Cars of Cebu

Cars of Cebu Documenting the diversity of Cebu's car community.

From Friends to Family: Separated by Distance, United by PassionA few years back, we and our friends had initially plann...
25/08/2026

From Friends to Family: Separated by Distance, United by Passion

A few years back, we and our friends had initially planned on doing a proper on-the-road photoshoot with our cars -- the kind we usually see from automotive photographers in other parts of the Philippines and around the world. Given that not a lot of people were doing the same in Cebu at the time, we took it upon ourselves to plan it out and make sure we did our cars justice.

So when we finally got our Corolla, we began to do some pilot testing -- shooting some clips here and there as we went on small runs just within the city, for our own personal consumption and critiquing. Not long after, our friend got his hands on this race-prepped Honda Civic EG Hatchback from Mindanao after several months of back-and-forth communication.

Meanwhile, I got word that a good friend of ours was getting his Toyota MR2 Spyder shipped over to Cebu. Being one of only a few surviving original left-hand drive USDM examples in the Philippines, we arranged among ourselves to give the car a proper shoot to welcome it to the island.

As we began planning the shoot, it naturally evolved. What was initially a solo shoot with the MR2 Spyder quickly became a display of brotherhood -- of friends separated by distance, but united by passion. With the help of Nostals Archive, run by another good friend of ours, we transformed a simple idea into a reality despite our limitations. Our friend's pristine MR2 Spyder, our 20V Corolla, and two of our friends race-prepped Civic EGs cruising along the coast of Cebu in the sunset hour. Could anything be better than this? In terms of cars and photography, maybe. But the emotions brought by this celebration of brotherhood over our shared passion is something few can replicate.

Ultimately, this was more than just a simple shoot for our team. It brought us back to the very beginning of why we love cars. Every car tells a story, and every story belongs to a person who channels their passion into their projects. What began as a simple idea among friends became an afternoon that we will always look back on with fondness. Four cars, one shared passion, and a brotherhood that distance could never diminish.

To everyone who put their time and effort into turning this simple plan into a reality, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

J. V. | Cars of Cebu
N. J. | Nostals Archive

A Filipino Motoring Icon: The Toyota Corolla E100In the history of the Philippine car industry, few cars have had the ho...
20/08/2026

A Filipino Motoring Icon: The Toyota Corolla E100

In the history of the Philippine car industry, few cars have had the honor of being both ubiquitous and iconic at the same time. Ask anyone about these cars and they will most likely say their dad, or their uncle, or their grandparents, or anybody in their family had one when they were growing up. As these cars age out and depreciate, enthusiasts soon pick up on their potential and give these cars a new purpose, whether for setting them up as show cars or for grassroots motorsport. Such is the case for mundane commuter cars that have become classic icons of Filipino motoring. In the modern era, we can see this pattern slowly taking its effect on cars like the Toyota Yaris and Vios of the 2000s.

But let's rewind the clock a little bit, back when the country was picking itself up from the turbulence caused by decades of sociopolitical struggle.

Toyota's return to the local market in 1989 was marked by the arrival of the AE92 and EE90 Toyota Corolla. Following the success of the E90 Corolla platform, Toyota kept the momentum going with the launch of the seventh generation Corolla, designated as the E100.

The E100, locally narrowed down into the AE101 and EE100 chassis, marked a significant step forward in the Corolla's evolution. With its sudden increase in body dimension, curb weight, and rounded shape, the E100 Corolla earned the local nickname "Big Body". In retrospect, the previous generation was then comparatively nicknamed the "Small Body".

The Big Body Corolla was available in three main variants. The Corolla XL was the most basic of the bunch with manual windows, manual mirror adjustment, no power steering, steel wheels, and a carbureted 1.3-liter 12-valve 2E engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. This utilitarian combo made it a favorite among taxi operators, company fleets, and government agencies.

Positioned in the middle was the Corolla XE which retained the same powertrain with the addition of power steering, a tachometer, and classier alloy wheels.

Meanwhile, seated at the top of the lineup was the 1.6 GLi which boasted all the bells and whistles an early 90s Philippine market car could show off. Among others, this included power windows, power mirror adjustment, a digital clock, and the best part: an electronically fuel injected 1.6-liter twin cam 16-valve 4A-FE engine which could be had with a 5-speed manual or, for those with more cash to spare, a 4-speed automatic transmission. In later years, various special editions and limited-production trims spawned from these three variants, including the XE Limited and the GLi Limited which boasted their own perks.

