By: Khrystyn Andaya, Mitzi Buenconsejo, and Jhannah Gaad
With the growing clamor for better public transportation, purchasing private vehicles is a more viable option for those who can. Cars, more than being a vehicle, is a symbol of its driver’s lifestyle and a reflection of who they are, and that’s why there’s more to being a car owner than being a driver.
James Castro, Lindy Pellicer, and Fidel Fernando Jr. are proud car owners, each having their own perspectives on what it takes to be one.
With power comes responsibility
Besides its quality and durability, the brand reputation says a lot about the driver and car owner. And having good taste in cars can be helpful. James’ confidence in his Lexus ES350 is of no question as he deems his car as a “complete blend of form and function”
In James’ eyes, there’s more to a car than its transportation advantages. “It can serve as an identity or a mark for who you are. But for me, the personal pleasure and fulfillment of owning a car you want stands above anything else”.
Moreover, owning a car within his financial capabilities is both fulfilling and “symbolic”. “For a lot of people, your car becomes a testament to where you are in life born out of the process or hard work entailed to get there,” he adds.
James stated that it’s been a “holistic feeling” being able to have such an advantageous mode of transportation—along with its aesthetic appeal and overall comfort. He believes that the form and functions of his car are a statement. “I can say there’s a taste of luxury in it; I can feel at peace getting to where I want to go. It doesn’t just take me from one destination to another, but also minimizes the stress involved whilst getting there—thus giving me happiness and fulfillment whilst on the road”.
However, owning and maintaining a car should suit one’s way of life, hence what people do on a day-to-day basis—whether it be for necessity, amusement, or pleasure. “With the luxury and privilege of owning a car, also entails the amount of responsibility in keeping it road-worthy – regardless of what vehicle it would be,” James said.
“I make it a point to periodically inspect if my car is in good condition—preventive over curative ALL THE TIME. Tire pressure, lights, brakes, battery, fluids, alignment, even fuel levels… the works! Add ko na rin siguro personally, I make sure my car is always clean and tidy—inside and out. And of course, you should always be prepared for the worst—even if you take good care of your vehicle on and off the road,” he adds.
All in all, having the ability to be behind the wheel gives him utmost control over most situations. “I love driving—whether it be near or far. And as a car owner, I can directly get to wherever I want and have to go in a manner that is most ideal—especially with how transportation systems are here in the country. Yet amidst all its advantages and privileges, one should never overlook what it actually takes to own and operate something that is of your own,” James concludes.
Practicality and Personality
Lindy got her first car in 2001—a Ford Lynx while working for a radio station. Years have past and now she now owns a Nissan Navara bought last 2018—fruits of hard work as well.
She also said that having a vehicle is very crucial for her daily routine, including “providing service” to her children. They even coined the term “mama move” because she drives them almost everywhere—including frequent weekend visits to Lindy’s mother in Tagaytay.
Lindy admits that her love for cars was born out of her dad’s influence, yet her interest eventually turned out to be a sort of a “need”. According to her, she didn’t want to depend on anyone. “I just want it to be free because it’s very empowering. It’s very liberating when you own your own car as you have control over where you wanna go,”
In today’s time, various luxury cars are released almost everywhere around the world. Yet amidst it all, Lindy continues to prefer a more practical option than a luxurious one. She even believes that her choice for practicality resembles her personality. “Even if I have the money, I won’t invest in a luxury car because what I want is to be comfortable, practical, safe, yet not so flashy—and I believe it speaks so much about who I am”.
Compared to normal cars, the Navara pickup truck is huge since it can load numerous stuff at the back during events plus the things she brings on a daily basis. Looking at its interiors, it’s soft, it has a cool aircon, and it’s easy to drive despite its size and shape.
Definitely, the main reason why Lindy bought a pick-up truck is due to what it can provide. Aside from its enormous load capacity, one of her most loved features is its ability over rough roads and floods—which is prevalent in the country. “Riding a pick-up, I feel safe because I’m higher than other cars. Not to mention, there’s so much space for me to store my everyday stuff and even my equipment for work/events.”
With Lindy being a regular crusader of the road, her mindset is always set towards efficiency and sustainability; planning trips, routes, and fuel saving is always on her checklist especially with fuel prices being so erratic.
