“Goodyear Pa Rin!” roadshow goes to Parkmall Cebu

Five-city tour brings leading tire innovations to customers nationwide

Goodyear Philippines continues its celebration of 111 years of safety innovation when it brings the Goodyear Pa Rin! roadshow to Parkmall Cebu on October 16 to 18, 2009. The three-day event will feature activities for the general public such as an all-day photo booth, car displays, and Women with Drive sessions conducted by Goodyear’s top racing endorsers.

Goodyear Pa Rin! was kicked off last August 21 at the SM Mall of Asia and will be in other malls nationwide including Pampanga, Cebu and Davao.

“We are excited about this opportunity to work closely with our partner-dealers and top racing endorsers and bring the best Goodyear products and exceptional Goodyear retail experience straight to our customers and the public,” said Goodyear Philippines Managing Director Gerry Alava.

The leading tire company has continually responded to the ever-changing needs of today’s consumers, setting industry benchmarks in tire safety and performance. In the past two years, Goodyear has launched six superior tire innovations for high-performance, off-road, and luxury cars to small passenger vehicles. These include the Wrangler High Performance All-Weather tire with SmartTRED design for sport utility vehicles (SUVs); Wrangler with SilentArmor^TM Technology for 4X4 cars; Excellence with 3-Zone technology for luxury sedans; Eagle F1 Asymmetric for high-performance sports cars; Assurance with ArmorGrip technology for mid-sized passenger cars; and its most recent addition, the DuraPlus with Tredlife technology for small passenger vehicles.

Goodyear Pa Rin! opens the highly successful Women with Drive session to the public. Women with Drive, is an advocacy campaign specially designed for females to empower them with basic auto maintenance and troubleshooting skills. The session educates participants on road safety and equips them with knowledge of a vehicle’s different areas, including the engine, fluids, electrics, belts, hoses, wipers, under body and tires. The sessions are conducted by the country’s top racers and Goodyear endorsers.

“Being one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, Goodyear acknowledges its immense responsibility to observe good corporate governance. Goodyear is mindful not only of the impact of its business operations on its key stakeholders but also of its contribution to the safety of the general public”, Alava explains, “Goodyear works to be a socially responsible company in all areas. It focuses on its core value, which is safety, and mobilize its human, physical and financial resources to promote safety across three vectors – Road & Driver safety, Environmental safety, and Workplace safety.”

Goodyear has solidified its reputation as one of the most respected companies in the world evidenced by its many accolades namely Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired list where they ranked the second Most Admired Motor Vehicles Parts Company in the World. To date Goodyear remains the highest ranked U.S. company by a wide margin against other competitors in the category. And for the second year on a row, Goodyear also received the Reader’s Digest Platinum Award as the most trusted tire brand in the Philippines. In addition, Goodyear is recognized among the Most Trustworthy Large-Cap Companies based on a Forbes magazine report referencing Audit Integrity’s independent research and evaluation of the transparency, reliability and corporate governance of companies.

“Our commitment to the Philippine market is stronger than ever and we will continue to bring the same exceptional products and high level of customer service that our dealers and customers have come to expect from the Goodyear brand. It’s business as usual for Goodyear Philippines and this five-city roadshow is our way of showing just that,” says Alava.

Inflate, rotate, replace – simple tire safety tips

from Goodyear’s Women With Drive

Based on Land Transportation statistics, the number of new drivers has increased by an average of 5.57% year on year from 2006 to 2008. Of these, over a third are women, proof positive that women drivers are increasingly taking a solid place on the road.

This is why Goodyear Philippines has been working to empower women drivers through its Women With Drive Motoring Workshops, an advocacy campaign specially designed to equip ladies with basic auto maintenance and troubleshooting skills.

The session educates participants on road safety and allows them to understand a vehicle’s different operational areas, including the engine, fluids, electrics, belts, hoses, wipers, under body and tires. The Women with Drive sessions are conducted by the country’s top racers and Goodyear endorsers.

“Goodyear launched this free community service program, created to provide women with the knowledge and confidence to keep their car in safe and in running order,” said Goodyear Philippines Managing Director Gerry Alava.

Goodyear shares three simple tire safety tips for every woman’s peace of mind: Inflate, Replace and Rotate.

1. Inflate

Check your tire inflation with a tire pressure gauge. Your tire pressure will ensure fuel economy and tire performance, as well as ensure a smooth ride. The right amount of air needed by your tires is specified by the car manufacturer and is shown on the vehicle door edge, door post, glove box door or fuel door. It is also listed in the owner’s manual. As a rule, check pressure when tires are cool and never let your tires go below 20psi.

2. Rotate

Goodyear recommends rotating tires every 10,000 to 12,000 kilometers to equalize tread wear – a must before putting a lot more kilometers in your tire.

3. Replace

A worn-out tire can cause accidents so make sure you replace tires when needed. Use the P5-coin test to check your tire’s wear and tear. Insert the P5 coin into the tire tread right side up. As long as the wavy line at the bottom of the coin is not exposed, your tire treads are not worn out and have adequate grip for your safe driving.

“Remember at any point when driving, you are banking on a post-card sized portion of your tires that actually hit the road. It is a necessary precaution worth taking than to gamble with your life and lives of your passengers,” Alava said.

