Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
“Matsuri” is Japanese for “festival”. Thus, “Suzuki Matsuri 2025” literally translates to “Suzuki Festival 2025”, which is Suzuki Philippines Inc. (SPH)’s special way of celebrating their 50th Anniversary here in the Philippines. Held at the Activity Area of the SM Mall of Asia on June 14 to 15, 2025, the two-day festival showcased SPH’s trifecta of mobility products – from motorcycles to automobiles to marine outboard motors.
Overhead view of the Suzuki Matsuri Village at the Activity Area of SM MOA.
SPH created a Matsuri Village at the SM MOA venue, complete with a little bridge and Japanese lanterns, that was divided into several showcases. The Urban showcase displayed Suzuki’s mobility products for the city such as the Burgman scooter models, and the new Dzire Hybrid 4-door sedan. The Adventure showcase featured the V-Strom adventure bike models, the Jimny 3-door and 5-door models, the XL7 Hybrid and the outboard motors. The Sports showcase highlighted the GSX big bike models, including a black GSX1300R Hayabusa that was mounted on a leaned position so people can be photographed as if they are banking it into a corner at a race track.
Suzuki twist-and-go scooters for urban commuters: Skydrive Sport, Avenis, Burgman Street, and Burgman 400.
Ready for adventure: VStrom 250SX, 600DE and 1000DE; Jimny 5-door and XL7 Hybrid.
Suzuki’s sportiest Sports Bikes: The enduring Raider R150, GSX-S1000 GT, GSX-1300R Hayabusa, and SPH MD Boying Mojica stands behind a GSX-8R.
Day One
June 14th, Saturday, the first day of the Suzuki Matsuri 2025 saw the opening ceremonies led by SPH President Koichiro Hirao, Managing Director Norminio “Boying” Mojica, Suzuki Automobile Division General Manager & Director Norihide Takei, SPH Directors, and officers from Suzuki Motor Corporation, all wearing a stylized kimono. The event highlighted the 50 Years of Suzuki in the Philippines, which started in 1975 with Antonio Suzuki Corporation, a joint venture between Suzuki and a Filipino company to produce motorcycles. In 1985, Suzuki took over the full ownership of the operation and renamed the company as Suzuki Philippines, Inc.
Ceremonial toast with SPH President Koichiro Hirao (4th from left), Managing Director Norminio “Boying” Mojica (3rd from left), Suzuki Automobile Division General Manager & Director Norihide Takei (leftmost), and Suzuki officers.
Antonio Suzuki Corporation started selling Suzuki motorcycles, such as the B120 model, in 1975.
SPH entered the Philippine automobile market in 1999 with the Vitara SUV and the Carry subcompact van and pickup models. By 2012, SPH was producing around 200,000 motorcycles a year and in 2016, SPH moved its assembly plant from Pasig to Carmelray Industrial Park in Canlubang, Laguna, and at the same time, added their Marine Division, selling outboard motors. For their 50th Anniversary at the Suzuki Matsuri 2025, SPH gave a sneak peek of their upcoming 5-door compact crossover SUV, the Suzuki Fronx Hybrid.
Suzuki Auto came into the country in 1999. Best-selling models over the years include the Carry pickup and van models, Vitara & Grand Vitara SUVs, Swift 5-door hatchback and Jimny compact 4×4.
The all-new Suzuki Fronx Hybrid was unveiled by SPH officials at the Matsuri Village.
Day Two
For several motorcycle journalists and riders of Suzuki motorcycles & scooters, their Sunday (June 15th) started very early. Around 1,300 riders converged at 10th Avenue in Caloocan City, considered the Motorcycle Mecca of Metro Manila for the start of the Suzuki Big Ride 2025. At 8:30 AM, SPH Marketing Manager/Assistant Division Head for Motorcycle Sales & Marketing Daigo Morikawa flagged off the riders as they rode along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) from Caloocan to the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) grounds in Pasay City.
The author was scheduled to ride a Suzuki VStrom 250SX adventure bike but was upgraded to a GSX-S1000 naked sports bike before the flag-off.
10th Avenue in Caloocan was closed on Sunday morning to accomodate 1,300 riders converging for the Suzuki Big Ride 2025.
The 1,300 riders who joined the Suzuki Big Ride 2025 rode two-by-two in a disciplined manner along EDSA until they reached the MOA Grounds in Pasay City.
Upon arriving at the SM MOA grounds in front of Lanson Place Hotel, the 1,300 participating riders were treated to various activities, including test riders of various Suzuki motorcycles and scooter models at the site, and fun games and several raffle draws at the Suzuki Matsuri Village inside the mall. SPH President Hirao drew the lucky winner of a brand-new 2025 Suzuki VStrom 250SX with Managing Director Mojica and Division Head for Motorcycle Sales & Marketing Jose “Joey” Salavarria handing the key to winner and Suzuki rider Eric Palominio, who was visibly surprised and pleased with his good luck.
Even at the Matsuri Village inside the mall, the Suzuki Big Ride 2025 participants showed discipline falling in line to drop their raffle stubs into the tambiolo.
SPH President Koichiro Hirao welcomes the riders to the Suzuki Matsuri 2025.
SPH Division Head for Motorcycle Sales & Marketing Jose “Joey” Salavarria expressed his appreciation to the 1,300 riders who joined the Suzuki Big Ride 2025.
SPH Motorcycle Division’s safety guru Noel Villapando talks about riding safety, which is Suzuki’s core interest for its customers.
Suzuki Big Ride 2025 participant Eric Palominio holds the symbolic key to the 2025 VStrom 250SX that he won in the raffle while SPH officals cheer on.
It seems a bit symbolic for the Suzuki Big Ride 2025 to pass the Bonifacio Monument, which is a rotunda at the north end of EDSA, and the SM Globe at SM MOA, which is also another rotunda at the south end of EDSA. The end-to-end-of-EDSA route seems to capture the continuous loop of Highway 54, as EDSA was formerly known, and the continuous loop of improvement, changes and challenges that have traversed this main thoroughfare. For the Suzuki Matsuri 2025, the route seems to symbolize the continuous progress that Suzuki has achieved here in the Philippines for the past five decades.
Happy 50th Anniversary, Suzuki Philippines! Omedeto gozaimas!
