Our Story...
The ESJAY Auto Group has business interests covering automotive sales, parts & service, non-life insurance, retail financing, property management, service station, tires, batteries and accessories. It’s founder, Mr. Amando S. San Juan started to test his business acumen by opening a gasoline station in Baliuag, Bulacan. He started to venture in the automotive industry in 1976 by operating a service and parts company also in Baliuag, Bulacan with close friends and relatives as his valued clients. After only a year, the service and parts operations expanded in Cabanatuan City, then to Santiago City, covering the Northeastern Luzon Provinces, namely : Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, Isabela and Cagayan.
DMG, INC., the assembler and distributor of the very popular Volkswagen in the middle 70’s, selected and appointed Mr. San Juan in 1978 for the most coveted dealerships network in the three areas, namely : Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Isabela. Thus, World Cars, Incorporated was born and operated one after the other. When DMG ceased operations in the country in 1981, Ford Phils., Inc. tapped World Cars, Inc.’s facilities, organization and expertise to carry the numerous Ford models. After several years however, Ford pulled out of the country due to severe economic crisis that hit the country in the early 80’s.
Without any vehicle sales operations, World Cars, Inc. continued its operations anchoring on parts and service. In 1985, Pilipinas Nissan, Inc. (PNI) entered the automotive market and assembled Nissan passenger cars. Thus, as expected, Pilipinas Nissan, Inc. appointed World Cars, Inc. as its official dealer in the same region. Aside from regular dealerships, World Cars, Inc. established sales outlets even in Baguio City, Tuguegarao, Laoag City, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and Bangued, Abra. Its sales efforts reaped the most prestigious 1995 Provincial Dealer of the Year, Best in Sales Operations and Best in Service Operations.
Reaping success in its business operations in Luzon, with the economy having stabilized, Mr. San Juan shifted and focused his business interest in Metro-Manila to get a lion’s share of the biggest auto market in the country. Thus, Sunny Motor Sales, Inc. was established in 1987 in Quezon Avenue, after securing a franchised dealership from Francisco Motors Corporation, the assembler and distributor of Fiat Uno and then eventually, Mazda pickups and vans. Sunny Motors was cited by FMC on January 28, 1994, for selling the biggest volume of Fiat Uno sold during the period July-December, 1993. Year-after-year, Sunny Motor Sales was consistent for being the No. 1 Dealer.
When Columbian Motors Corporation was granted by the Board of Investments the authority to assemble Daihatsu and Mazda passenger cars in the Philippine Market, Mr. San Juan was able to secure a dealership and established Prince Motor Corporation on November 9, 1990 also located in Quezon Avenue.
Barely a year and a half of operations in Metro Manila, Mr. San Juan opened in December 1991, another dealership, Imperial Auto Corporation in Quezon Avenue. Only adjacent to Sunny Motors, Imperial Auto Corporation was appointed as franchised dealer of Italcar Pilipinas, Inc., to carry and promote Hyundai passenger cars and vans. Thus, Imperial Auto Corporation was selling the Hyundai Excel, Elantra, Sonata and the H100 vans.
The whole Quezon Avenue dealerships covered a total land area of 3,000 square meters with parts and general service repairs occupying 2,000 square meters. To be able to fully serve the ever-increasing volume of after-sales requirements, Sunny Motors acquired a 1,700 square-meter property at Panay Avenue (a few meters away from Sunny Motors) that was designed exclusively for Body Repair and Paint operations. To ensure rigid Pre-Delivery Inspection of brand new units, Sunny Motors acquired another property at Panay Avenue with a land area of 800 square meters where brand new vehicles of the Quezon Avenue dealerships are prepared for delivery. It also serves as storage area of new vehicles. The said facility can accommodate about 80 units at any given time.
The years 1994, 1995 and 1996 were the best years the automotive industry have ever had in its history, experiencing year-after-year growth. This prompted The ESJAY Auto Group’s top management to eye a Nissan dealership in Metro Manila. Considered as the largest not only in the Philippines but in Asia, Nissan Commonwealth, Inc. started operations in July 15, 1996 and inaugurated its facilities on August 5 on the same year. Nissan Commonwealth was built on a one hectare property with 14,000 square meters floor area of building and facilities with a 3-storey service workshop boasting of state-of-the-art tools and equipment.