And while these are easy exercises for routine car maintenance, some functions can only be performed by qualified technicians such as those at Goodyear Autocare, Goodyear Servitek and Tyre Pro outlets nationwide. These one-stop total car care centers offer specialized tire and automotive services and access to a comprehensive range of Goodyear tires at unrivalled value. Goodyear Autocare, Goodyear Servitek and Tyre Pro also provides professional services guided by a mission to assure a safe journey for the motoring public.

Goodyear endorser Pia Boren demonstrates the P5 tire check, a useful trick to check your tire’s wear and tear. Insert the P5 coin into the tire tread right side up. As long as the wavy line at the bottom of the coin is not exposed, your tire treads are not worn out and have adequate grip for your safe driving.

10 Things to Check on Your Car Before Hitting the Road

Goodyear Philippines offers motorists free 10-point safety checks to help them prepare for hassle-free drives.

1. The right amount of air for your tires is specified by the car manufacturer and is shown on the vehicle door edge, door post, glove box door or fuel door. It also listed in the owner’s manual.
2. Take the P5-coin test to check your tire’s wear and tear. Insert the P5 coin into the tire tread right side up. As long as the wavy line at the bottom of the coin is not exposed, your tire treads are not worn out and have adequate grip for your safe driving.
3. If your brakes make a grinding or screeching noise or if the brakes pulsate when you hit the pedal, or if it takes a longer distance than usual to stop your car—it’s time to have your brake pads and fluids checked and possibly replaced.
4. Maintain your battery by keeping the correct electrolyte levels, tightening loose hold-down clamps and terminals, removing corrosion, and checking the alternator belt tension and wear.
5. Studies show the chance of driving belt failure rises dramatically after four years or 36,000 miles for v-style belts and 50,000 miles for serpentine style belts.
6. If the engine cranks but will not start, one of the first things you should check is the spark. No spark at any of the plugs usually indicates an ignition problem.
7. The age of your engine, your driving habits as well as the climate you live in are deciding factors in what type of engine oil is recommended for your vehicle.
8. Determine the power steering power fluid level using your dipstick if your car has that type of reservoir. The dipstick will also have a minimum and maximum indicator. Fill with power steering fluid to bring the level between the two lines. It is easiest to fill the fluid using a funnel.
9. Checking your car’s automatic transmission fluid every month and whenever the transmission isn’t shifting smoothly is necessary to optimize performance of many components of your car.
10. If you wish to check your car’s air filter yourself and in an easy way, you can do so by using a light from inside pointing outside and check how bright the light looks through it. If you can’t see much of the light, then it indicates the filter needs to be changed.

Goodyear Launches Search for Heroes of the Road

Bayani ng Kalsada road safety campaign now underway

Goodyear Philippines takes motoring safety beyond defensive driving by enjoining drivers of public and private vehicles to be heroes on the road via its Bayani Ng Kalsada (BNK) program, an annual nationwide search for Filipino drivers who have exhibited heroic acts of courage or extraordinary selflessness while on the road.

“Through this corporate social responsibility initiative, we at Goodyear Philippines underscore an important aspect of ensuring road safety—that it is everyone’s responsibility,” said Goodyear Philippines managing director Gerry Alava.

"Being a company whose products people entrust their lives to as they traverse the roads and highways across the Philippines, we are compelled to push the road safety message to our consumers. Our commitment to this effort is non-negotiable. More than a popularity contest, BNK is a concrete manifestation of what road safety is all about--going beyond our personal levels of comfort and becoming more aware of others who are on the road with us," he continued.

Dedicated search team

“BNK is now on its fourth consecutive year, proof of Goodyear Philippines’ commitment to the program whereby we hope will inspire Filipino drivers, by way of example, to become more responsible motorists and help make negotiating Philippine roads safer,” he added.

BNK 2009 will honor five winners: one each from four regions--Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and National Capital Region, and an overall champion. Each regional winner will receive a cash prize of P30,000, while the overall champion will receive P50,000.

This year, a dedicated search committee will actively be on the look-out for road heroes all over the country. Consumers are encouraged to nominate their own road heroes, and nominations for the search will be accepted at all Goodyear Servitek dealers and Autocare outlets across the country.

Each nomination will undergo a thorough screening process and will be judged by a prestigious panel of judges which includes transportation officials, media and sponsor representatives, and Goodyear executives.

Bayani ng Kalsada is the Philippine version of a successful, long-running Goodyear program held annually in the U.S. and Canada (since 1983) that is now also held annually in Asia Pacific countries such as Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Dubbed Highway Heroes, the program has recognized truck drivers who have done heroic acts of courage, sacrifice and service on the road over the last 21 years. This year’s program is being done in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Manila Bulletin, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Abante, Centro Negosyo, Honda Safety Center, Standard Insurance, Cebuana Lhuillier and Safety Organization of the Philippines, Inc. (SOPI).

For more information, please visit www.goodyear.com.ph/bayani or call the Bayani ng Kalsada secretariat at 817-7796.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs nearly 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 25 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information on Goodyear, please visit www.goodyear.com.ph

Contacts:

BESSIE ADEA-ARCIGA KAREN SALES

Goodyear Philippines Inc. Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide/Manila

Tel. No. (632) 876-4707 Tel. No. (632) 885-0001 loc. 165

Fax No. (632) 876-4596 Fax No. (632) 885-0030

E-mail:cynthia_arciga@goodyear.com


E-mail: karen.sales@ogilvy.com