With its sheer customizability, practicality, variety of options, and the Filipinos' penchant for all things Toyota, the Big Body Corolla quickly became a fan favorite. So much so that multiple generations of Filipino car owners hold the Big Body dear to their hearts even to this day. From parents in the 1990s buying their child their first car to drive to university, to their grandchildren buying one as their first project car in the 2020s, there's a Big Body Corolla for everybody. Likewise, from full OEM catalog builds to restomod projects, from show cars to be**er race cars, there's a Big Body Corolla for every niche.

Truth be told, I've been planning to feature the Big Body Corolla on this page for a while. Given its emotional significance to me as a large part of my early childhood and now in my first foray into the project car life, I felt the need to pay tribute to the car that has singlehandedly become a quintessential summary of the 1990s Philippine automotive landscape. By a stroke of luck, we didn't have to go far for this; in fact, parking my Corolla GLi alongside this pristine Corolla XE was a coincidence and completely unplanned while we were working on a separate photoshoot. In contrast to my project car sitting on coilovers and aftermarket wheels, this Corolla XE continues to fulfill its role as a practical daily driver with its standard equipment. Still, despite their differences, they highlight the significance that the Big Body Corolla has carved out for itself within Philippine car culture for over 30 years.

The Big Body Corolla was not extraordinary because it was exotic. In fact, it was not particularly revolutionary even for its time. Instead, the Big Body Corolla was extraordinary because it was ordinary, and so many Filipinos' lives revolved around it. For some, the Big Body Corolla was a source of leisurely joy. For some, a source of livelihood. And now, over three decades later, the same car continues to fulfill many roles. It could be someone's daily transportation, a family heirloom, a show car, or a grassroots motorsports project.

Perhaps that is the greatest legacy of the Big Body Corolla. More than thirty years later, it still has a place in the lives of Filipinos.

It’s 8/6 Day! Japanese car enthusiasts all over the world are sure to know about the impact of the Toyota AE86 chassis t...
06/08/2026

It’s 8/6 Day!

Japanese car enthusiasts all over the world are sure to know about the impact of the Toyota AE86 chassis thanks to pieces of automotive media like Initial D, Best Motoring, and even Keiichi Tsuchiya’s infamous Pluspy production. Sold under various names including the Corolla GT-S (pictured below) and the Sprinter, the Toyota AE86 played a special part in Toyota’s history as the very last rear-wheel-drive Corolla to be produced.

While the AE86 was never officially sold in the Philippines, the arrival of the Toyota 86 into the Philippine market in 2012 brought a spiritual revival of a Japanese cult classic to our local showroom floors, roads, and race tracks. This was followed by the GR86 in the 2020s, continuing the AE86’s legacy for a new generation of car enthusiasts the same way Fujiwara Takumi and Katagiri Kanata handled their cars.

Which 86 generation do you find best?

Worlds Apart 🇩🇪🇯🇵An old Toyota Corolla and a Porsche 911 GT3. One was built to move the masses, while the other was buil...
30/07/2026

Worlds Apart 🇩🇪🇯🇵

An old Toyota Corolla and a Porsche 911 GT3. One was built to move the masses, while the other was built to chase lap records. Yet, on an early Sunday morning in Cebu, both sit patiently, waiting for their drivers to embark on a new journey to the same destination, through the same roads, fueled by the same passion.

This was one of the more spontaneous photos we captured at our unofficial rendezvous point before setting off on another Sunday run. There's something amusing about seeing an old economy sedan parked beside a high-performance homologation special.

Sunday's Best: American HeritageIn the history of modern motoring, V8-powered pony and muscle cars have remained promine...
25/07/2026

Sunday's Best: American Heritage

In the history of modern motoring, V8-powered pony and muscle cars have remained prominent figures in American car culture over the last 60 years.

At the start of its life, the Mustang was promised to be "a sports car suitable for street use or competition," in the words of Ford vice-president Lee Iacocca at the New York World's Fair in 1964. To back this promise, Ford enlisted the help of Carroll Shelby to develop a version of the car suitable for racing. This led to the genesis of the Shelby Mustang GT350 which boasted an upgraded intake and exhaust manifolds, carburetor, rear axle, and brakes developed and installed at the Shelby American shop in California. In 1967, Ford and Shelby upped the ante with Ford's 428 ci. (7.0L) motor, creating the Shelby GT500.