After just three years in operation, Nissan Commonwealth, Inc. was awarded the most prestigious 1999 Dealer of the Year Award by Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. It also garnered the following awards : 1999 Best in Service Operations, 1999 Best in Parts Operations and 1999 Best in Customer Relations. Nissan Commonwealth also won the 1999 Teleperformance Grand Prix Customer Service Golden Award (Automotive Industry) by TelePhilippines & TelePerformance International in France. In 2003, NISCOM was again named as 2002 Dealer of the Yearby Universal Motors Corporation (UMC) and again as 2003 UMC Dealer of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Nissan provincial branch dealership of World Cars, Inc. in Santiago City transferred to its new home on February 1997 on a fully owned 11,100 square-meter property. The dealership facility has a floor area of 1,475 square meters with an elevated vehicle showroom, complete administration, sales, parts and service offices, a two-storey parts warehouse and with a 25-workbay service shop. At present, the facility is acknowledged as the largest in terms of size in the whole Region II (Cagayan Valley).
More expansion projects were inaugurated. To better service the motor vehicle insurance needs of the ESJAY AUTO GROUP dealerships, the Management entered a Memorandum of Agreement with Prudential Guarantee, Security Pacific Assurance Corp. and Peoples Trans-East Asia Insurance Corp. to support Santa Monica Insurance Agency which was formed and organized in March of 1997. The SMIA head office was inaugurated in the Quezon Avenue complex.
Inspite of the Asian financial crisis that swept the region, in April of 1997, Sunny Motors opened its fully owned 150 square-meter airconditioned vehicles showroom at the renowned Tutuban Center Mall in Divisoria, Manila, purposely to tap the Filipino-Chinese market.
On May 9, 1997, the fourth project for the year was launched with the opening of the Commonwealth AutoCenter Inc. Strategically located beside Nissan Commonwealth, Inc., the said dealership was the latest franchised dealer of Columbian Motors Corporation, Columbian Autocar Corporation and Asian Carmakers Corporation; to sell Mazda, Kia, Subaru and Daihatsu brands of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Commonwealth Autocenter, Inc. was built on a one-hectare lot of owned property which is regarded as the biggest, most modern and complete Columbian Autocenter in the country.
The first provincial branch of Sunny Motors in Cabanatuan City, Province of Nueva Ecija was blessed on September 1999 selling Mazda and Kia models. As of July 2000, Commonwealth Autocenter, Inc. was renamed Prince Motor Corporation following the major marketing directions of Columbian Motors and Kia Motors of Korea. The joint venture resulted in the assembly and distribution of Kia passenger cars and commercial vehicles only.
After July of 1997, due to the Asian financial crisis, the automotive industry suffered negative growth and continuous decline in sales. Credit facility became scarce with high down payment requirements and interest rates imposed on interested buyers. Thinking one step ahead, The ESJAY Auto Group stakeholders immediately formed the First United Finance and Leasing Corporation on January 28, 1998. Its primary purpose was to make credit available to the valued clients of The ESJAY Auto Group who need flexible financing assistance and facility.
Some unexpected turn of events in 1998 made Sunny Motor Sales, Inc. and Imperial Auto Corporation without any franchised models to sell due to the severance of ties of Italcar Pilipinas, Inc. with Hyundai Corporation of Korea. Francisco Motor’s assembly of Mazda commercial vehicles was also terminated. Mazda passenger cars which used to be sold by Prince Motor Corporation has ceased assembly.
These developments deeply affected major ESJAY Auto Group dealerships. With only Nissan and Kia passenger cars and commercial vehicles left to sell, the top management decided immediately to directly import from Korea, the Hyudai Starex mini vans which became very popular in the market.
The ESJAY Auto Group management also organized a satellite dealership named AUTO MYX venturing in used car operations, accepting trade-ins, buying repossessed vehicles from various financing companies and accepting consignment units for sale. The year 2001 gave the ESJAY Auto Group some breakthroughs in its negotiations for new franchised lines. By late May, Norkis Automotive Resources Corporation, the official distributor of the premium market models of the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler, approved the provisional franchise of Sunny Motors. Finally, the Chrysler Quezon Avenue dealership was blessed and inaugurated on September 21, 2001 where NARC also simultaneously introduced to the market its 2001 models like the Dodge Durango 4x2, Dodge Dakota Quad Cab and the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
A month earlier, the Sunny Motors Cabanatuan was also inaugurated on August 1, 2001 and officially appointed as a franchised dealer of Suzuki Philippines, Inc.
