By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT Production of motor vehicles in the Philippines has improved by an encouraging 16.1 percent as of November 2019 as locally produced vehicles reached 87,864 units from 75,654 units in the same 11 months of 2018, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed. Data showed that the Philippine production posted strong growth in the months June (92.2 percent), November (79.1 percent), September (58.8 percent), July (57 percent), May (35.4 percent), and October (21.4 percent). Boost in production as the two CARS Program participants – Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. and Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. – already started their first full year of production for their respective models. CARS Program participants are required to produce 200,000 units each over a six year period. In contrast, the big ASEAN car producers posted declines dragging overall regional production to 3,858,458 or 4.4 percent lower than the 4,036,339 units in the first 11 months of 2018. Thailand, the region’s largest producer reduced its production by 5.9 percent to 1,879,502 units versus 1,998,339 units in the same January-November period in 2018. Likewise, Indonesia’s production dropped by 4.6 percent to 1,188,078 from 1,245,253 units in the first 11 months in 2018. Vietnam also posted a higher reduction of 12.8 percent with production hitting only 160,639 units from 184,173 units. Malaysia’s production was flat with total sales of 528,333 units from 522,571 units in 2018. On the production of motorcycles and scooters, the Philippines suffered an 8.1 percent reduction to 1,094,068 units from 1,190,184 units in the January-November last year. The Philippines posted monthly negative growth except for July where it grew a measly .8 percent in production volume. Thailand also reduced its production by 6.5 percent to 1,789,641 units from 1,914,285 units. Malaysia was on the upswing with 18.2 percent increase to 502,096 units from 424,687 units in the same January-November period in 2018.