Promoting driving as a noble profession, bringing out the 'superhero' in every driver.
The Pinoy Tsuper Hero program is presented by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, in partnership with ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. and Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development.
The program aims to bring out the “superhero” in every driver and promote driving as a noble profession.
Regional finalists are selected from drivers who register at the selected Phoenix station in their area during the registration period. During the qualifying period, candidates attend trainings about road safety, environment protection, and leadership. Applicants are screened and the top 10 finalists are called in for training and mentoring by industry experts.
Augusto “Gus” Pascual
Augusto “Gus” Pascual
2019 Pinoy Tsuper Hero
Augusto “Gus” Pascual bagged the top spot of the fourth edition of the Pinoy Tsuper Hero during the awarding ceremony on November 21, 2019 at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater. Pascual, a tourist van driver and operator from Bohol City, won against over 12,000 applicants from across the country, who went through screenings, deliberations, and interviews. He was deemed a role model not just among drivers, but also among enterprising Filipinos who aim to make a decent and respectable living. Coming in at second and third places were Joseph Membrillo and Eusebio Fabia, both from Tacloban City. Pascual received Php 100,000 in cash, Php 1 million worth of insurance, a new Mitsubishi FB vehicle, and Php 50,000 worth of Phoenix fuels and lubricant products, among other prizes.
A native of Tagbilaran City, the 59-year-old father of three Pascual has been in the tour transport industry as part of Bohol Island Tour Operators and Drivers Multipurpose Cooperative for seven years. He started out mainly driving tourists around in Bohol’s tourist destinations until he became the cooperative’s general manager in 2017. He was more focused on office work but still drove for former clients who came to value his personal brand of service and specifically asked for him.
Alberto Abad
Alberto Abad
2017 PinoyTsuper Hero
Continuing the legacy: Alberto Abad, a Pinoy Tsuper Hero through and through
“As a Pinoy Tsuper Hero winner, I want to be a good ambassador of drivers by showing that although drivers may not earn as much as other professionals, we are still able to support the needs of our family in a rightful way,” said Abad. “With discipline, determination, trustworthiness, and respect for the rights of others, time will come that we will receive the kind of respect similar to the respect given to those in the corporate world.”
Abad believes that his years of self-discipline has made him stand out among all the Pinoy Tsuper Hero applicants.
“When I served as a driver to my former boss, he taught me life lessons and helped develop my skills by sending me to seminars and trainings. Through his support, I learned how to value not only my work but also my surroundings and the people around me. This time, I want to do the same to others and share what I have learned. I want to be someone’s role model and mentor as well,” he said.
Backed by years of hard work, from being a farmer, construction worker, furniture maker, houseboy, personal assistant, driver, to a proud owner and operator of three tricycles and two UV express vehicles, Abad has earned the trust and respect of many people.
He was elected as president of their community’s homeowners association and is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of a cooperative in his hometown in Antipolo, Rizal. He is also an active and a reputable member of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Association (TODA) in his locality.
Prior to his win, he has been implementing various safety and environment protection programs in his community. He has programs for proper waste segregation, prohibition on burning of trash, and stringent regulations on clearing pathways for cars and people, and keeping the surroundings clean through the Linis Walis Program.
A proud father of three, Abad said he is more than ready to live up to the Pinoy Tsuper Hero title and continue the legacy of former winners Reynaldo Samonte of Batangas and Edwin Escamos of Iloilo City.
“My plans are to educate the drivers to become a defensive driver and be trained on how to save lives during emergencies. I also want to organize seminars to discuss and teach them how to abide by traffic laws, how to dispose used oil, and how to to use oil filter properly. I want to share with them my advocacy on protecting the environment and hopefully encourage them to support or even start their own program of the same cause. Above all, I want to inculcate to them the virtue of discipline which has enabled me to make a difference all these years,” he said.
Abad bested over 30,000 drivers from all over the country who joined this year’s Pinoy Tsuper Hero contest and was chosen through a series of screenings including trainings, deliberations, and panel interviews. He took home an accumulated cash prize of Php 140,000, Phoenix fuel and lubricant products worth Php 50,000, a family accident insurance worth Php 1 million, a Phoenix Petroleum watch, and a brand new Suzuki Ertiga.
