Isuzu Cebu President Manny Aligada leads the groundbreaking ceremony of the Isuzu Cebu South dealership in Calajoan, Minglanilla.
Due to the growing market in the Central Visayas region, Isuzu Cebu Inc. is expanding its reach with the addition of another dealership in the southern part of Cebu.
The company, which is under the Ayala Automotive umbrella, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Isuzu Cebu South dealership last March 8 in Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla town.
The 3,600 square-meter facility will boast of a five-car showroom display area and six service bays that will cater to Isuzu trucks and light commercial vehicles from the southern part of Cebu and other areas of Region 7.
“We saw the importance of South Cebu. [It is] a strategic location for the whole Region 7 and not just in Cebu,” said Isuzu Cebu General Manager Steve Gingco. “ [We’re] lucky to have this location, right in front of the national highway and at the heart of where we want to be in the South.”
The dealership will be the sixth for Isuzu Cebu Inc. in the Visayas region. The others are Isuzu Bohol, Isuzu Iloilo, Isuzu Mandaue, Isuzu Talisay and Isuzu Cebu.
Construction of the Minglanilla branch will begin in the first week of May. It is expected to be done in September.
Other noted officials present during the groundbreaking were Isuzu Philippines President Hajime Kozo and Isuzu Cebu President Manny Aligada.
Gingco added that the upcoming dealership will be a huge help for those in the south, especially with the worsening traffic in that area.
“Now Isuzu owners don’t have to go to the city for servicing,” he said.
Kozo, meanwhile, said the expansion is a sign that sales of Isuzu vehicles are doing good in Cebu.
“[This is] a clear indication that the Cebu market is booming. In 2017, Isuzu Cebu sales grew by 82 percent compared to previous years,” he said.
Among Isuzu’s top performing vehicles in the region include the mu-X midsize sports utility vehicle.
Aligada said he believes Isuzu, which, aside from the large and medium trucks, also sells the trusted D-Max pickup truck, will continue to grow in the coming years.
“We are very positive that [the growth] will continue especially for commercial vehicles, wherein Isuzu is a brand leader. This is why we are expanding in this location,” said Aligada.
Isuzu Cebu opened its first branch in Mandaue City in 1998. The dealership at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City opened in 2015, replacing the dealership along Archbishop Reyes Avenue.