In 2001, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) secured the distributorship of Hyundai cars and vans from Hyundai Motor Company. With the group’s vast experience with Hyundai brand, success in selling the Hyundai Starex and Mr. San Juan’s stellar reputation in the automotive industry, it came as no surprise that the group be considered for a franchised dealership yet again. On December 26, 2001, Hyundai Quezon Avenue was appointed as one of the pioneer dealerships of HARI. Since then Hyundai Quezon Avenue has been a perennial performer. It consistently ranks among the top five among all HARI’s dealers.
The year 2002 was ushered in with the appointment of Prince Motor Corporation as a franchised dealer of Suzuki Philippines, Inc. for the Commonwealth Avenue area on February 1, 2002.
Emboldened by Hyundai’s success and the ever-growing demand for Hyundai products and services, the group informed HARI of its desire to put and operate a dealership in Cabanatuan City area. Hyundai Cabanatuan initially began operations as a branch of Hyundai Quezon Avenue in 2002, achieving official dealership status in 2005.
In February 2010, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the 2009 Service Dealer of the Year Award as well as the 2009 Parts Dealer of the Year Award given by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI). A year after, in February 2011, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the 2010 Dealer of the Year Award (1st Runner-Up) and the 2010 Excellence in Service Operations Award (Champion). Both Hyundai Quezon Avenue and Hyundai Cabanatuan City were also given the 2010 Dealer Excellence Award by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.
Relentless in its endeavor to achieve its goal of being a leader in the Philippine automotive industry, where Hyundai will be the preferred brand above all others, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the prestigious 2011 DEALER OF THE YEAR AWARD from Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. in February 2012. Concurrently, Hyundai Quezon Avenue was also given the Award of Excellence in Service Operations – CHAMPION, Award of Excellence in Parts Operations – 3rd Runner-Up, Award of Excellence in Customer Relations Management – 3rd Runner-Up and the 2011 Equus Award for Dealer Excellence by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. During the same period Hyundai Cabanatuan City and Hyundai Santiago City were also given the 2011 Genesis Award for Dealer Excellence.
In tradition with ESJAY AutoGroup’s winning ways, Hyundai Commonwealth has likewise proved its ability to garner numerous accolades. Among the more notable awards given are:
This is proof of ESJAY Auto Group’s commitment to serve its customers by providing professional, quality and efficient automotive products and first-class services at reasonable cost through world-class dealership facilities all in pursuit of Total Customer Delight and Satisfaction.
DMG, INC., the assembler and distributor of the very popular Volkswagen in the middle 70’s, selected and appointed Mr. San Juan in 1978 for the most coveted dealerships network in the three areas, namely : Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Isabela. Thus, World Cars, Incorporated was born and operated one after the other. When DMG ceased operations in the country in 1981, Ford Phils., Inc. tapped World Cars, Inc.’s facilities, organization and expertise to carry the numerous Ford models. After several years however, Ford pulled out of the country due to severe economic crisis that hit the country in the early 80’s.
Without any vehicle sales operations, World Cars, Inc. continued its operations anchoring on parts and service. In 1985, Pilipinas Nissan, Inc. (PNI) entered the automotive market and assembled Nissan passenger cars. Thus, as expected, Pilipinas Nissan, Inc. appointed World Cars, Inc. as its official dealer in the same region. Aside from regular dealerships, World Cars, Inc. established sales outlets even in Baguio City, Tuguegarao, Laoag City, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and Bangued, Abra. Its sales efforts reaped the most prestigious 1995 Provincial Dealer of the Year, Best in Sales Operations and Best in Service Operations.
Reaping success in its business operations in Luzon, with the economy having stabilized, Mr. San Juan shifted and focused his business interest in Metro-Manila to get a lion’s share of the biggest auto market in the country. Thus, Sunny Motor Sales, Inc. was established in 1987 in Quezon Avenue, after securing a franchised dealership from Francisco Motors Corporation, the assembler and distributor of Fiat Uno and then eventually, Mazda pickups and vans. Sunny Motors was cited by FMC on January 28, 1994, for selling the biggest volume of Fiat Uno sold during the period July-December, 1993. Year-after-year, Sunny Motor Sales was consistent for being the No. 1 Dealer.
When Columbian Motors Corporation was granted by the Board of Investments the authority to assemble Daihatsu and Mazda passenger cars in the Philippine Market, Mr. San Juan was able to secure a dealership and established Prince Motor Corporation on November 9, 1990 also located in Quezon Avenue.
Barely a year and a half of operations in Metro Manila, Mr. San Juan opened in December 1991, another dealership, Imperial Auto Corporation in Quezon Avenue. Only adjacent to Sunny Motors, Imperial Auto Corporation was appointed as franchised dealer of Italcar Pilipinas, Inc., to carry and promote Hyundai passenger cars and vans. Thus, Imperial Auto Corporation was selling the Hyundai Excel, Elantra, Sonata and the H100 vans.
