Toyota Tamaraw drives local manufacturing, sustainability push

Insider Spotlight

• Toyota Motor Philippines said the Tamaraw captured 36 percent of the pure commercial vehicle market in its first full year and ranked No. 1 in the light commercial vehicle segment
• The locally assembled model builds on Toyota's P5.5-billion investment in production, parts localization and vehicle conversion
• Toyota produced a record 63,803 completely knocked-down vehicles in 2025 while local procurement reached P17 billion
  
  
  
  

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. is positioning the Next Generation Tamaraw as a key pillar of its sustainability strategy, linking the locally assembled commercial vehicle to manufacturing, jobs, small-business growth and community mobility.

Masando Hashimoto

President, Toyota Motor Philippines

The Tamaraw captured 36 percent of the pure commercial vehicle market during its first full year in the Philippines and secured the top position in the light commercial vehicle segment, according to Toyota's latest Sustainability Report.

Creating new value

Toyota's P5.5-billion investment in vehicle production, parts localization and conversion capabilities is creating opportunities for local designers, engineers, parts suppliers and vehicle body builders. Adding the Tamaraw to Toyota's completely knocked-down lineup has also supported employment and localization across the automotive value chain.

“The Tamaraw is one of our major means in creating and adding new value for both our internal and external stakeholders, from the upstream to downstream. As we further navigate a dynamic automotive landscape, our long-term goal is to strengthen our role as a dedicated partner in Philippine nation-building through local manufacturing, innovation, and sustainable mobility,” Toyota Motor Philippines president Masando Hashimoto said in a press statement.

 $1 billion in export sales

Toyota recorded its highest-ever completely knocked-down production volume of 63,803 units in 2025, supported by the Vios, Innova and Tamaraw. Cumulative vehicle production exceeded 1.18 million units by end-2025, while procurement from domestic suppliers reached P17 billion.

The automaker also distributed P283.83 billion in economic value, including P43.13 billion in taxes and duties. Toyota Group export suppliers generated around $1 billion in automotive parts export sales, equivalent to 27 percent of the country's total.

EV sales up 39%

The Tamaraw now comes in six configurations through Toyota's in-house conversion operations, including ambulance, telco van and race vehicle variants, while seven additional body styles are available through outside converters.

Toyota also sold 19,516 electrified vehicles in 2025, up 39 percent from 2024, and maintained a 100 percent renewable electricity ratio for its manufacturing operations. Its broader environmental initiatives include a target to plant one million trees by 2030 and continued support for the Tamaraw Conservation Program in Mindoro. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma