DRIVE_TO_HIGANTES_ANGONO
'Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan' kicks off at the Higantes Festival in Angono,

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015

(Manila, Philippines)–  Nissan Philippines Inc (NPI) unleashes its redesigned Almera sedan onto Philippine roads with the launch of the “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” program through a media drive event at the Higantes Festival in Angono, Rizal. The program, aligned with the objectives of the Department of Tourism (DOT) of stimulating local tourism, is created in conjunction with the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the DOT. “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” aims to boost local tourism through the promotion of road travel to tourism destinations recommended by the TPB.

“We chose to bring the new Almera to the Higantes Festival as a nod to our sedan’s class-leading spaciousness,” Antonio Zara, NPI President and Managing Director, said. “If the Higantes bring ‘bigness in size’ in top of mind recall, so does the new Almera in terms of not just cabin space, but also trunk space,” he explained.

“Also, ‘Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan’ is a facet of how we at Nissan Philippines do things differently,” Zara said. “This is our way of showing the beauty of the country from a different perspective, that the drive, the journey, can be as meaningful and exciting as the destination. And thanks to our partnership with the TPB, we look forward to bringing more of our fellow countrymen into making new discoveries and new experiences possible.”

In response, Mr. Milo Oropeza, TPB Project Development Officer said, “We are happy to partner with Nissan in order to strategically bring the best of the Philippines closer to more people. There are still many interesting places to visit, sights to see, and activities to try out that is unique to the country. By working together with Nissan, we hope the public will be encouraged to make new discoveries on the road.”

The road to the Higantes Festival was a colorful drive that highlighted the artistry and creativity of the event, as the procession honoring the town’s patron saint, San Clemente, took center stage. Devotees dressed in colorful local costumes, and carrying “higantes”, or giant paper mache effigies brought the image of the saint all the way to a fluvial procession at the Laguna de Bay, with the revelry continuing all the way until the statue was returned to its sanctuary.
Other high points of the trip included the breakfast meet-up at the Estancia Mall, followed by a drive to Angono where guests partook of traditional food at the Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery. Afterwards, guests witnessed the Bisperas Mayores grand parade that featured the Higantes floats.

The convoy then drove to the Thunderbird Resort in Binangonan, Rizal, taking advantage of the new Almera’s easy handling capability, vaunted cooling, and generous leg space to reach their home for the night in relative comfort. The following day was jumpstarted with a visit to the oldest work of art in the country, the Petroglyphs in Angono, then the group motored to the ancestral house of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, where the guests took pictures and listened to tales of the house by its current owner.

The new Almera is available in all Nissan dealerships for test-driving and outright sale, while the “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” is on its pilot run and will continue until October 2016. The program will be jointly spearheaded by NPI and TPB with monthly road trips with members of the media to various destinations that will be set by the TBP.