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In an effort to inspire Filipinos to become more responsible drivers, Goodyear Philippines, Inc. has launched Bayani ng Kalsada. This is an annual nationwidesearch that aims to promote stories of courage and extraordinary service while paying tribute to the unsung heroes on the road.

Now on its second year, the search is open to anyone, including transport associations and car clubs, who wish to nominate a ‘Tsuper Pinoy,’ representing drivers of public utility vehicles (jeepney, bus, taxi, FX), trucks and private cars. The nationwide program was created by the leading tire manufacturer to locate, honor and publicize those drivers who clearly qualify to be proclaimed “heroes.”

“We recognize that there are hardworking and courteous drivers worthy to be emulated as role models. We want to honor them and recognize their initiatives in helping other motorists on the road. This is aligned with our commitment to uphold safety as a key corporate value,” Goodyear President and Managing Director Dave Morin said.

Last year, Hilario T. Mendiola — a 42-year old seasoned off-road driver and mechanic from Angeles City, was picked as the over-all winner. In May 2006, Mendiola saved a 20-year-old man trapped inside his vehicle after the flatbed truck carrying it accidentally rammed a barrier of the Megadike on the Mancatian Riverbank, Porac, Pampanga.

This year, Goodyear is inviting the public to join the ranks of last year’s winners. Nomination forms are available at Goodyear Servitek dealers and TyrePro outlets nationwide, various Land Transportation Office (LTO) branches, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board offices, selected Caltex stations, as well as at the offices of Filtrepreneur Franchise and Centro Negosyo.

Entries may be submitted at Goodyear Servitek dealers and TyrePro outlets nationwide, or via mail at P.O. Box 7260, Domestic Airport, Manila or P.O. Box 1384 M.C.P.O., Makati City. Forms may also be sent via fax at the Goodyear office (876-4596) or at the secretariat (893-7049), or via email at BayaniNgKalsada@goodyear.com. You may also nominate through SMS — text BNK to register and send to 2299.  

Deadline of submission of entries is on December 31, 2007. Each nomination will undergo screening by the contest secretariat, and will be judged by a prestigious panel of judges, which includes transportation officials, media and sponsor representatives, and Goodyear representatives.

The contest will have four categories: public utility jeepney drivers, taxi / FX drivers, commercial truck / bus drivers and private drivers. Each winner will receive P30,000 cash prize, P500,000 worth of personal accident insurance, P25,000 worth of gas coupons, P20,000 worth of SM Home Appliance, Food cart with P500 worth of products, P10,000 worth of training certificate, Revicon Forte gift pack, plaque,  as well as a Bayani ng Kalsada special jacket, cap and shirt.

Supported by the LTO, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Department of Transportation and Communication, the campaign also includes partners SM Appliance Center, Caltex Philippines, Standard Insurance, Manila Bulletin, DZBB, DWLS, Abante and Pilipino Star Ngayon.

The Bayani ng Kalsada is the local version of Goodyear’s successful, long-running program in U.S. and Canada. Dubbed Highway Heroes, the campaign has been recognizing truck drivers who have done heroic acts of courage, sacrifice and service on the road for the past 23 years.

In the Philippines, the program forms part of Goodyear’s efforts to be socially responsible in all areas. Focusing on its core value of safety, the company continuously promotes safety across various areas, including road and driver safety.

Bayani ng Kalsada, together with other corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, helped make Goodyear the Most Trusted Tire Brand in the Philippines by the 2007 Reader's Digest’s Trusted Brands. Goodyear has likewise been declared the Most Trusted Tire Company in the Asia Pacific region, according to a CSR study carried out by TNS in 2006.

For more information, you may visit www.goodyear.com.ph/bayani or call the Bayani ng Kalsada secretariat at 817-7316.

GOODYEAR Philippines, Inc.’s Bayani ng Kalsada nationwide campaign, a search for Filipino drivers who have performed inspirational deeds which help create a better and safer driving environment in the country or selfless acts of courage or service for fellow motorists, received praise from its supporters and partners—Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Transportation and Communications, Caltex Techron, eStandard Insurance, DZBB, Philippine Star, Pilipino Star Ngayon and STI (Systems Technology Institute).

According to Daisy Jacobo, LTO chief of traffic safety division:  “This is a good and positive project because it highlights the good traits and values of Filipinos and will also help change the bad image of Filipino drivers. 

DOTC consultant Bert Suansing says, “The Bayani ng Kalsada project awakens the bayanihan spirit of Filipino motorists.

“The Bayani ng Kalsada project will create a big impact on public transport drivers that will help inspire them to be of assistance to their countrymen. It will help inspire them to help one another without expecting benefits, especially when driving.”           
Philippine Star motoring editor Dong Magsajo says, “It’s about time someone chose to look at the Filipino driver in a different light. I certainly hope that the campaign does not begin and end with this year’s effort. An ongoing campaign that lets people see the good side of Filipino road users will in the long term make us believe that we aren’t as hopeless on the road as we’re made to believe.”

