You could judge the importance of a vehicle model by the scale of the event heralding its arrival. At the bottom of the food chain are forgettable cars whose distributors can’t even be bothered to spend for a proper venue other than their own showroom. Then there are those cars whose launch is nothing more than an opportunity to cut costs, hence the mall-corner display. And there are those whose advent warrants an elegant (and expensive) hotel affair to trumpet the occasion.

Ah, but then there is that rare vehicle that is so special that its entry takes more than a year of publicity. So special, in fact, that its ceremonial roll-off is attended by politicians, business VIPs, dealer principals, and the brand’s proud workers.

That was exactly the manner by which Toyota Motor Philippines rolled off the new-generation Tamaraw at its Santa Rosa plant yesterday. The place was literally the site of Filipino pride.

“Galing ng gawang Pinoy,” screamed the marketing catchphrase. “Bida ng kalsada,” said another. You knew all of it was the stuff of promotional hype. But you believed it. You had to—especially since the manufacturer that was mouthing off the claim owns almost 50% of the market. Especially since the vehicle in question has a rich history in the country.

The Tamaraw is now the third locally assembled Toyota vehicle in the Philippines, after the Vios and the Innova.

“It is the third locally produced model here in our Santa Rosa plant—built by Filipinos, for Filipinos,” remarked TMP chairman Alfred V. Ty during the event. “It is a testament to our commitment to nation-building, our belief in Filipino craftsmanship, and our continuing mission to create ever-better cars for the Philippines.”

Toyota declares that it has now invested P5.5 billion in the Tamaraw project—the sum of “the conversion factory, the vehicle production, and the in-house and outsourced parts localization.”

TMP executives wouldn’t divulge the company’s exact sales projection for the Tamaraw, but they did reveal that the plant has a 20,000-unit capacity for the new vehicle.

The new-generation Tamaraw will be officially launched to the market on December 6, at the following venues around the country:

• Glorietta Activity Center (Makati)
• SM Mall of Asia (Pasay)
• TriNoma (Quezon City)
• Ayala Malls Solenad (Santa Rosa, Laguna)
• SM City Pampanga (San Fernando, Pampanga)
• SM City Cebu (Cebu City)
• SM Lanang Premier (Davao City)
• Limketkai Center (Cagayan de Oro City)

So…see you on the big day?