Jong Arcano of Inquirer came up with our team name while we were on the bus.

“On the Right Trek.”

Toyota Road Trek 19 in Cebu was my first time joining the event. It was also Daily Tribune’s first time to be part of it. 

Many of the people on that trip had been there before. Some had been there many times. I came in as one of the newcomers.

I read Jeffrey K. Liker’s The Toyota Way years ago, when I was a young engineer working for semiconductor and solar companies. 

Road Trek brought the book back to mind as the event showed Toyota’s discipline, planning, people and respect for the work behind the vehicles.

Toyota Motor Philippines has turned Road Trek into one of the most respected annual events in the local motoring beat. 

The Cebu route brought us from Mactan to Toyota Danao, Cebu Safari and Adventure Park and Kandaya Resort in Daanbantayan. 

Toyota often explains that different customers need different mobility solutions with their multi-pathway approach that can sound like corporate language, but it became easier to understand when we were moving across Cebu.

Different drivers need different vehicles. Some need comfort, others need a workhorse. Some want luxury with capability, while others want better fuel economy. Toyota’s answer is choice, not one fixed path.

I rode shotgun in the Lexus GX 550 and the 2026 Toyota Hilux 4x4 with Jong Arcano of the Inquirer, with Tina Arceo-Dumlao (Inquirer) also in the vehicle.

The Lexus GX 550 has a more premium feel, with a solid and steady ride from the passenger seat even on rougher sections.

The 2026 Toyota Hilux 4x4 felt more work-ready, with a better cabin and proper 4x4 hardware while still feeling like a Hilux — upgraded.

I shared pretzels and stories with some of the veterans and originals of the Philippine motoring industry — Al Mendoza, Jong Arcano, Vernon Sarne, Sherwin Chua-Lim and Ron de los Reyes — during a break inside the Cebu Safari.

The brilliant and younger journalists were impressive with their product knowledge and good camera work.

It was a privilege and an honor to meet them all up close.

Even the bus ride had its own comedy, with Toyota trivia made more entertaining by the team names. One team called itself “No Doubt We Will Win.” Lol.

Road Trek 19 helped me understand why people keep returning, because a good drive alone cannot explain 19 years.

Road Trek works because it respects both the drive and the people on it.

The Toyota Way made more sense to me after the trip, as the book talks about planning, improvement, discipline and respect for people. 

Road Trek showed those principles outside the factory, in Cebu, among us.

I came to Cebu expecting to learn more about Toyota vehicles. And I did. 

But the trip also showed me something else.

Toyota Road Trek is a drive, but it is also a gathering of people who have watched the Philippine motoring industry grow, from those who helped pave the way to those now building what comes next.

This year, DAILY TRIBUNE finally joined that convoy.

We were new to it. We had good company. And thanks to Jong’s team name, we were on the right trek.