BAIC Philippines signs Paras family as new brand ambassadors

The Paras family is now officially part of the BAIC Philippines ambassador roster. In a contract signing held earlier this month at Tsujiya Japanese Restaurant inside the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club Sports Center in Mandaluyong, BAIC Philippines, under UAAGI Auto Group Inc., locked in basketball icon Benjie Paras alongside sons Kobe and Andre as its newest brand ambassadors. The venue itself was a deliberate choice: a newly opened Japanese dining spot with modern interiors and a quietly upscale atmosphere. 

Rather than the usual celebrity endorsement playbook, BAIC went a different route. The event was kept intimate, with the focus less on pomp and more on what brought these two parties together in the first place: family, dependability, and vehicles that actually fit how Filipinos live.

Benjie Paras needs little introduction. The PBA legend built a career on grit and consistency, and that reputation has carried over into his post-basketball life. Today, his sons Kobe and Andre carry the family name into a new generation, giving the partnership a cross-generational pull that few celebrity deals can pull off naturally.

For BAIC Philippines Brand Head Timothy Rommel Chan Sytin, the fit made a lot of sense on paper and in practice. "We are happy to welcome Benjie Paras and his family to BAIC. They represent what the brand stands for. Solid and reliable. This partnership is about real families and real experiences," he said during the signing.

He went further in explaining why each member of the family lines up with what BAIC is trying to say in the market. Benjie, in his view, mirrors the brand's heritage as one of China's longest-standing automotive names. Kobe brings the spirit of adventure and the kind of confidence that maps to BAIC's capability-focused SUV lineup. Andre, meanwhile, represents the practical, connected, style-aware Filipino driver that the brand is increasingly building its products around.

On that note, Andre Paras had arguably the most grounded take of the evening. He shared that he had been living with the BAIC B30e Dune for about two weeks before the signing, and wasted no time putting it through its paces.

"The moment I got it, I brought it straight to Tagaytay," he said. That drive, he explained, gave him a clearer picture of what the hybrid electric vehicle is actually about beyond spec sheets and sales talk.

What surprised him most was how hybrid electric technology reframes the usual way people think about performance. "Before, you would always look at engine displacement. Parang iyon ang basis mo for power. But with HEV, it does not matter as much anymore. You feel the power differently. It is smoother, more responsive, and more efficient at the same time."

He also pointed to comfort and confidence as the deciding factors for him personally. Knowing the vehicle is ready for both city traffic and longer drives matters, and the Tagaytay run settled that question for him. "After that drive, I knew it was something I can rely on."

From Benjie's side, the calculus is a bit more straightforward. As the family patriarch, priorities are comfort, reliability, and interior space. With three tall men sharing family road trips, the B30e Dune's roomier dimensions are less of a bonus and more of a necessity.

BAIC Philippines is clearly positioning this as something longer than a typical campaign cycle. The brand has been steadily building its presence in the local market by anchoring its messaging around real-world usability and value, and aligning with a family that is recognizable across multiple generations of Filipino sports fans fits neatly into that strategy.

If you want to see what BAIC is offering for the Philippines, visit the BAIC Car Guide on AutoDeal.com.ph.