NISSAN PHILIPPINES TAKES THE ROAD TO EASTERN VISAYAS IN ITS LATEST “VISIT THE PHILIPPINES, DRIVE TO DISCOVER” DESTINATION

Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) takes its media guests on a new adventure drive to its latest “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” leg to the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in Tacloban, Leyte.  The program is created in conjunction with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (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 at Nissan are very excited to once again be running our ‘Visit the Philippines Drive to Discover with Nissan’ program, discovering the wonderful city of Tacloban and the Samar province.” said Ramesh Narasimhan, NPI President & Managing Director, “After rising from the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, the resiliency and versatility of the people in this region is something to be admired."

As the longest running festival in Eastern Visayas, the Pintados-Kasadyaan is one of the landmark events in Leyte that brings together the different, vibrant festivals from its various towns. It also serves as a reminder of the Leyteños’ resiliency to rise above the challenges, and celebrate life.  It is this diversity and resilient culture that we are proud to underscore together with our Nissan vehicles, the Nissan X-Trail and the Nissan Juke, which with their strength and reliability on and off the road perfectly complement the Leyteños’ strength of character.

The travel highlighted the Nissan X-Trail and Nissan Juke’s advanced technology. Given the long distance drive over different kinds of terrain, the challenges to both the drivers and the vehicles were mitigated by the Nissan X-Trail’s modern features. These include its Advanced Drive-Assist Display, its intuitive All-Mode 4x4-i system that lets drivers switch drive systems from 2WD to 4WD for both on-road and off-road conditions, and its Around View Monitor that allows the driver to see 360-degrees of his surroundings prior to parking. The Nissan Juke, on the other hand, combines the toughness of an SUV with the comfortable driving features of a sedan. Its I-CON Dynamic Control System lets the driver control both the cabin environment as well as the driving demands.  At a touch of a button, the driver can switch driving styles to Sport, Normal, or Eco mode to meet the different road conditions while maximizing performance with fuel economy.

Media guests flagged-off from the airport to the Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum, which is home to some of the country’s priceless artifacts and antiquities.  Here, a surprise cultural number from the Eastern Visayas State University dance group, one of the region’s best cultural performers known for their performance during the Pope Francis visit early last year, also greeted the Nissan group.  After a tour, the group ended the day with a visit to the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival Park to catch the colorful festivities. Amidst the swirl of festival colors, the Nissan X-Trail in Fiery Red and the Nissan Juke in Solar Yellow boldly stood out for their stylish lines and color palette, making the fiesta truly a feast for the eyes. 

The next day, the group took off early for Basey, Samar via the scenic San Juanico Bridge. Located in the center of Samar, Basey is known as the seat of natural resources, and is home to several growing natural attractions of the province.  The Nissan team took on the alternating good road - rough road route to the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Samar. The vehicles kept the ride comfortable for both drivers and passengers.  The Nissan X-Trail Zero Gravity seats in the front row helped reduce muscle fatigue, and the Dual Zone climate control system allowed the passengers to customize their level of cooling. 

The drive also included a tour to Saob Cave in Basiao, where local mat weavers can be found. The cavern’s cold temperature help preserve the raw materials that make for their top-quality banig products.  All throughout the trip, both vehicles kept their passengers cool even under the heat of the sun.

The last day of the Leyte leg saw the entire group take on the overland drive for Tacloban.  Some of the highlights of the day included visiting the MacArthur Landing site in Palo, the M/V Eva Jocelyn Memorial, which displayed the hull of the superstructure that was grounded inland at the height of typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda), as well as The Capitol, where a commemorative plaque notes that it was the site where Sergio Osmeña was formally installed as the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines by General Douglas MacArthur.

“Exploring some of these unsung tourism destinations in Samar and Leyte made for an unforgettable tour of new finds, enabling the guests to know more about the country. This is the kind of experience that encourages one to live up to the Nissan spirit of “Drive to Discover,” added Narasimhan.

The Nissan X-Trail and other Nissan vehicles are available in all Nissan dealerships for test-driving and outright sale, while the “Visit the Philippines, Drive to Discover with Nissan” is an ongoing project that will run 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 set by the TBP.