Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
In early September 2020, Butuan Multicab Operators Transport Service Cooperative or BUMOTSCO took delivery of the first two Dongfeng Class 2 Modern PUV (public utility vehicle) units in their first phase to comply with the public transportation modernization program spearheaded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The two units, which are among an expected 50 Modern PUVs committed by BUMOTSCO to comply with the DOTr program, were delivered by Davao Bonifacio Motors, Inc. (DBMI), the Mindanao-based dealer of Pilipinas Autogroup, Incorporated (PilipinasAuto), the country’s exclusive distributor of Dongfeng Motor Corporation commercial vehicles, trucks and buses.
In the photo above, DBMI Sales Administration Assistant Jenny Rose Sazo (in stripes) turned over the two Dongfeng Class 2 Modern PUVs to BUMOTSCO officials led by Chairman Anthony Antigulas, Vice Chairman Peter Bacaling, Committee Chairman James Robert Ranoco, Board of Director Member Ferdinand Edullantes, Operations Officer and Safety Supervisor Christopher Antigulas, and Cooperative Member Julius Cupin. “We are honored for the opportunity to supply high quality and affordable Dongfeng vehicles to help modernize public transportation in the country”, exclaimed Art Balmadrid, Vice President and General Manager of Pilipinas Autogroup, Incorporated (below). “These Modern PUVs will benefit the riding public because it is safer and offers more convenience to the commuters.”
The Dongfeng Class 2 Modern PUV can carry 17 people seated plus 9 people standing under normal conditions, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is powered by a Euro 4-compliant 2.8-liter Common Rail Diesel Injection (CRDI) inline-4 engine that produces 115 hp at 3,600 rpm and 260 Nm at 2,000 rpm, which is coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. With an introductory price of P1,960,000, the Dongfeng Class 2 Modern PUV come with overhead air-conditioning along with other accessories approved by the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) such as an Automatic Fare Collection System, Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras with recorder, LED route display, GPS tracking, LCD Monitor, and WiFi router. It boasts of one of the best warranty coverage in the industry at 2 years or 100,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.
Established in 2014, PilipinasAuto was founded by seasoned experts who have decades of experience in the automotive, consumer retail, service and insurance industry. Currently, the company has 12 dealerships across the country and markets the Dongfeng Captain E, N, D9 trucks, cargo trucks, tractor heads, cement mixers, dump trucks, mini buses, Class 2 and Class 3 Modern PUVs as well as the Super Ace Minis and Class 1 Modern PUVs under the Tata brand.
