As Olympian Carlos Yulo started racking up gold medals in Paris, prizes and rewards started pouring in as the whole country reveled in his back-to-back triumphs. As money, real estate, and free food started coming in, we all wondered if he would get a free car.
A complimentary vehicle is normally one of the first prizes that gets announced. Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz got a Kia Stonic three years ago. Even silver medalist Onyok Velasco got Nissan vehicles after his successful stint at the 1996 Atlanta games.
Naturally, eyes were on Toyota, as Yulo is part of the Japanese carmaker’s Start Your Impossible campaign. He is prominently included in Toyota’s videos leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and on Toyota Motor Philippines’ website. As part of Toyota’s ‘dual heroes’ program, Yulo is not just an example of grit and perseverance, he is also an advocate of food security, especially for children and orphans below the poverty line. Naturally this kind of advocacy resonates with Yulo, who built himself up despite the limitations of his upbringing and lack of support.
Then last August 15 around noontime, Toyota Motor Philippines announced that Yulo will be the recipient of a brand-new Land Cruiser Prado. This premium SUV is a fitting prize for someone who has brought so much glory to our country. We were all moved when we saw our flag raised and our national anthem played on a world stage. We don’t have moments of collective national pride like these anymore; we don't see it in our politics, and we rarely see it in our art.
Naturally we were a bit curious about the details and particulars of the SUV Yulo was going to get, and we were able to gather some details.
First off, the original plan was for Yulo to get two models, a Zenix and a Corolla Cross. Then somewhere along the way, the prize was upgraded to a Land Cruiser Prado. If you combine the price of the Zenix and the Corolla Cross, even if the top variants are chosen, the total is P3,885,000. The Land Cruiser Prado retails for P4,800,000, so that’s basically a P1 million upgrade.
If we were given carte blanche to a P4.8 million budget, though, we’d opt for a RAV4 and a 86. But maybe that’s only because we haven’t driven an LC Prado. (And because the ultra high demand for the Prado means it needs zero marketing, maybe we never will.)
We were joking that with the long waiting list for the Prado, Yulo might get his unit just in time for the 2028 LA Olympics. But we were told that he definitely won’t wait that long, and that he has chosen the pearl white color. Yulo won’t have to pay any taxes for this free car either.
So far there are no license plates for Yulo’s Prado yet. But we don’t think he will be given a hard time by any opportunistic traffic enforcer while he waits for his license plates.
Lastly, we asked TMP if the success of Toyota’s Start Your Impossible campaign this year will spur them to invest more in the coming years. They said they have always been patrons of sports (FIBA World Cup, Olympics, Paralympics), as part of Toyota’s vision of Mobility for All. And there’s Toyota’s consistent motorsport push.
Yulo’s consecutive Olympic gold medals got near universal adulation, with some opportunistic parties even trying to selfishly bask in the glory. But companies like Toyota see a kindred spirit in our Olympian. (Yulo has been part of Toyota’s Start Your Impossible campaign for months, by the way, maybe even earlier.) There are no shortcuts to real success. It has always been hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice.
And then you do it all over again.
NOTE: This was edited to update Yulo’s color choice for his Land Cruiser Prado, which is pearl white.
