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Sarao Motors, Inc. is a Filipino automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The company specializes in designing, engineering, manufacturing, and distributing the jeepneys.[2][3]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1953 (as an automotive shop) 1962 (as a corporation) |
| Founder | Leonardo S. Sarao |
| Headquarters | Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas, Metro Manila , |
Area served | Nationwide |
Key people | Rafael Sarao, Sr. Ernesto Sarao Eduardo Sarao |
| Products | Jeepney |
Production output | 12 to 15 units per day (peak)[1] |
| Website | |
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Sarao Motors was established in 1953 by Leonardo Sarao, a former kalesa driver turned mechanic, as a small automotive shop with an initial budget of ₱700 (equivalent to ₱91,211 in 2021). The company grew into a multimillion corporation that produced the majority of jeepneys in the Philippines. At its peak, the ratio of Sarao jeepneys rolling the streets of Manila outnumbered other brands by almost 7 to 1, making the Sarao name synonymous with the vehicle.[2]
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Sarao promoted the jeepney as a symbol of Philippine culture, and its vehicles have represented the country in several events. In 1964, a Sarao jeepney was exhibited at the Philippine pavilion at the New York World's Fair as a national image for Filipinos.[2][4] In 1971, a Sarao jeepney traveled from Manila to London and all over Europe as part of the London-Manila Express, a roadshow sponsored by the Philippine Tourism and Travel Association to boost the country's tourism and industry to European countries.[5][6][7]
In 2000, rising costs forced Sarao Motors to halt jeepney production,[8] resulting in a downsizing of its workforce from 300 to only 50 employees. The collection department was the only part of the company that remained operational.[9] The company eventually resumed operations on a smaller scale.[10][11]
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Aside from the jeepney, Sarao Motors also manufactures custom-built owner-type jeepneys and other types of vehicles for schools, businesses, and other institutions.[citation needed]
In 1981, Pope John Paul II rode a specially built owner-type jeepney by Sarao during his first visit to the country.[12]
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