Saturday, August 23, 2008 PLDT myDSL drifts into Kadayawan By Jojie Alcantara Witerary
A GREAT way to start the Kadayawan festivities rolling was a treat from PLDT myDSL as their team headed by main man Gary Dujali skidded to a halt in the last leg of their tour right here in Davao.
A fitting finale perhaps, because their journey all the way from Luzon, to the Visayas and finally in Mindanao has been marked with excitement and lots of tire tracks and burnt rubber, a successful campaign of breaking the speed limit in more ways than one.
The casual press conference at Apo View Hotel introduced the PLDT myDSL team to the Davao media, with fun prizes raffled off and a quick look at the new drift car outside the parking area. The team brought in lateral D drift champs Alex Perez and Dave Feliciano of DMF School, MC Nathan J, the EB Babes and the exciting celebrity Nancy Castiglione who joined the motorcade, mall visits, and campus tours for QIK (Quick Install Kit).
The PLDT myDSL Speed Circuit Tour culminated in Damosa Gateway as the drifting exhibition went underway, with many photographers trying to get good action captures of both Alex and Dave on the tracks.
Hosted by MC Nathan J and Rob Rodriguez of Killer Bee, the event opened with the gracious presence of good friend Bong Aportadera (Davao's City Tourism Officer), PLDT head of retail marketing Tony Valdez, PLDT myDSL Davao head Melvin Lacuna, and of course PLDT myDSL head Gary Dujali who brought the whole team in, including the awesome drift cars.
My first hand experience was even better, I got to ride inside the car with Alex on the steering wheel as we slid, turned and skidded on the pavement at breakneck speed. Surprisingly, I felt safe! Plus I got shots with my camera, all in a wonderful, dizzying blur. They all gave a chance for lucky ones in the audience to take turns inside the car, including an excited five-year-old kid.
My partner, Rhonson Ng, capped the night with his winning shot of the photo competition, though. Climbing the topmost roof of the makeshift stage and delicately balancing without any rails to support him, he took a top shot of Alex (or was it Dave?) rounding the pavement at hair-raising speed, amidst smoke and crisscrossing skid marks. It does break the speed limit in photography too.
Visit myworldmydsl.com for more of the pictures and videos.
(E-mail writer at jojiealcantara@gmail.com or visit www.witerary.com.)
