Toyota PH will let you compete as an e-sports racer in Gran Turismo Sport

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has officially launched its first e-motorsports program, the GR Supra GT Cup Asia – Philippines which will start in July 2020. Organized under Toyota’s global Gazoo Racing brand, the virtual racing tournament aims to find the Philippines’ top e-sports racers who will represent the country in the Asian Regional Round in the last quarter of this year.

The GR Supra GT Cup Asia – Philippines expands TMP’s range of motorsport activities with its long-running One-Make-Race program as its forerunner, the Vios Racing Festival (VRF). TMP recently announced the postponement of the VRF’s 2020 season in view of health and safety risks resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, this did not stop the leading automotive company from keeping the waku-doki (heart-pumping excitement) spirit alive by taking the race online with no less than its flagship sports car, the GR Supra.

Filipino gamers aged 18 and above, will get the chance to race against other participants with a chance to represent the country against competitors from Asia Pacific countries in the GR Supra GT Cup Asia Regional Round. Participants will get to race Toyota’s iconic flagship sports car in the Gran Turismo SPORT game on Playstation, and in two classes for the public:

  • Promotional Class – for novice drivers with no professional e-sports background
  • Sporting Class – for intermediate and professional e-racers

The qualifying rounds will start this July and will be concluded with the grand finals in August, in time for the regional competition towards the latter part of the year. To join, interested players may check out the complete mechanics and register online via their dedicated page.

Another class for Media & Celebrity partners will be created based on a different selection process by TMP. A separate registration will be conducted and details will be announced soon.

TMP will also open the Junior Class, where racers below 18 years old can join. Winners, however, cannot qualify for the regional round in compliance with the international tournament rules.

“Because of the current situation, we have decided to postpone VRF this year for safety reasons. The good news is, our waku-doki spirit lives on. This 2020, we are launching the GR Supra GT Cup Asia – PHILIPPINES. “ says TMP President Mr. Atsuhiro Okamoto “This e-motorsports program will not only continue Toyota’s racing legacy, but will also discover the Philippines’ top e-Sports talents. We are very excited to find them so they can represent the country in our international races.”

During the online press conference to launch the program, TMP provided a sneak peek of the exciting e-racing experience with TMP President Mr. Atsuhiro Okamoto battling VRF racers on the digital track.

Aside from this, TMP also announced its support to several frontliners who have been working tirelessly to keep road safety in check.

“Our motorsports programs have always been linked with our responsible driving and road safety advocacy. The GR Supra GT Cup is no different.” Announced TMP Executive Vice President Mr. Kei Mizuguchi “We are encouraging our racers and livestream viewers to donate any amount to be used to provide food packs for military, police and medical frontliners deployed to man our highways and checkpoints. TMP will match the donation from racers and viewers to reach out to more frontliners! It’s our simple way of helping and thanking them for keeping us safe on the road during these challenging times.”

For more Toyota updates, visit their website or check out Toyota’s official social media pages at ToyotaMotorPhilippines (Facebook and Instagram), and @ToyotaMotorPH (Twitter).

Press material from TMP

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Digital gifts to save you from shopping stress

12/18/2023

Depending on the type of person you are, gifting can be a fun or tedious chore. Either way, you’ll have to make time to think about what you’re giving, when you’ll buy, how you’ll wrap it — the usual gift-giver dilemmas. r

But what about opting for another solution? Something more convenient and stress-free solution? Gift digitally. From e-Books to Steam game cards, here are a couple of digital gifts you can give to save yourself from all the hectic shopping.

e-Books

Did you know that you can gift a Kindle book directly from Amazon? And no, you don’t have to have a Kindle to read one (though it is easier to access).

Just head over to the Amazon bookstore and choose the Buy for Others option instead of checking out normally. As long as the person you’re giving has the free Amazon app (or you can set up one as part of the gift), the book will be sent directly to their library.

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

All the Broken Places by John Boyne is a haunting and beautifully woven tale that shuttles between past and present. Imagine a world where the sins of the past refuse to stay buried, where guilt and bravery collide. Ninety-one-year-old Gretel Fernsby, once entangled in the horrors of Nazi Germany, now resides in her London mansion.

As her memories resurface, Gretel faces a crossroads—one that echoes the choices she made long ago. Prepare for a gripping exploration of secrets, redemption, and the indelible impact of history.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library tells the story of Nora, a thirty-something woman who, on the day she decides to die, finds herself in a library full of lives she could have lived.

Here, she discovers there’s a lot more to life, even her current one. Guided by a mysterious librarian, Nora goes through a cosmic choose-your-own-adventure, where regrets and possibilities collide, to find herself looking for a sense of purpose.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, a New York Times bestselling novel, takes a detour from her usual fantasy realms. This contemporary title dives headfirst into the loneliness horror show of a cutthroat industry.

Kuang serves up a timely dish of racism, discrimination, and the unsettling side effects of social media. It’s like a literary cocktail with a twist — shaken, stirred, and garnished with cultural appropriation musings.

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1: Precious Little Life! by Bryan Lee O’Malley

If the person you’re gifting is a pop culture fan, a Scott Pilgrim graphic novel should be right up their alley. Scott Pilgrim was also just recently adapted into a Netflix show which makes it a pretty current gift as well.

There are 6 volumes in total so if you’re feeling good and generous, why not gift the whole collection?

Gift cards

 

Amazon
Amazon is the store for everyone. And rather than sifting through hundreds, maybe thousands of products, make things a little bit easier by giving a Gift Card instead.

With different denominations and even designs available, you can send the card directly to the person you’re giving the gift to. You can also add a custom message and even schedule the delivery so it arrives when you need it!

Oh and by the way, Amazon already ships certain items straight to the Philippines so it’s definitely something you can give to anyone.

iTunes
If you have friends or family who have an iPhone or other Apple device, you can get them a gift card that they can use to purchase anything on the iTunes store. You can choose from as little as US$ 10 up to US$ 100 to gift.

Digital codes are available here and sent to your email but physical cards are available in certain stores and online.

Game cards

Nintendo Switch

Need to gift a gamer? There are quite a few choices of game cards you can opt to buy. All the cards operate similarly. All you have to do is choose the denomination or amount you’d want to give and it gets sent to their email just like the Amazon Gift Card.

You can also opt to give a subscription or service like Game Pass instead.

Here are some choices:

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