Mazda PH pledges PHP 1.5K to pangolin guardians for every BT-50 sold

Passion projects seem to be the thing of Mazda Philippines. While not huge in terms of numbers, they are big on initiatives that suit them, like sports car spec-racing with the Miata, lifestyle events for their clientele, and even gatherings of automotive enthusiasts with Fan Festa.

But one thing that is uniquely theirs is a partnership with the Katala Foundation, a small group of eco-warriors who have dedicated their lives to protecting the Philippine pangolin in Palawan. Sure, the Philippine Eagle gets a lot of attention as it should, but there are quite a few species that don’t get to share the limelight; that goes double, especially since the lowly pangolin only comes out at night.

That’s who Mazda is supporting and has been supporting for the past few years. They handed the foundation a Mazda BT-50 to replace the much older Mazda pick-up truck that they have been using to monitor, track, and protect the Philippine pangolin. Mazda also performs the maintenance and repair of the vehicle; as you can imagine, the jungle isn’t kind to vehicles.

Now they’re upping it a bit more. Mazda Philippines chief Steven Tan has pledged support for the Katala Foundation by announcing that they will allocate PHP 1,500 from every Mazda BT-50 sold from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, capped at PHP 1,000,000, whichever comes first. The funds will be handed over in tranches and will be used to hire local trackers, food for employees, and other operations-related expenses. As you can imagine, a small non-profit organization doesn’t have much in the way of resources.

But of course, what’s really making a difference is the awareness being raised by Mazda and Katala by naming a special edition BT-50 as the Pangolin. Just by creating conversation, more people are made aware and asking questions about an animal unique to the Philippines, but it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.