Paced by passenger cars, sales of automotive vehicles in the Philippines advanced by 4.7 percent to 48,109 units in the four months to April 2011, statistics released by local manufacturers indicate.

The sales growth was achieved, the automotive companies said, despite production stoppages at local assembly plants owing to supply disruptions from Japanese spare parts makers following the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and power shortages in that country in March.

According to data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association, sales of passenger cars in the January-April period totaled 14,962 units, up by 8.9 percent from the year-ago mark.

However, the April total of 11,816 passenger cars sold was down by 4.5 percent against the previous year's 12,374 units, Campi said.

Philippine units of Japanese car producers Toyota Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Motor Corp., and Honda Motor Co. Ltd., along with Ford Group Philippines, all implemented reduced work hours, including moving forward scheduled factory downtime for the year, due to parts shortages.

Campi president Elizabeth Lee disclosed this week that some parts suppliers' plants in Japan have resumed operations, but still at "below normal levels."

The local carmakers will review sales targets for the rest of 2011 and the current growth forecast of 4-5 percent "will have to be revised" due to the parts crisis, the Campi official said.

Meanwhile, sales of commercial vehicles in the Philippines increased by 2.8 percent to 31,815 units in the first four months compared to the same period last year.

Toyota Motor Philippines accounted for 38 percent of the total sales for the period, with Mitsubishi Motor Philippines taking second slot with 23 percent of the total.

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