Decades down the line, the Shelby Mustang fought on through various administrative and corporate changes within both the Ford Motor Company and Shelby American. Eventually, it was produced in-house by Ford's high-performance divisions which have also gone through their own fair share of restructuring.

What we see here is the latest iteration of the Ford Shelby Mustang: the Shelby GT500 based on the sixth generation (S550) Mustang. Officially launched in the Philippine market in 2021, the Shelby GT500 sports a 5.2-liter supercharged V8, dubbed the "Predator", in true American fashion. The Predator produces 760 horsepower and 847 Nm of torque mated to a seven-speed Tremec dual-clutch gearbox, sending power to the rear wheels by way of a Torsen limited-slip differential. Paired with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, Brembo brakes, and the GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack, it's safe to say that this Mustang is more than capable of keeping up and holding its own, whether on the track, at the drag strip, or on spirited Sunday drives.

More than six decades after Lee Iacocca's vision and Carroll Shelby's pursuit of performance first came together, the Shelby GT500 stands as a testament to American muscle through time. While much of the automotive industry continues to embrace downsizing and electrification, the Shelby GT500 holds its place as a celebration of American motoring identity: sheer displacement, uncompromising performance, and that unmistakable cross-plane V8 growl.

While the Ford Mustang itself has not been immune to the push toward electrification, the Shelby GT500 proves that even in the modern era, there is still room for tradition when it is executed well. It carries over sixty years of history, yet continues to push the boundaries of performance just as the cars that first bore the Shelby name once did. To the untrained eye, it may look like just another Mustang, but the unmistakable thunder of this supercharged V8 tells a different story. And on a calm Sunday morning, perhaps this is just what the group needs to complement our pre-drive coffee and get our blood pumping in time for another morning of sheer driving pleasure.

Sunday's Best: Supercar SymphonyThroughout every era that has seen the evolution of the automobile, exotic supercars hav...
19/07/2026

Sunday's Best: Supercar Symphony

Throughout every era that has seen the evolution of the automobile, exotic supercars have long been a staple in every car enthusiast's childhood dreams. From the kids of the 1970s growing up with supercar posters on their wall to kids of today who enjoy watching supercar montages on their favorite short-form media app, the love for these exotic cars has remained stronger than ever, even in an era geared towards fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability.

It then follows that much of the attention that surrounds Cebu's Sunday morning highway runs is centered on the exotic cars that lead the pack. In fact, many car spotters tend to overlook the other cars that join the runs and gatherings in favor of capturing footage of the exotics that fly by with a matching V8 or V10 symphony.

Such was the case when these two cars made their way into the unofficial rendezvous point. I had already put my camera back on the back seat of my car and joined my friends for our pre-run coffee session when I heard the unmistakable sound of a European V10 in the distance. As soon as I laid eyes on the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, the coffee was instantly forgotten and I grabbed my camera to take a few photos. The Audi R8 V10 arrived shortly after.

What followed was a lengthy discussion among friends about how the supercar was the best choice for these Sunday morning runs compared to our much simpler steeds. While there is no strict textbook definition of what makes a supercar, these typically come in the form of powerful, low-bodied mid-engine sports cars that derive their performance technology from motorsports, as we briefly mentioned in our previous feature. The Lamborghini Huracan Performante and the Audi R8 V10 fall within this framework, with both cars sharing the same 5.2-liter V10 engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted to similar AWD platforms developed under the Volkswagen Group. This shared powertrain propels both cars from zero to 100 km/h in around three seconds. Paired with boundary-breaking handling technology like the Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) system that provides the Huracan Performante with 750% more downforce than the standard Huracan, these supercars are able to make the most out of the open road, giving their drivers a visceral driving experience to make every weekend a memorable occasion.

In the presence of these two exotics, our cars were seemingly dwarfed -- my 4AGE-swapped Corolla even more so compared to my friend's Mitsubishi 3000GT which could at least hold its own by virtue of its position as a grand tourer. Still, Cebu's Sunday runs are about more than just raw power and performance metrics. While the supercars may draw most of the attention, it is the same passion that drives us together as a community of car enthusiasts. Whether behind the wheel of an Italian supercar, a Japanese grand tourer, or an engine-swapped sedan, we all become part of the same Sunday symphony, celebrating the simple joy of driving before a new week begins.