Yet whilst ensuring the factors that are within her control, she admits that what frustrates her are those factors on which that aren’t. Whenever around the metro, roads for her can get very tight due to the terrible traffic situations plaguing around. According to her, car volume is bearable, yet what irks her the most are the motorcycles scattered all over the place without proper road etiquette and awareness. “Grabe sila, they’re so erratic,” she exclaims. “With that, there’s nothing I can do besides telling myself to stay calm and patient.
When it comes to maintaining the wellness of her pick-up, there’s no other way but to keep it “casa-maintained”, with Preventive Maintenance Services (PMS) administered every 3 months to change the oil, handle filters—everything. Yet Lindy admits: “All this PMS scheduling, it can get expensive. Not to mention the need to avail of car insurance with full coverage should something happen”.
Looking into the future, Lindy firmly believes that owning a car would still be her preference—regardless of the circumstance. “Unless our transport system in general becomes something like how it is in Japan, Singapore, Morocco or anywhere else in the world, I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t be braving the streets behind the wheel of my own car,” she concludes.
Sure and Secure
Fidel used to own three cars, with one of them supposedly planned to be a “project car”. Yet due to lack of parking space and possession means, he had to let go of the two —leaving him with his Kia Rio which was handed down to him by his mother.
For Fidel, safety is one of the top priorities in having his own car. Although commuting offers practicality, it hasn’t reached the level of safety that he wants to attain for him and his family. “Tuwing nakikita ko yung mga public transport na hindi masyadong safe, parang lagi kong naiiisip na sana yung mga naaksidente may private na, or at least nakasakay man lang sila sa mas secured na sasakyan para sa kanilang ikinabubuti.” he said. Aside from safety, Fidel’s edge as a car owner is being able to withstand weather hindrances such as typhoons and floods. He claims that the only way to attend important functions or gatherings productively is through private transportation.
Compared to other cars, Fidel considers his Kia Rio as a basic car relative to its price. For him, it complements his simple personality and his mother’s profession as a doctor. Despite that, the Kia Rio is complete when it comes to the features he needs. It fulfills its function to drive his mother to the hospital back and forth which is of great help, objectively.
However, privacy and safety compensate for the cost of keeping the car. “Yung cost mo compare sa nag cocommute ay doble, triple. Compared sa namamasahe, ang cost mo lang is 60 pesos papunta, 60 pesos pauwi. Pag nag sarili kang sasakyan, ang cost nun 300—500 pesos per day.”
This is why he always allots at least 5% of his adequate salary for vehicle maintenance. After all, it is a worthy investment for him because of its reliability. “Once na nagrely ka na sa vehicle mo, pag biglang kailangan mo siya tas hind siya reliable, parang sobrang hirap mag adjust sa sarili,” he said.
In order to save gas and parking, he mixes his travels with public transport on his way to work. As a resident of Quezon City, he would drive to Trinoma, park there, then take the Metro Railway Transit to Makati. In short, he would use his car to get to the easy part of the commute.
He also created habits that would help him spend less. Before, he would fill his gas tank with enough gas for the day, but now he would fill the tank and refill it when it reaches half. Other than saving money, it also saves his car’s internal components. This is also important because incurring damages on the road will not only lead to additional expenses but “sakit sa ulo”.
Like James and Lindy, Fidel would regularly check the essentials of his vehicle, and make sure that the interior of the car is clean. Moreover, maintaining his Kia Rio can have its additional challenges since it was a hand-me-down. One key factor in purchasing/owning pre-owned cars is to be aware of its history of breakdowns (if any).
In addition, there comes a point in every vehicle wherein faults become inevitable—especially due to wear and tear. And what’s worse is if you get into unfortunate situations such as collisions or other types of incidents. Fidel recalls spending PHP100,000 because of an accident wherein he was left with no choice but to shell out this money to have it repaired because after all, it helps with his daily life. Prior to this very incident, Fidel decided to discontinue his additional insurance coverage so he had to pay for the damages out of his own pocket. A lesson learned indeed, according to Fidel.
Future-oriented, Fidel envisions himself keeping his much-loved car for a long time, although it would be an advantage to own a vehicle that isn’t damage-prone—budget permitting. “If maganda talaga yung transportation, baka pwede pa ‘kong mag bike,” he said.
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Owning and maintaining your own car is definitely more than just the ability to gain control behind the wheel and get you from Point A to Point B in a manner that pleases you. As these car owners have shared, it is a reflection of both highs and lows, their everyday essentials, and their response towards the decisions they make. In short, “hitching a ride to the auto life” is, and will always be, a way of life.
