Article by Pez de Leon

There was a nostalgic scent in the cool breeze of the rainy September Saturday as I walked towards the number of Mazdas parked at the upper deck parking of Robinson's Galleria. It's a monthly meeting, or as Mazdatech fondly calls it, FR (short for Familia Reunion) that happens to be Mazdatech's 7th Annual Carshow. Having participated in three previous shows, I was not new to the event.

It was all too familiar—perennial participants with their continuously evolving rides, the new members who are novices to the carshow scene, some with their daily driven cars, all equipped with their polishing cloths, hopes and dreams. Coming in as a spectator this time, I had realized how from being the Protege Tech, which was founded and composed by a handful of Mazda 323 Familia (called Mazda Protege in the US market) owners, Mazdatech is now home to all models of Mazda, including rare MX-5s and RX-7s to name a few.

Along with the displayed cars, Mazda die-cast models were displayed for the kids as well as the RC Drifters Demo which made the whole event more interesting. Judges Alex Claudio and John Escobar was quick to acknowledge how the veterans learned as the years went by. They described how the craftsmanship and the preparation has become better throughout the years. “The level of competition amongst the members elevate each year. It is always a delight to comeback each year because the members have the ability to surprise us. Hindi nakakasawang bumalik. Some of the members' rides have become good enough to be featured in magazines and compete in bigger shows.”

“The Mazdatech Annual Carshow is a product of the brotherhood and unity of the members. We hold it every year to promote the upkeep and the maintenance of our beloved cars.” says Andy Adan, founding member of Mazdatech. The carshow has lived up to it's legacy of bringing friends together, of being a family event and a learning experience for the members and the participants. And while everybody envies the Best of Show winner, who was awarded a weekend with the new MX-5 and a trophy, you can see the smiles among the faces of everyone. It was truly a Familia Reunion.

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