Sunday's Best: Road-Legal Track Toys Continuing our Sunday's Best series, we move forward from the humble yet free-spiri...
12/07/2026

Sunday's Best: Road-Legal Track Toys

Continuing our Sunday's Best series, we move forward from the humble yet free-spirited roadster to the more aggressive sports car, exemplified by the Porsche 911 lineup in all its diversity.

Initially introduced in 1964, the Porsche 911 began life as a 2+2 sports car with a rear-mounted air-cooled engine and torsion bar suspension, similar to its ancestor which was, at its core, a derivative of the Volkswagen Beetle.

Over the next six decades, the Porsche 911 evolved through eight generations from what was arguably a spicy Beetle to what is now a wide range of high-performance sports cars for all use cases, with some versions crossing into supercar territory. From spirited driving on the street to dedicated track days organized by exclusive car clubs, there's a Porsche 911 for everyone.

One of the many high-performance variants of the Porsche 911 is the 911 GT3, a road-legal homologation model of the track-only 911 GT race car. The 911 GT3, seen in these photos as a 992 generation model finished in Racing Yellow, brings motorsport pedigree to the streets with its 503-horsepower flat-six bringing it from zero to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The 992 generation saw improvements in downforce and handling thanks to a redesigned swan-neck rear wing and a new suspension setup inherited from the 991 RSR.

Taking things one step higher is the GT3 RS, short for Renn Sport, or Racing Sport in English. The GT3 RS boasts a more aggressive aerodynamic profile and weight reduction over the standard GT3, not to mention an additional 15 horsepower. And as if that wasn't enough, the GT3 RS can be optioned with the Weissach Package which further narrows the gap between track car and road car.

Named after Porsche's research and development facility in Weissach, Germany, the Weissach Package executes a simple core philosophy: remove weight, add motorsport-grade components, and enhance the connection between driver and machine. Featuring a healthy amount of carbon fiber bits, the Weissach Package takes weight reduction to a higher level, bringing the GT3 RS closer to its track-exclusive origins while retaining street legality, making it a great choice for Sunday morning runs at expressway speeds, as the owner of this GT3 RS Weissach may have considered.

While they may wear number plates and navigate the same roads as we do, the GT3 and GT3 RS Weissach are, at their core, racing machines with just enough civility for the drive back home. As another Sunday morning comes around, these cars show a celebration of Porsche's enduring motorsport heritage. These cars show us that sometimes, track cars and road cars don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Sunday's Best: RoadstersIn many of our Sunday features, we glorify Sundays in Cebu as a smorgasbord of exotic enthusiast...
05/07/2026

Sunday's Best: Roadsters

In many of our Sunday features, we glorify Sundays in Cebu as a smorgasbord of exotic enthusiast cars going out and about on some of Cebu's best driving roads. But buried beneath the glory of hot hatchbacks, super saloons, and supercars are what is perhaps the unsung hero in the history of modern motoring: the roadster.

The roadster, defined in the modern era as a two-seat open-top car with emphasis on sporting appearance and character, has its roots deep within the history of motoring, going back as far as the 19th century. As the auto industry continued to innovate, the roadster soon became an icon of free spirit. British roadsters like the MG MGB, Jaguar E-Type, and the Lotus Elan became the car of choice for sunset drives along the picturesque mountain roads of Europe in the mid-20th century.

The glory of the open-top British roadster, however, began to fade as safety standards changed. By the 1980s, the roadster had essentially become an endangered species. Bob Hall, a journalist for MotorTrend Magazine, noticed this decline and lamented to Kenichi Yamamoto, head of Research and Development at Mazda at the time, that the "simple, bugs-in-the-teeth, wind-in-the-hair, classically British sports car doesn't exist anymore." This remark ultimately led to the development of the Mazda MX-5, known in its home market as the Eunos Roadster, which essentially revitalized the automotive segment from which it was named.

The glory of the British roadster in the 1950s and 1960s had been succeeded by the Japanese roadster in the 1980s and 1990s thanks to the popularity of the Mazda MX-5. Honda soon followed suit in the late 1990s with the S2000.

The Honda S2000 was an open-top convertible roadster that was produced from 1999 to 2009. Like the Mazda MX-5, the Honda S2000 was built on the philosophy that gave soul to the British roadsters of the previous half-century. Powered by a 2.0-Liter F20C four-cylinder VTEC engine producing 247 horsepower, the S2000 produced a whopping 123 horsepower per liter of displacement -- claimed to be the highest specific output for a naturally aspirated production engine at the time as a result of its high 11.7:1 compression ratio. Coupled with a 50:50 weight distribution and top-notch chassis rigidity, the Honda S2000 gave drivers a raw, visceral experience that remains unparalleled in its segment.