The whole Quezon Avenue dealerships covered a total land area of 3,000 square meters with parts and general service repairs occupying 2,000 square meters. To be able to fully serve the ever-increasing volume of after-sales requirements, Sunny Motors acquired a 1,700 square-meter property at Panay Avenue (a few meters away from Sunny Motors) that was designed exclusively for Body Repair and Paint operations. To ensure rigid Pre-Delivery Inspection of brand new units, Sunny Motors acquired another property at Panay Avenue with a land area of 800 square meters where brand new vehicles of the Quezon Avenue dealerships are prepared for delivery. It also serves as storage area of new vehicles. The said facility can accommodate about 80 units at any given time.
The years 1994, 1995 and 1996 were the best years the automotive industry have ever had in its history, experiencing year-after-year growth. This prompted The ESJAY Auto Group’s top management to eye a Nissan dealership in Metro Manila. Considered as the largest not only in the Philippines but in Asia, Nissan Commonwealth, Inc. started operations in July 15, 1996 and inaugurated its facilities on August 5 on the same year. Nissan Commonwealth was built on a one hectare property with 14,000 square meters floor area of building and facilities with a 3-storey service workshop boasting of state-of-the-art tools and equipment.
After just three years in operation, Nissan Commonwealth, Inc. was awarded the most prestigious 1999 Dealer of the Year Award by Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. It also garnered the following awards : 1999 Best in Service Operations, 1999 Best in Parts Operations and 1999 Best in Customer Relations. Nissan Commonwealth also won the 1999 Teleperformance Grand Prix Customer Service Golden Award (Automotive Industry) by TelePhilippines & TelePerformance International in France. In 2003, NISCOM was again named as 2002 Dealer of the Yearby Universal Motors Corporation (UMC) and again as 2003 UMC Dealer of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Nissan provincial branch dealership of World Cars, Inc. in Santiago City transferred to its new home on February 1997 on a fully owned 11,100 square-meter property. The dealership facility has a floor area of 1,475 square meters with an elevated vehicle showroom, complete administration, sales, parts and service offices, a two-storey parts warehouse and with a 25-workbay service shop. At present, the facility is acknowledged as the largest in terms of size in the whole Region II (Cagayan Valley).
More expansion projects were inaugurated. To better service the motor vehicle insurance needs of the ESJAY AUTO GROUP dealerships, the Management entered a Memorandum of Agreement with Prudential Guarantee, Security Pacific Assurance Corp. and Peoples Trans-East Asia Insurance Corp. to support Santa Monica Insurance Agency which was formed and organized in March of 1997. The SMIA head office was inaugurated in the Quezon Avenue complex.
Inspite of the Asian financial crisis that swept the region, in April of 1997, Sunny Motors opened its fully owned 150 square-meter airconditioned vehicles showroom at the renowned Tutuban Center Mall in Divisoria, Manila, purposely to tap the Filipino-Chinese market.
On May 9, 1997, the fourth project for the year was launched with the opening of the Commonwealth AutoCenter Inc. Strategically located beside Nissan Commonwealth, Inc., the said dealership was the latest franchised dealer of Columbian Motors Corporation, Columbian Autocar Corporation and Asian Carmakers Corporation; to sell Mazda, Kia, Subaru and Daihatsu brands of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Commonwealth Autocenter, Inc. was built on a one-hectare lot of owned property which is regarded as the biggest, most modern and complete Columbian Autocenter in the country.
The first provincial branch of Sunny Motors in Cabanatuan City, Province of Nueva Ecija was blessed on September 1999 selling Mazda and Kia models. As of July 2000, Commonwealth Autocenter, Inc. was renamed Prince Motor Corporation following the major marketing directions of Columbian Motors and Kia Motors of Korea. The joint venture resulted in the assembly and distribution of Kia passenger cars and commercial vehicles only.
After July of 1997, due to the Asian financial crisis, the automotive industry suffered negative growth and continuous decline in sales. Credit facility became scarce with high down payment requirements and interest rates imposed on interested buyers. Thinking one step ahead, The ESJAY Auto Group stakeholders immediately formed the First United Finance and Leasing Corporation on January 28, 1998. Its primary purpose was to make credit available to the valued clients of The ESJAY Auto Group who need flexible financing assistance and facility.
