Aboitiz’s Great Transformation races ahead on the rough roads of the Rally of the Gods
NOTHING BEHIND, EVERYTHING AHEAD, AS IS EVER SO ON THE ROAD. The Aboitiz Group’s Great Transformation makes itself known at the Acropolis Rally, considered one of the toughest rally races and one of the longest-standing rallying events. It is nicknamed the Rally of the Gods by rally enthusiasts.
As the Aboitiz Group undergoes its Great Transformation, they are speeding ahead of their contemporaries to become the Philippines’ first Techglomerate. There has been no better symbol for this momentous undertaking than the Aboitiz’s Great Transformation brand racing through the rough terrain and twisting roads for the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC).
From September 8 to 11, participants raced through the rocky mountain roads along the historic isle of Greece for the Acropolis Rally leg, also called the Rally of the Gods. The iconic leg opened at the Olympic Stadium of Athens before moving to the mountainous region of Lamia. Tens of thousands of spectators cheered on the participants and their rallying vehicles, with one particularly eye-catching rally car charging through the course. With clean streaks of Aboitiz red on its body shell and the Great Transformation logo emblazoned on its hood, rally car number 46 was poised for success.
“The GT2025 is all about speed, excitement, performance, and achievement through rough roads – and so we felt this was a great symbol of that,” said Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz.
In the driver’s seat of the Great Transformation-decked out vehicle was Miguel Diaz, the only racer to compete in the Acropolis Rally leg of the 2022 WRC with a Filipino AAP Competition License. The Philippine flag was proudly displayed on the competing rally car.
“I am very thankful, and feel very proud, to be able to carry the flag of the country where my mother was born,” said Diaz, who has over two decades of racing experience. “With the [Great Transformation] logo, again, I feel proud to carry those colors on my car and on my suit.”
DRIVERS LICENSE. Miguel Diaz (left) with his co-driver Jordi Hereu (right). Diaz is the only racer to compete in the Acropolis Rally leg of the 2022 World Rally Championship with a Filipino AAP Competition License.
The Great Transformation of the Aboitiz Group puts innovation at the forefront of its growth strategy, bolstered by motivated and curious team members. It is much like a rally race: there is great investment in vehicle maintenance and streamlining through technological advancements, but once the machine gets on the road it is in the driver’s skilled hands that the car can twist, turn, dodge roadblocks, and barrel through.
It is apt, therefore, that the Great Transformation logo makes its global debut on the road, in the dirt, at the heart of the action. Plus, for its milestone 50th season, the WRC is going through a transformation of its own, committing to the sustainable future of the rallying sport. Every enrolled rally car is required to carry sustainable, fossil-free based fuel that is engineered to minimize pollution.
“It’s like a house. If we don’t take care of our house, at the end, we don’t want to live in that house, or, at the very end, we simply cannot live in that house,” said Diaz, who supports the sustainability push in the rallying sport and beyond. “It is the same thing with our planet. We have to take care of things to the best of our abilities. That is our responsibility, all of us.”
Similarly supporting the global movement towards sustainability, AboitizPower has been leading the way forward in clean energy in the Philippines. AboitizPower continues to grow its Cleanergy portfolio without sacrificing the country’s economic development, committing to a 50:50 balance between its renewable and thermal portfolios by 2030.
THE GREAT RACE. The Acropolis Rally is the tenth leg of the 2022 World Championship Rally which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022. The subsequent legs will be in Auckland, New Zealand and then Catalunya, Spain.
After a grueling four-day race through the gravel roads of Greece, Diaz finished fifth in his category and 34th overall out of 80 top competitors. Diaz and his rally car will also be traveling to Auckland, New Zealand for the next leg of the WRC, before finishing out the season in Catalunya, Spain. The Great Transformation brand will come along for the whirlwind ride around the world, ready for whatever roads lie ahead. #