“It is a significant initiative coming from the private sector to help educate the public on the importance of the drivers through such a program.  Through this, we can help encourage drivers to observe honesty, helpfulness and integrity of Filipino drivers even at these hard times,” says Resty Bundoc, STI head of public relations.
Caltex brand marketing specialist Enrique De Leon says, “It’s a worthy endeavor that Goodyear’s doing because it’s one of the most neglected if not, the least supported segment of the motoring industry in the Philippines. I think honoring them (drivers) would give them the opportunity to be recognized and honoring them is a welcome development.”

Goodyear Philippines is inviting the public to submit the names of nominees with their respective stories of heroism to any Goodyear Servitek dealer or TyrePro outlet. You may also mail them to P.O. Box 7260 Domestic Airport, Manila and P.O. Box 1384 Makati Central Post Office, Makati City 1251, email them to BayaniNgKalsada@goodyear.com or fax them to (02) 876-4596, (02) 876-4591, (02) 876-4560 or (02) 635-2587. Deadline for submission is December 31, 2007.  Only third parties may submit nominations.

Nomination forms are available at Goodyear Servitek dealers, Tyrepro outlets, LTO branches and Caltex Stations. Nominations will be accepted in four categories: Taxi and FX drivers; Truck and Bus drivers; Private Drivers and Public Utility Jeepney Drivers;

A Bayani ng Kalsada committee will sift through the nominations to come up with finalists from among whom the Tsuper Pinoy hero will be chosen.
Finalists will receive personal accident insurance from Standard Insurance, a certificate, cap, shirt and P3,000 worth of gas coupons.
Up for grabs in each category are P10,000 cash prize, a two-year certificate course scholarship at any STI branch, personal accident insurance from Standard Insurance, cap, jacket, shirt and P13,000 worth of gas coupons.

THROUGHOUT the years, Filipino drivers have become as infamous as Philippine traffic.

Devil-may-care bus drivers, discourteous jeepney drivers, taxi drivers who stop anytime and anywhere when picking up or unloading passengers and truck drivers, who weave in and out of their designated lanes—they all contribute to road congestion and promote road rage.

Even drivers of privately owned cars engage in inappropriate behavior on the road such as responding in kind to another driver who cuts into their lane or uttering foul words and displaying the middle finger. 

Despite this negative image, Filipinos have shown that they can be disciplined, responsible and mindful drivers if they want to. For instance, take those who visit the Subic Bay Freeport, where traffic rules are strictly enforced.  There, drivers obey stop signs and observe the right of way of others.

Filipino drivers don’t always have to be intimidated into becoming good drivers.  In fact, there are many who do follow traffic regulations and respect the law.
In celebration of it’s 50 years in the Philippines, Goodyear along with the DOTC, LTFRB and LTO, as well as its corporate partners Caltex, DZBB, Standard Insurance and STI, is looking for these Filipinos, who can serve as shining examples for other drivers to follow.

The search, which is entitled Bayani ng Kalsada, will highlight inspirational deeds done by ordinary drivers, who help create a better and safer driving environment in the country.  Hopefully, those drivers and their acts can help put themselves and their colleagues in a positive light.

It will be remembered that Nestor Sulpico, a Filipino taxi driver in New York City, returned $70,000 worth of pearls to its rightful owner. In Cebu City, meanwhile, a jeepney driver named Ronnie Rudinas returned close to P500,000 worth of checks that he found inside his vehicle. 

If you know of any heroes who have performed similar selfless acts of service or courageous deeds, you may submit their names with their respective stories of heroism to any Goodyear Servitek dealer or TyrePro outlet. You may also mail them to P.O. Box 7260 Domestic Airport, Manila and P.O. Box 1384 Makati Central Post Office, Makati City 1251, email them to BayaniNgKalsada@goodyear.com or fax them to (02) 876-4596, (02) 876-4591, (02) 876-4560 or (02) 635-2587. Deadline for submission is December 31, 2007.  Only third parties may submit nominations.

Nomination forms are available at Goodyear Servitek dealers, Tyrepro outlets, LTO branches and Caltex Stations. Nominations will be accepted in four categories: Taxi and FX drivers; Truck and Bus drivers; Private Drivers and Public Utility Jeepney Drivers;

A Bayani ng Kalsada committee will sift through the nominations to come up with finalists from among whom the Tsuper Pinoy hero will be chosen.
Finalists will receive personal accident insurance from Standard Insurance, a certificate, cap, shirt and P3,000 worth of gas coupons.

Up for grabs in each category are P10,000 cash prize, a two-year certificate course scholarship at any STI branch, personal accident insurance from Standard Insurance, cap, jacket, shirt and P13,000 worth of gas coupons.

When Goodyear first introduced the Bayani ng Kalsada in 2006 to recognize unsung heroes on the road, some said the program may be difficult to pull off.

