Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) President Jose Ma. “Jing” Atienza — PHOTO BY KAP MACEDA AGUILA

Despite seasonal slump, year’s sales expected to breach 500K units

By Kap Maceda Aguila

VEHICLE SALES in the Philippines totaled 35,035 units last January, the 26% dip from December 2025’s 47,371-unit output expected on account of market seasonality factors — such as the “yearend (buying) rush in the market,” according to a recent joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA). These figures are total industry figures; when accounting for CAMPI and TMA member companies only, the numbers are 42,870 (December 2025) and 33,696 (January 2026) for a decline of 21.4%. Still, CAMPI pointed to the “exceptional performance” in December 2025, which “(set) the highest December sales record since 2017.”

When viewed from a year-on-year lens, there was a similar dip of 10.2% from 37,504 units in the same month last year for CAMPI and TMA. CAMPI President Jose Ma. “Jing” Atienza, however, remains optimistic about achieving its goal to sell 500,000 units or more this year. “The Philippine auto market growth trajectory of recent years consistently pointed toward breaking the 500,000 sales level, but last year’s second-half slowdown temporarily disrupted the trend,” he said.

He forecasts sales growth in electrified models in both passenger and commercial vehicle segments, adding that “for 2026, we see that the strong market fundamentals, boosted by new model launches and aggressive marketing campaigns, will push the market back on track.”

CAMPI and TMA member companies “sold 2,610 electrified vehicles (xEVs) in January 2026, higher than the 1,600 units sold in the same month last year. This number represents 7.75% of the total CAMPI-TMA vehicle sales,” continued the release.

Among the groups’ member companies, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) led the sales charge in January with 48.51% market share, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) at 20.78%, Suzuki Philippines (SPH) at 4.88%, Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) at 4.72%, and Ford Group Philippines (FGP) at 3.77%. Completing the top 10 are Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) with 3.45% share, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) at 3.34%, SAIC Motors Philippines (or MG) at 2.12%, Hyundai Motor Philippines (HMPH) at 2.11%, and KP Motors (or Kia) at 1.98%.

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