Auto Focus People's & Media's Choice Awards

The Auto Focus Media's Choice Awards is a second but equally important component of Sunshine Television's Automobile Industry Merit Program. It was first introduced in 2008. The distinct purpose of the Media Awards is to further recognize the auto industry's non-stop efforts to provide car buyers and owners with the best on-board features, styling, performance and overall value. A select group of recognized motoring media professionals and practitioners comprise the voters' panel in a poll that determines awardees in 4 concurrent categories: Best Design, Best Engine Performance, Best Safety Features, and Best Value for Money. Applied to each of the 11 model groups in the separate Standard and Luxury classifications, a total of 88 individual awards are offered. However, stringent criteria apply to the vote tally. To merit a Media's Choice award, a particular model must garner at least 51% or more of the total votes cast in that model's specific performance category.

On Tuesday, September 27, the invited media panelists convened at the Sunshine TV offices at the Valle Verde Country Club to tender their votes. Likewise, a distinguished group of top motoring industry executives dropped by and were welcomed to witness the poll by STV Chairman & CEO, Ray Butch Gamboa. For sure more of the industry's bigwigs would have been around if not for the atrocious traffic that prevailed throughout the day. Among those who were on-hand for the Media Awards proceedings were: Maricar Parco, President of Asian Carmakers for BMW; Toshio Kuwahara, President and GM of Honda Cars Philippines; Yvonne Linchangco, PR Officer of Isuzu Philippines; Glen Dasig, President of Eurobrands Distributor for Peugeot, Amado del Rosario, Director of PR for PGA Cars representing Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini & Porsche with PR Officer, Joy Villaflor; JP Orbeta, President of Automobile Central Enterprise for Volkswagen with Timmy de Leon, PR Manager and Arnel Doria, consultant of Ayala Auto and Young Street Smarts Club Road Safety Director.

The strict majority rule, which last year accounted for 40 winners out of 88 available awards, underscores the prestige and relevance the Media's Choice Awards has earned not only within the automobile industry, but more so the motoring and car buying public.

How many winners will finally make it this year?

We shall all find out shortly!