PhilStar - Suzuki Philippines, Inc. (SPH) proves that it is oozing with the astig factor; as yet another group of formidable players join the ranks of Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. and Angel Locsin in Team Suzuki’s band of “Astig” riders. This time, it is the Philippine Men’s Football team’s “hometown heroes”: Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener, Ian Araneta, Yannick Tuason and Paolo Pascual. All five seek to inspire young and old alike, as SPH continues its expansive campaign and highlights the city roots of all five players, with billboards strewn all over the Visayas and Mindanao. Caligdong, Araneta and Gener all hail from the city of Barotac Nuevo, in Iloilo, where it is said that boys learn how to play football the day they begin to walk. While Paolo Pascual traces his roots in Cebu City and Yannick Tuason is from Tagum, Davao.
How fitting it is that SPH chose these five players, who are all motorcycle riders (Araneta, in particular, is a drag race enthusiast). And as members of the Philippine Men’s Football Team, they bear much likeness with a Suzuki motorcycle — tough, quick and brimming with an astig aura.
Suzuki unites with the Hometown Heroes to become inspirations to other aspiring football players, especially for the kids who come from their respective hometowns. As a true blue football fanatic, Araneta wants nothing more than to inspire young ones to embrace the sport. “Our satisfaction comes when kids come to us and say that they also want to play and be an Azkal in the future,” said Araneta.
Suzuki is no stranger to giving support to Philippine sports, as they also desire to develop more hometown heroes. Just recently, the PFF Suzuki U23 National Cup was concluded, where the winners were given the chance to be selected for the national football team.
But that’s not all. Suzuki knows how hard it is for the youth to partake in sports, especially when their hometown is in dire need of a helping hand. For this, the brand aims to develop the countryside of Visayas and Mindanao by providing affordable transportation that is valuable in its economic growth.
These hometown heroes have come a long way from their humble beginnings in their respective cities. As people gaze at their billboards in Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro and Tagum, they will know that they are all heroes in their own right. And just like Suzuki, the Hometown Heroes are truly astig.
