Centro Manufacturing

MANILA, Philippines - Local truck body maker Centro Manufacturing Corp. aims to achieve combined monthly production and sales of more than 100 units for the L300 XV and Fuso Canter Tourista mikrobuses to cater to mass transport and corporate shuttle requirements. Centro vice president for marketing Rommel Juan told The STAR that for the two mikrobuses, the firm wants to produce and sell "about 150 units a month collectively." The two mikrobuses would be manufactured at the firm's plant in Marilao, Bulacan. Centro president Raphael Juan said the 17-seater L300 XV, which uses the longer L300 FB Exceed chassis cab as its platform, was designed to cater to the demand for mass transport vehicles. "We saw the upsurge in the nationwide demand in the shuttle segment of the mass transport industry and realized that most of the reliable Japanese shuttle models have only 15 seats or less, yet has a price tag of over P1 million. We therefore saw the demand for a mikrobus converted from a Japanese chassis cab with over 15 seats, yet costs less than P1 million," he said. The L300 XV which has an introductory price of P898,000, he said, is the ideal replacement for the old UV Express shuttles and school buses which are over 13 years old whose franchises will not be renewed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board unless they are replaced with brand-new ones. The L300 XV could also be used for other applications such as tourist coach and even as an ambulance. Apart from the L300 XV, Centro is also bringing to the market the Fuso Canter Tourista. Although bigger than the L300 XV, the Tourista would have only 10 seats to provide more space for baggage. The company president said the Tourista is designed for corporate transport applications or touring purposes such as airport-to-hotel shuttle, local tours and travels. Established in 1996, Centro has provided truck bodies for various vehicle brands such as Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Hyundai and Suzuki. Aside from Bulacan, the firm has two other plants located in Caloocan City and in Silang, Cavite.