The Velocity Q&A: Jose Maria ‘Jing’ Atienza (Executive Vice-President, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.)

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PHOTO FROM TOYOTA MOTOR PHILIPPINES CORP.

Mr. Atienza waves to members of the media at the press conference following the next-generation Toyota Tamaraw’s launch late last year. — PHOTO BY KAP MACEDA AGUILA

Mr. Atienza speaks with the author.

Interview by Kap Maceda Aguila

IT’S AN IMPOSSIBLE proposition to even try understating the significance of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.’s feat. Twenty-three consecutive years of automotive market leadership evidenced in securing the much desired, so-called “triple crown” to signify dominance in passenger-, commercial-, and overall-vehicle sales is unprecedented and unequaled.

“We think it’s just very normal for us to work hard,” comments TMP Executive Vice-President Jose Maria “Jing” Atienza with a laugh. He’s not wont to harp on Toyota’s sustained level of success here, and humbly chalks it up to the organization doing what needs to be done, helped along by a spate of good luck.

“It’s not even about market share,” he submits. It’s about meeting the customers’ demands for certain models, rather than, say, being the leader in individual vehicle segments. At some point, TMP had incredibly accounted for half of new vehicle sales. As of July this year, the brand cornered 48% of the market, with a YTD sales figure of 129,334 units — up by 5.4% versus the same period in 2024 (122,730), per the report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

“We monitor that (share), but it’s really more about understanding what the market needs, and asking if we could introduce certain models.”

We catch up with the TMP veteran on the eve of the final race weekend of the 2025 season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup — the most recent iteration of what had once been the Vios Cup. “We are into mobility, and in this industry, you have to enjoy cars — and there are many ways of enjoying the vehicles,” he maintains. “But also for the Philippines, there’s a big need to promote racing vehicles. And we found this (series) a very good venue, starting at the grassroots and developing more approachable and reachable racing vehicles. We started with the Vios, and we’re expanding this to our next-generation Tamaraw.”

Mr. Atienza — part of the pioneer batch of De La Salle University’s Manufacturing, Engineering, and Management graduates — is from Parañaque, and the plant then of TMP in Bicutan was near his place. “It was very normal for me to have applied for Toyota,” he quips. Mr. Atienza joined the company on Aug. 1, 1991. While he applied to other companies as well, he insists that Toyota was his first choice.

“My first project for the company was to work on this training manual for sales people,” he recalls. For which product? The Toyota Tamaraw.

Here are excerpts from our exclusive interview with Mr. Atienza:

VELOCITY: How’s the reception been for the next-generation Toyota Tamaraw? How important is this workhorse this time around to TMP, and why?

JOSE MARIA “JING” ATIENZA: Of course, it’s one of the most important models in our lineup. Not only that, we are able to reach out to a new customer base (whom) we’re helping achieve what they want in terms of business and mobility. And since this is a locally assembled vehicle, we’re able to help people, we’re promoting employment, we’re promoting development of our parts industry, and a lot more in terms of nation-building. It’s been quite good in terms of market reception. Of course, we just started. For us, even if it’s around six, seven months later, we (feel we’ve) just started, and we’re able to discover a lot of things. You know, our approach with the Tamaraw is quite different from the many models we have. The Tamaraw enables us to understand better what’s happening in the country. We go out and talk to our customers.

What have you noticed in Toyota from the years that you started and then how it has evolved?

It was very different then, because the new automotive industry just started. We were just maybe three or four brands at that time. So I was a product planning person, and we only had three or four cars: Corolla, Corona, Crown, and the Lite Ace — then the Tamaraw had just come in. I knew all the grades, the colors, the prices. Now, we have 25 or 26 models in Toyota; if you add Lexus, that’s another 12. We’ve grown a lot from that time. We’ve grown a lot from just selling cars and servicing vehicles. Now we have 75 outlets already, and our coverage is quite large. Now we have used cars, Toyota Insure, Toyota Financial Services, Toyota Mobility… So we’re not just selling cars, but we’re really offering so many services to our customers.

How would you describe the corporate culture at Toyota? One of the things we’ve noticed in from our side of the fence for media is that, of course, we know that there are a lot of personnel movements, especially now that there are a lot of brands, and we’ve seen that people seem to want to stay in Toyota. You personally are a testament to that.

You have to enjoy it to stay for that long… I still remember when we started and I was joining those pre-CAMPI industry meetings. Most of those attending for other brands are not there anymore, and I’m still here (laughs). I can mention that, more or less, our teams from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s are still here with us. That continuity is probably one of those things which help Toyota grow.

But I’ve also heard of people liking a job, but perhaps not liking the corporate culture, and that will make them leave. So what is it about Toyota itself? I would like to tie this to an observation that, of course, we know that Toyota is also about the Japanese working harmoniously with the Filipinos. There must be some sort of fit culturally that has allowed not just the success, but lasting relationships to be formed.

I think maybe it’s a good combination. Also, I wouldn’t say what we are and what Japanese workers would be, but it’s more of a Toyota culture and Toyota way of doing things.

What is that? How would you describe the Toyota way?

We’re a very process-based organization; not personality-based. You wouldn’t see anyone of us emerge as a “star.” We’re in a team. And what we want to do is very clear, and the way we want to do it. You’ve probably heard about the Toyota production system. I don’t know how other brands do it, but for us, for example, if we have an expat coming in, let’s say, five years ago, then a new one now, it’s just a continuation because we all think alike. Filipino or Japanese, we’re all Toyota people. If I go to another country and join all those conferences, we speak the same language.

Unofficially, there are more than 50 auto brands now in the country. About half of these are Chinese brands. So maybe when you look at the grand scheme of things, or when you see this sort of layout in the industry, what goes through the mind of Toyota right now? How are you seeing the state of business? From the customer side, we will always say the same thing. We would always say that it’s for the benefit of consumers.

That’s what we’re saying also. It’s expected. For us, the more brands there are, the better it is for the customers, better for the industry. For Toyota and for a company like ours, what’s good for the industry is good for us. If there is more competition, then the market will change, and us also as Toyota, we change with the times. It’s good that there are more brands; that also shows a good outlook for the Philippine economy. By the way, if you asked me that 20 years ago, I would have said the same thing.

What is the secret to TMP’s success?

We listen to the customer. We say that we create happiness with the customer, and that means many things: the right car, the right price, the right specifications, and we take care of them during the vehicle’s life cycle. But there are still so many things around these that customers probably don’t see. We do our own things like logistics, planning, and such; how we store and deliver our vehicles, how we deliver our parts, how we train our technicians. And these are things we continuously try to improve upon.