Some unexpected turn of events in 1998 made Sunny Motor Sales, Inc. and Imperial Auto Corporation without any franchised models to sell due to the severance of ties of Italcar Pilipinas, Inc. with Hyundai Corporation of Korea. Francisco Motor’s assembly of Mazda commercial vehicles was also terminated. Mazda passenger cars which used to be sold by Prince Motor Corporation has ceased assembly.
These developments deeply affected major ESJAY Auto Group dealerships. With only Nissan and Kia passenger cars and commercial vehicles left to sell, the top management decided immediately to directly import from Korea, the Hyudai Starex mini vans which became very popular in the market.
The ESJAY Auto Group management also organized a satellite dealership named AUTO MYX venturing in used car operations, accepting trade-ins, buying repossessed vehicles from various financing companies and accepting consignment units for sale. The year 2001 gave the ESJAY Auto Group some breakthroughs in its negotiations for new franchised lines. By late May, Norkis Automotive Resources Corporation, the official distributor of the premium market models of the Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler, approved the provisional franchise of Sunny Motors. Finally, the Chrysler Quezon Avenue dealership was blessed and inaugurated on September 21, 2001 where NARC also simultaneously introduced to the market its 2001 models like the Dodge Durango 4x2, Dodge Dakota Quad Cab and the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.
A month earlier, the Sunny Motors Cabanatuan was also inaugurated on August 1, 2001 and officially appointed as a franchised dealer of Suzuki Philippines, Inc.
In 2001, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) secured the distributorship of Hyundai cars and vans from Hyundai Motor Company. With the group’s vast experience with Hyundai brand, success in selling the Hyundai Starex and Mr. San Juan’s stellar reputation in the automotive industry, it came as no surprise that the group be considered for a franchised dealership yet again. On December 26, 2001, Hyundai Quezon Avenue was appointed as one of the pioneer dealerships of HARI. Since then Hyundai Quezon Avenue has been a perennial performer. It consistently ranks among the top five among all HARI’s dealers.
The year 2002 was ushered in with the appointment of Prince Motor Corporation as a franchised dealer of Suzuki Philippines, Inc. for the Commonwealth Avenue area on February 1, 2002.
Emboldened by Hyundai’s success and the ever-growing demand for Hyundai products and services, the group informed HARI of its desire to put and operate a dealership in Cabanatuan City area. Hyundai Cabanatuan initially began operations as a branch of Hyundai Quezon Avenue in 2002, achieving official dealership status in 2005.
In February 2010, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the 2009 Service Dealer of the Year Award as well as the 2009 Parts Dealer of the Year Award given by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI). A year after, in February 2011, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the 2010 Dealer of the Year Award (1st Runner-Up) and the 2010 Excellence in Service Operations Award (Champion). Both Hyundai Quezon Avenue and Hyundai Cabanatuan City were also given the 2010 Dealer Excellence Award by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.
Relentless in its endeavor to achieve its goal of being a leader in the Philippine automotive industry, where Hyundai will be the preferred brand above all others, Hyundai Quezon Avenue received the prestigious 2011 DEALER OF THE YEAR AWARD from Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. in February 2012. Concurrently, Hyundai Quezon Avenue was also given the Award of Excellence in Service Operations – CHAMPION, Award of Excellence in Parts Operations – 3rd Runner-Up, Award of Excellence in Customer Relations Management – 3rd Runner-Up and the 2011 Equus Award for Dealer Excellence by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. During the same period Hyundai Cabanatuan City and Hyundai Santiago City were also given the 2011 Genesis Award for Dealer Excellence.
In tradition with ESJAY AutoGroup’s winning ways, Hyundai Commonwealth has likewise proved its ability to garner numerous accolades. Among the more notable awards given are:
- 2005 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth the Highest Rating Among Hyundai Dealer Networks for Having Achieved Excellence in Vehicle Fleet Sales Management
- 2006 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth for Excellence in Fleet Sales Management
- 2008 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth with Hyundai Elite Dealer Award
- 2010 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth the Dealer Excellence Award
- 2011 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth for Excellence in Service Operations (1st Runner Up)
- 2011 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth for Excellence in Sales Operations (1st Runner Up)
- 2011 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth with the Equus Award for Dealer Excellence
- 2011 - HARI Awards Hyundai Commonwealth the Dealer of the Year Award (1st Runner Up)
This is proof of ESJAY Auto Group’s commitment to serve its customers by providing professional, quality and efficient automotive products and first-class services at reasonable cost through world-class dealership facilities all in pursuit of Total Customer Delight and Satisfaction.