This S2000, an AP1 finished in yellow pearl, is a Japanese Domestic Market unit that made its way into our shores in the early 2010s. Unfortunately, due to local motoring laws, this car could not retain its original right-hand drive layout and had to be converted. Nevertheless, its tasteful stance, Work Meister wheels, and Invidia dual chambered mufflers add a lot of character to the car. Seeing it out and about every now and then brings us joy knowing that this roadster is being used as it should be.

The roadster may no longer dominate the automotive landscape as it once did, but this is what makes every sighting so special. In a sea of increasingly complex performance cars, the roadster stands as a celebration of simplicity -- a machine whose greatest attribute isn't raw power or technology, but the feeling of the wind blowing in your face as another Sunday drive becomes another memory worth cherishing. And that is precisely the beauty carried by the unsung hero of modern motoring.

Of Nostalgia and Childhood DreamsChapter 2: Car Show AdventuresGrowing up as a car-obsessed kid, I always dreamed of hav...
22/06/2026

Of Nostalgia and Childhood Dreams
Chapter 2: Car Show Adventures

Growing up as a car-obsessed kid, I always dreamed of having a car that I could display at the car shows my parents frequently brought me to. While other kids had fun crashing and banging their die-cast cars against each other, I would line them up and pretend to host a car show akin to the Tokyo Auto Salon or the street grid lineups glorified by our favorite street-racing magazines, DVDs, and video games.

Last weekend, I was able to live that dream at the Icons and Generations Fathers' Day show at SM J Mall. While I'm still quite far from having a car that's presentable enough for IaG's indoor display, the Cargasm carpark display was more than enough for a start.

Although I am no stranger to car shows and displays, I was quite surprised by the outpouring of appreciation from enthusiasts of all age groups. From kids with a penchant for "classic cars from the 90s" (quoted verbatim from a school-aged kid at the event) to veteran car enthusiasts with nostalgic stories to share about their own Corollas back in the day, this was the first time I truly felt like a part of the show rather than a spectator taking photos behind the scenes (not that there's anything wrong with that, though; I still run Cars of Cebu after all).

In many ways, the car itself became secondary that weekend. What I'll remember most weren't the photos and reels (although they are still much appreciated), but the conversations. Seeing children get excited over a 33-year-old Corolla, hearing owners reminisce about the cars they or their families once had, and meeting fellow enthusiasts who appreciated the thought behind keeping a car so mundane yet so meaningful made me remember why I fell in love with cars in the first place.

It's easy to get caught up in the rush that surrounds car show preparations, both in terms of logistics and in making sure this 33-year-old car doesn't somehow blow up on the way to the show. But this weekend reminded me that enthusiasm isn't solely about engine specs, rarity, or awards. It's about the stories our cars carry and the connections they help us build. In fact, towards the end of the show, I was approached by an uncle who asked permission on behalf of his nephew to sit in my car and give the 4AGE Blacktop a few good revs. Remembering that I had once been that kid with a dream, I said yes without a second thought.

If you had told the little boy who meticulously lined up his die-cast cars on the living room floor, pretending to host his own car show, that he would one day have a Corolla like his dad which people would stop to admire and ask about at a car show, he probably wouldn't have believed you. But here we are, now armed with a new sense of fulfillment and belonging, our inner child healing one step at a time.

To everyone who stopped by, shared a story, asked questions, took photos, or simply appreciated the Corolla: I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Likewise I extend my deepest gratitude to Beröl Lubricants Philippines, Beröl Racing Channel, Bullyconcepts, Crazy Bunch Productions, the rest of the Icons and Generations team, and my family for allowing me to tick off a childhood dream that I didn't realize still meant so much to me.

As I drove home that evening, I realized that some dreams don't disappear as we grow older. They just wait until we're finally able to catch up with them before they come true.

This weekend, one of mine finally did.

- J.V. | Cars of Cebu

Of Nostalgia and Childhood Dreams: Revisiting my childhood through my first foray into the project car lifeFor many of u...
10/05/2026

Of Nostalgia and Childhood Dreams: Revisiting my childhood through my first foray into the project car life

For many of us, our enthusiasm for the automotive stems from the cars that helped shape our childhoods. Perhaps it was the car that you helped your dad wash every weekend, or the family van that brought you and your cousins along on family road trips.

