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Grupo Norte
All the young dudes
Grupo Norte members are advocates of clean, responsible fun
Words by Sharleen Banzon; Photography by Charles Custodio
For the young and restless, having a car makes anyone the very definition of 'cool'. It's also a symbol of independence, of being able to go wherever you need to go without relying on others to take you there.
If you're a young adult who'd been given the privilege of owning a car at such an early age, it's easy to lose your head over it. Late nights out, going on spontaneous road trips when you're supposed to be elsewhere (like in school?), racing after other motorists who had the nerve to cut in front of you—any of these sound familiar? It's as though having a car gives you the license to drive like a lunatic.
Thankfully, the members of Grupo Norte, a club made up mostly of De La Salle College of St. Benilde students, don't fall under this category of reckless young drivers. While other motorists are revving like there's no fuel-price hike every other week, they're sensible enough to go easy on the throttle. "Mahal ang gas," says Jino Alvarez, current president of Grupo Norte. He adds, when asked how they try to lessen their carbon footprints: "Ayun nga, no hard acceleration. Dahan-dahan lang."
For that, they score major points in our book already. But what makes Grupo Norte (so called because the initial members lived in the northern part of the metro) laudable is the fact that they'll accommodate anybody who wants to join their club. "Wala kaming requirements," Jomari Viola, Grupo Norte's founder, reveals. "Kahit anong sasakyan, okay lang. Basta marunong kang makisama sa amin."
Indeed, the cars that show up for the shoot are mostly the usual drives you see on the streets. Though we spot carbon-fiber hoods, bling alloys and other such modifications, a lot of the well-maintained vehicles are in stock form. "Besides driving tips, nagpapalitan din kami ng advice sa kung saan ayos magpagawa ng sasakyan," Jomari shares.
Which goes to show that it's really all about friendship with this club. In fact, the group of founding members got to know each other because they all hung out at the school parking lot. "Konti lang kami noon, hanggang sa dumami nang dumami," Jomari says. "Umabot na sa point na ni-recognize na rin kami ng school." And having an established car club definitely has its perks. "Parking, for one," Jino laughs. "Kapag nakita ng parking boys na Grupo Norte ka, tutulungan ka nila."
As for regular activities, Grupo Norte regularly donates to orphanages, and makes it a point to go on fun runs at least once a month. They also try to have as many members attend these activities. For this Top Gear shoot, 25 of the 30 members show up—a turnout that now poses a challenge for our photographer Charles, who has to think up ways to include all cars in the main shot.
Throughout the long wait, the members of Grupo Norte remain good sports. It's easy to see that besides parking space, one other thing they share is a real interest in cars. Their energy levels remain high despite the crazy weather shifts. Jomari credits the excitement to having this chance of getting featured so soon after the club's formation—it just turned a year old in March this year.
Talk about starting young—personal rides, big responsibilities, car-magazine feature. Sure, they have yet to be initiated into the so-called adult world. But we think they'll do just fine when the time comes.
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Top Gear Philippines - August 2008
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