Toyota is making sure the animal that inspired its iconic model will be around for just as many generations as the vehicles. The next generation Toyota Tamaraw will play a pivotal role in the protection of the dwarf buffalo it is named after by serving as a patrol vehicle for the rangers guarding its habitat. This is just one of the pledges from Toyota to ensure the survival of the endangered Tamaraw.
The Toyota Tamaraw was first launched in 1976 as a dropside pickup. It was named after the Mindoro Tamaraw or Bubalus Mindorensis. It is a dwarf buffalo endemic to the Mindoro Island in the Philippines. It was classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered with 500-600 individuals remaining in the wild as of 2024.
Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation (TMPF), the social and humanitarian arm of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to support the Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP). The planned partnership will address Philippine biodiversity conservation efforts toward protecting the critically endangered Tamaraw species and its habitat.
Under the MOU, TMPF will donate a brand new Tamaraw vehicle and half-a-million-pesos worth of “Bantay Tamaraw” kits for ranger gears and supplies. The resources will help the Bantay Tamaraw rangers conduct regular patrols at all known Tamaraw habitat sites.
On top of in-kind donations, TMPF pledges a ₱3-million conservation fund for other key program initiatives, including Tamaraw habitat monitoring and research, support programs for barangay and Indigenous Peoples (IP) volunteers, equipping of the Tamaraw Research and Conservation Center, and other Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA) activities such as the national Tamaraw Month observation.
“The indigenous and endemic Tamaraw species, the inspiration for the iconic Toyota model introduced in the seventies ('70s), holds a special place in our hearts. In borrowing such name for a versatile Asian Utility Vehicle, one can infer a list of possible connections. The Tamaraw exhibits power packed in its adaptable body; its resilience; and its uniqueness – being proudly Filipino.
“Like our local automotive industry, strong collaboration among various stakeholders including government and non-government institutions, the private sector, and even ordinary Filipinos is important to safeguard and promote its survival in the future. We believe that joining forces with the primary implementer of this program – the DENR – is one of the steps to achieve this goal. Through this partnership, TMP not only loops back to its source of the “Tamaraw” name indelible in Filipino society. It also creates new and wider social and environmental sustainability impacts.
“Together, let us protect the Tamaraw and its habitat, ensuring it will co-exist in harmony with today’s and the next generations,” said Masando Hashimoto, TMP president.
The signing ceremony was led by DENR Secretary, Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, TMP president Masando Hashimoto, and TMPF President Jose Maria Aligada, on the sidelines of the next generation Tamaraw grand public launch in Makati City.
The TCP was created on July 9, 1979, pursuant to Executive Order No. 544 under the Office of the President, as the government’s arm in protecting the Tamaraw. In 1987, it became a banner initiative under the DENR. The program aims to save the animal from extinction by addressing the various factors threatening its population and habitat.