But the skeptics have been proven wrong. Goodyear now has, in its roster of winners, the following road heroes: Glenn Mesa, a public utility jeepney driver, and Venecio Atillo, a taxi driver, who both returned their respective passengers’ valuables; Monico Cuadillera, a truck driver who rescued passengers of a burning vehicle on the road; and Ronnie Balbido, a jeepney driver who volunteered his own vehicle to save his neighbors’ lives.

New names are expected to be added to this list as Goodyear continues its search for the Bayani ng Kalsada.  

“This year, we call on the public to actively participate in the search by nominating members of their family or community who fit the criteria,” said Goodyear Philippines President and Managing Director David Joseph Morin, acknowledging the difficulty of looking for modern-day road heroes. “Our past winners are the living, breathing proofs that heroes do still exist. We just have to look for the right ones at the right places.”

According to Morin, we come across ‘heroes’ every day on the road, often without knowing it.  “They are those whose real greatness is not readily apparent. So let’s take a second look at our humble, simple, ordinary neighbors who, because of their courage, integrity and compassion -- do extraordinary things every day. Recognizing their good deeds, through Goodyear’s Bayani ng Kalsada, is the least we can do,” Morin said.

These heroes, Morin said, make an enormous contribution to our local roads. Their strong sense of responsibility has largely helped make Philippine roads safer and allowed commerce to operate uninterruptedly. “These drivers accurately represent what we, at Goodyear, continuously promote -– the core value of safety,” Morin pointed out.

To nominate a Bayani ng Kalsada, one should fill out a form available at Goodyear Servitek dealers and TyrePro outlets nationwide, various offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) offices, as well as Standard Insurance branches, Cebuana Lhuillier offices, the Filtrepreneur Franchise office, the office of the Safety Organization of the Philippines, Inc. (SOPI), the National Council for Commuter Protection (NCCP) office, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) office, the Centro Negosyo office and Standard Insurance offices.

Entries may be submitted at Goodyear Philippines office at Alabang-Zapote Road, Las Pinas or at the Zest Asia office at Warehouse 13, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati. Forms may also be sent via fax at the Goodyear office (876-4596) or at the secretariat (893-7049). You may also nominate through SMS — text BNK to register and send to 2299.  

Deadline of submission of entries is on December 31, 2008. Each nomination will undergo screening by the contest secretariat, and will be judged by a prestigious panel of judges, which includes transportation officials, media and sponsor representatives, and Goodyear representatives.

The contest has four categories: public utility jeepney drivers, taxi / FX drivers, commercial truck / bus drivers and private drivers. Each winner will receive Php 30,000 cash prize, Php 500,000 worth of Personal Accident Insurance, a Peso Card pre-loaded with Php 10,000 cash, a Starcash card pre-loaded with Php 10,000, Php 3,000 worth Training Certificate, Revicon Forte Gift Pack, a Food Cart worth Php 10,000, a special jacket and a trophy.

Special prizes will also be given to those who nominate a driver that reaches the finalist level.

Supported by the Land LTO, LTFRB, DOTC, the campaign also includes partners Caltex, Standard Insurance, Revicon Forte, Filtrepreneur Franchise Inc., Centro Negosyo, Cebuana Lhuillier, AAP, SOPI, NCCP, Manila Bulletin, Pilipino Star Ngayon and Abante.

Bayani ng Kalsada is the local version of Goodyear’s successful, long-running program in U.S. and Canada. Dubbed Highway Heroes, the campaign has been recognizing, for more than 20 years, truck drivers who have done heroic acts of courage, sacrifice and service on the road.  

In the Philippines, the program forms part of Goodyear’s corporate social responsibility efforts that promote its core value of safety across various areas, including road and driver safety.

For more information, visit www.goodyear.com.ph/bayani or call the Bayani ng Kalsada secretariat at 817-7316.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies.  Fortune magazine named Goodyear the World’s Most Admired Motor Vehicle Parts Company in its 2008 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.  The publication ranked Goodyear No. 1 in innovation, people management, use of assets and global orientation.  The company is also listed on Forbes magazine’s list of the Most Trustworthy Companies in America and CRO magazine’s ranking of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens.  Goodyear employs about 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 25 countries around the world. 

For more information about Goodyear, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

About Goodyear Philippines

Goodyear has recently been named as the Most Trusted Tire Company and ranked the highest among tire manufacturers in Asia and the Americas in the public’s perception of CSR goodwill according to a Corporate Social Responsibility Study carried out by TNS in 2006. The company received top marks for manufacturing safe products and promoting road safety.  It was also recognized in a survey by Reader’s Digest as the Platinum Most Trusted Brand in 2007.

The company emerged as a finalist in the first CSR Excellence Awards given out by the American Chamber Foundation Philippines, Inc. for its core program, the “Safety Triangle.” Goodyear aggressively promotes safety through CSR projects across three areas -- Road & Driver Safety, Environmental Safety, and Workplace Safety.

For more information about Goodyear go to www.goodyear.com.ph.