around the world. Miyake recalled that Honda Cars in Philippines hosted own track event and turned out to be a truly memorable event.
Apart from the launching of All New Civic Type R, two of Honda’s top-selling models the New Honda City and the New Brio were also introduced to the Philippines. With the New Brio, Miyake brandishes the incorporated additional style and convenience features, ensuring our owners receive unparalleled values. While New Honda City, she underscores the dedication to collision-free security with the inclusion of Honda Sensing across all its variants, which is part of Honda’s aim at 2050 of Zero Traffic Collision Fatalities. This ambitious and commendable dream anchored in the global safety concept, “Safety for Everyone” aims to realize a collision-free society in which not only automobile occupants and motorcycle riders, but everyone.
Then another noteworthy initiative that happened in 2023 under the watch of Miyake was the launched of the All New Honda CRV last September.
It is the first CRV in the country to offer turbocharged power and of course the e:HEV full hybrid electric system that combines Honda’s engine and electrification technologies and applied with the new technologies to deliver excellent fuel economy and fun driving.
The All New CRV is touted as the safest yet on the top of the improved Honda Sensing. This model also introduced the Honda Connect which aims to provide more peace of mind with its safety, security and convenience features.
Plans for business partners in the Philippines
With the launching of the curated models of Honda cars, Miyake bared Honda Cars Philippines plans for their business partners and this includes dealer development efforts.
She said that HCPI was able to expand its dealer network and serve more customers through the reopening of two dealership namely Honda Cars Cainta and Honda cars Fairview to serve growing customers.
Miyake also said that HCPI continued with corporate programs that promote innovation, safety, sustainability to the youth most specially when the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists recognized their effort. She assured that the award that Honda received serves as encouragement and inspiration for the company to create the value and impact beyond the present time.
Ending 2023 on a high note
Admitting the challenges of the Philippine automotive industry, Miyake takes pride of Honda Cars Philippines’ sales performance in 2023 with over 16,000 units sold, a 20% increase year on year.
Interestingly, in the Philippine market, the Honda BRV remains HCPI best-selling model with over 6,800 units sold. Followed by the New Honda City sedan with almost 3400 units sold and the Wew Brio with over 2500 unit sold.
While the sixth generation CR-V sales service has been robust since the launch with 700 units sold of which 262 units are e:HEV.
Now on 2024, the President of Honda Cars Philippines expresses her bullish outlook and sees further growth which will benefit all Honda’s loyal customers, Associates and Business Partners.
Miyake promoses that 2024 will be another exciting year for HCPI and one of the many plans is the expansion of dealership network and three are scheduled to be inaugurated, and groundbreaking for two new locations is also set for this year.
Embarking on the Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen, Miyake also revealed the plan of HCPI to carry out operational improvements throughout the growing 37 dealers network in the country.
Meanwhile, Atty. Louie Soriano, Honda Cars Philippines General Manager for Sales thanked the media partners for the continued strong support that made the HCPI’s 2023 productive and get wider audience through the published stories, features and feedback about the Honda cars which serve as inspiration to provide top quality products and excellent customer service.
Atty. Soriano further said that with what HCPI lined up for 2024, it would be another exciting year for them and that all the efforts for safety for everyone and zero environmental impact are going to be achieved in time.
Indeed, it will be another exciting year for Honda Cars Philippines, and the Lady Boss, Ms. Rie Miyake who is so amiable and unassuming leader. Her warmth and sincerity as a person has gotten me starstruck. Truly honored to meet her up close and personal, and learned from her admirable passion, vision, values and philosophy that shine across HCPI.
Domo arigato gozaimasu, Miyake-san, Atty. Louie, Misa-san and Honda Cars Philippines Team!
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