Bulacan’s San Jose Del Monte kicks off conversion to modern PUVs with Isuzu-Centro units and Isuzu’s trademark after-sales services

Gelzon de la Cruz

San Jose Del Monte, the intended terminus of the MRT 7 commuter train line from Quezon City in Metro Manila, and what is boasted of by its mayor, Arturo B.Robes, as the most urbanized city in the province, is now the first locale in Bulacan to convert to modern PUVs. Sampol Bulac Santa Maria Meycauayan Transport Service Cooperative (SBSMM-TSC) is the first of San Juan Del Monte’s 14 transport cooperatives, and is the country’s first consolidated cooperative (merged from several organizations), to convert to modern PUVs, says Land Transportation and Franchise Regulation Board (LTFRB) Region 3 director Ahmed Cuizon.

SBSMMTSC received 16 modern PUVs last week on July 26, initial delivery on what the transport cooperative’s secretary Roberto Lopez Villacruz says is their total order for 35 vehicles. The new jeepney replacements are all Isuzu QKR77 modern PUVs with Centro-built bodies–the largest single delivery of Isuzu-Centro modern PUVs so far. (The turnover of 24 modern PUVs to the Alabang Transport Service Cooperative last month included 9 units with Centro-built bodies.)

For their Isuzu QKR77 modern PUVs, SBSMM-TSC’s Villacruz says they opted for  Centro-built bodies (over Almazora and Santa Rosa builds) because of what they perceive would  be better support with the strategic location of the body builder’s Bulacan factory along their transport route in nearby Marilao.  In contrast, SBSMMTSC formally sourced the built-up vehicles from Isuzu’s major dealer, Industrial & Transport Equipment, Inc. (INTECO) at Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

SBSMM-TSC’s Villacruz said the Isuzu dealership’s relatively distant location was not a detracting factor since they will be relying on the major truckmaker’s after-sales on-site services, particularly for preventive and on-call maintenance for their vehicles done at the cooperative’s garage-depot in San Juan Del Monte.  In addition to such on-site maintenance under Isuzu’s Service Medic mobile service, Villacruz confirmed that they also intend to implement fleet management and vehicle operation best practices with data captured using Isuzu’s Mimomari vehicle telemetry technology.

Isuzu Philippines Corp. EVP Shojiro Sakoda and SBSMM-TSC chairman Elizabeth D. Villacruz

Also present at the turnover of modern PUVs to SBSMM-TSC was Bernard Flores of the Sapang Palay Minuyan Loop Transport Cooperative (SPMLTC), another organization among San Jose Del Monte’s 14 transport cooperatives. Flores says SPMLTC with its 80 individual members is expecting imminent approval of its Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) loan and then the delivery of their own initial batch of 15 Isuzu QKR77 modern PUVs.

Bernard Flores of the SPMLTC and Roberto Lopez Villacruz of the SBSMM-TSC transport cooperatives
SPMLTC’s Flores says that they found the Isuzu QKR77 modern PUV’s 3.0 liter Euro 4 compliant turbodiesel to be more efficient than closest rival Hino’s PUV with its larger 4.0 liter engine displacement, but that they did have questions about the smaller Isuzu engine’s power, initially. He said that the cooperative’s members had no doubts about the ruggedness, reliability and fuel efficiency of Isuzu engines, per se, but they needed to test the QKR77’s 104hp and 230NM 4JH1-TC turbodiesel’s suitability to San Jose Del Monte’s hilly terrain. This issue was settled decisively when Isuzu Philippines arranged a mass test-drive for PUV operators last December which saw them driving Isuzu’s 3.0 liter PUVs up to Baguio City via the long, unrelenting uphill grades of its Marcos Highway ascent route.
Isuzu’s PUV-X after-sales services for modern PUV operators: Isuzu’s after-sales services for modern PUV operators are actually headlined in the PUV-X program that was launched at the same time last week at the 2019 Philippine Bus and Trucks Expo held at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City from July 24 to 26. The PUV-X program asserts the following 10 advantages for Isuzu modern PUV customers: (1) Isuzu’s reputation for reliability, (2) experienced body builders, (3) accredited accessories suppliers, (4) industry-leading 3-years or 150,000kms warranty coverage, (5) nationwide dealership network, (6) customer assistance from their Truck Elites truck experts, (7) nationwide availability of parts, service and technical assistance from authorized providers and from mobile Service Medic vans for roadside assistance, (8) driver and mechanic training, (9) extensive fleet management systems including Mimomari vehicle telemetry, and (10) all-around customer assistance.