For me, that passion stems from the car that my father started his medical career with: a 1995 Toyota Corolla 1.6 GLI that his father bought for him as a gift shortly after becoming a licensed physician. A few years later, that same car brought me home from the hospital, welcoming me to the world for the first time. Much of my early childhood was spent bonding with my parents over taking care of that car, with many photos in the family album showing me as a little boy helping my dad wash the car in whatever way a little boy can (see last photo). Unfortunately, circumstances dictated that my dad had to sell the car in 2004, after 9 years of ownership.

Even as a five-year-old boy, that affected me significantly. Whenever I’d see the car parked, I’d ask my mom over and over why we couldn’t use the car anymore, not quite understanding the idea that we no longer owned the car no matter how hard my mom explained. Although my family has owned multiple cars since then, some of which I had become very attached to emotionally, there was one car that I still deeply desired: my father’s 1995 Toyota Corolla that we no longer owned and had practically no chance of ever owning again. My emotional attachment to that car was deep to the point that I still remember its plate number: GHU435, and its many quirks like the broken RH AC louver that my father never got to fix.

Fast forward to 2022, now as a fresh college graduate, I had the privilege of entering the world of grassroots racing through a friend who happened to be an active member of the Cebu motorsports community at the time. I entered with my Hyundai Santa Fe, the car that was handed down to me when I got my license a few years back. This was good for a start, but clearly this car was less than ideal if I wanted to push things further. My friend suggested I buy a car better suited for the local time attack. His suggestion: a Toyota Corolla GLI, just like my father owned.

Almost instantly, I found myself scrolling endlessly on Facebook Marketplace looking for cheap Corollas that I could use. A good friend from Manila offered me his be**er GLI for a great price, but given that I live in Cebu, it was more cost-effective to find a car local to me instead. Meanwhile, in a funny, almost poetic turn of events, I found my dad’s Corolla for sale on a Mindanao-based Facebook group, all beat up and looking like it would have begged to be euthanized had it been sentient. No bueno, I thought to myself, for the same reason that I didn’t buy the Corolla from Manila.

I then found a mint Corolla GLI local to me that had been used in the same time attack series that I was planning to enter. It was a 1993 Corolla GLI that had been repainted Conquest Blue, newly restored and refreshed for both street and track use. The catch? It wasn’t cheap. Ultimately, I decided to shelf my Corolla dreams for a while and put the money into pursuing further education instead. I then entered medical school and limited my participation in motorsport events to spectating as an amateur photographer, covering the events for Cars of Cebu and making a name for myself in the media community instead of actually racing.

Fast forward once again to 2026, now in my last few months of medical school, my beloved Hyundai Santa Fe had unfortunately become a headache. It quickly became evident that it was time to let go, given the difficulty and cost of sourcing parts for an old Korean car in Cebu.

I hopped on Facebook Marketplace once again to search for a replacement when lo and behold, I stumbled upon a familiar car: a 1993 Toyota Corolla GLI that had been repainted Conquest Blue. This time, it now wore a Touring Wagon face conversion and had an interesting heart transplant: a 4AGE Blacktop mated to a C56 five-speed.

I messaged the seller who had become a friend through the years and asked if the car was still available given that the listing was posted quite some time ago. As soon as he said yes, I joked to my dad that maybe I should get a 33-year-old Corolla to replace my relatively modern SUV. But you know what they say: jokes are half-meant, and that’s exactly what this was.

Surprisingly, my father was okay with the idea, opening up to me that he misses his Corolla just as much as I do. And with that, everything began to fall into place. He agreed to buy the car for me as a graduation gift to celebrate the forthcoming start of my career in medicine — the same way his dad bought him his Corolla to celebrate the start of his career in medicine over 30 years ago.

After a few months of waiting and back-and-forth communication, I brought the car home with my parents. And in that moment, I was 5 years old again, laughing and having a good time in the company of my family and the Corolla.

People often say history repeats itself. I always took that with a grain of salt and dismissed it as just an old adage. Yet here we are, just two months shy of graduating again, now with a Toyota Corolla GLI of our own, just like I had always dreamed of as a little boy.

With much gratitude to my family, friends, and God Himself, this officially marks the start of a new journey — one that I hope and pray I won’t regret.

J.V. | Cars of Cebu

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