Launched three years ago, Pinoy Tsuper Hero is the collaborative advocacy campaign of Phoenix Petroleum, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, and Bayan Academy. The brainchild of Phoenix Petroleum President and CEO Dennis Uy, the campaign aims to bring out the “superhero” in every driver and promote driving as a noble profession. It recognizes and empowers outstanding Filipino drivers who make a big difference in the community, exemplify discipline on the road, and help protect the environment.
Edwin Escamos
Edwin Escamos
2016 PinoyTsuper Hero
“Basta Driver, Good Leader” is the catchphrase of Edwin Escamos, a jeepney driver from Iloilo City.
As the eldest son of six to a fisherman father and a housewife mother, Edwin took the role of the guiding big brother to his younger siblings. At age 26, he took the role of head of the family when his father passed away.
After graduating with a degree in Accounting, Edwin worked for three private companies, even becoming the head of the collection department in one of them. He eventually decided to settle on becoming a jeepney driver due to the higher earnings that could better support his widowed mother, his siblings, and his own family of wife and three children.
In his 14 years of driving, he learned the values of humility and respect towards both his passengers and his fellow jeepney drivers. He earned their trust and eventually became secretary of his jeepney drivers’ association in Iloilo City.
Edwin involved himself further with his community. In 2011, he was elected president of the Commuters Relation Unity of Driver Operators (CRUDO) and a member of the City Loop Integrated Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers (CLIAJOD). He became part of the District Advisory Council of Arevalo Police, where he collaborated with police authorities on defending his community against drug and crime. When he became barangay kagawad in 2013, he chaired committees and tackled on peace and order, education, and environment.
“It is my destiny to become a driver. If it were not for driving, I would not have had the chance to be in public service,” Edwin said.
As the 2016 Pinoy Tsuper Hero, he plans to continue championing his project to protect his fellow drivers and build their awareness on government programs aimed to help them.
With his strong dedication to performing beyond his duty as a driver, Edwin will guide the path to change for the betterment of his fellow drivers and his community.
Reynaldo Samonte
Reynaldo Samonte
2015 PinoyTsuper Hero
Even before Reynaldo Samonte worked as a tricycle driver, he had always wanted to serve his community. It was his childhood dream to become a soldier. After finishing his training at the Philippine Air Force in 1986, it would seem this dream of becoming a defender of his country would finally come true. However, the military insurrections at that time led him to forego joining the armed services. But this did not stop him from pursuing his passion to serve. He worked at his godfather’s funeral parlor business, transporting funeral equipment and even cadavers occasionally. And to better support his wife and two children, he worked as a tricycle driver on the side.
Reynaldo’s perseverance did not go to waste, as his children fulfilled his dream and became members of the Philippine Air Force. He continued to serve his community as a tricycle driver. An active TODA member, he initiated a successful raffle contest for TODA and community members that would give a variety of prizes and a jackpot livelihood package of a tricycle with franchise. This earned a considerable income for TODA members.
One day when he fueled at Phoenix San Sebastian, Batangas, he was invited to nominate himself for the “Pinoy Tsuper Hero” program.
“I thought it was only a small matter,” he said. “I didn’t realize what a big contest this was.”
With other drivers and vehicle operators in Batangas, he attended a two-day seminar by Bayan Academy that reinforced the Pinoy Tsuper Hero responsibility of taking care of the environment and passengers. Samonte was afterwards chosen as the finalist to represent his province.
On May 28, 2015, the 10 finalists from around the country gathered in Manila for the awarding of the first Pinoy Tsuper Hero. The judges had reviewed each finalist and looked for all the qualities of a modern day driver hero – disciplined, drives safely, respectful to passengers, compassionate to the environment, and loving to one’s family. Possessing all these qualities, Reynaldo bested the other finalists and was declared the first Pinoy Tsuper Hero.
“I did not think much about the prize because what I was thinking about was the huge responsibility I would be carrying if I will be awarded the Pinoy Tsuper Hero title. I realized that I have to live by the values that the title embodies,” he said.
He promises to fulfill his mission of beautification – that is, to make all roads and vehicles cleaner and more accommodating to all commuters.
“Number one for me is cleanliness, cleaning of terminals and using the right urinals,” he said. “If we drivers look clean, we become more approachable to passengers. We also help the environment.”
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