Christmas bells hummed through the humid Manila air, and 22-year-old Javier’s fingers trembled a little as he folded the crumpled NEW POWER Electric Vehicle flyer he’d grabbed from a street stall the night before. For months, he’d grumbled about his beat-up secondhand scooter—its rusted frame leaked rain on his puto snacks during monsoons, and its slow engine made him late to deliver orders to distant barangays. But when he saw the “Double Discount” banner blaring from the flyer, he’d stayed up half the night counting his savings, muttering calculations under his breath. By dawn, he’d laced up his worn sandals, stuffed his cash into a zippered pouch, and headed for the NEW POWER store in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
The store’s facade was draped in twinkling fairy lights and pine boughs, a giant inflatable Santa propped beside the entrance waving at passersby. When Javier stepped in, the scent of cinnamon candles mixed with the fresh, clean smell of new electric vehicles—rows of sleek scooters and his beloved cream-and-brown tricycles glinted under overhead spotlights. A clerk in a Santa hat greeted him, and Javier wasted no time pointing to the tricycle he’d ogled in the flyer: the same model he’d nicknamed Luzviminda in his daydreams.
“The double discount is our big holiday gift,” the clerk explained, tapping a poster behind the counter. “For this tricycle, you get 18,000 PHP off the sticker price plus a 20,000 PHP cash voucher for future maintenance—thats almost 40,000 PHP in savings.” Javier’s eyes widened: that cut his total cost down to exactly what he’d saved, with a little left over to stock up on rice flour for his snack business. The clerk kept going, listing the perks: a free RXR helmet with reflective strips (perfect for his late-night deliveries), a waterproof raincoat tailored to the tricycle’s canopy, and a heavy-duty lock to secure it when he parked outside market stalls. “And wait—” the clerk added, grinning, “if you sign up today, you’re eligible for the Christmas lottery. First prize is a 5,000 PHP grocery voucher, and everyone walks away with at least a mini Christmas tree.”
The store buzzed with energy: a family laughed as they tested a yellow scooter, an elderly vendor haggled gently over a compact tricycle, and the first five buyers of the day cheered as they collected their 10,000 PHP cash vouchers. Javier joined the line to sign his purchase papers, his feet bouncing with excitement. When the clerk handed him the keys, he ran his thumb over the NEW POWER logo on the tricycle’s handlebars—its canopy was sturdier than he’d imagined, its storage bin roomy enough for both his snack baskets and a folding fishing rod (for weekend trips with Lolo). The clerk walked him through the warranty details: 5 years of coverage for the battery and motor (the priciest parts of any EV) and lifetime free tune-ups at over 400 NEW POWER outlets nationwide—no more trekking across the city to a shady repair shop when something broke.
By midday, Javier was rolling his new tricycle out of the store, the sun glinting off its cream panels. He snapped a photo and sent it to Lolo, typing: “Got the ride—next weekend we’re heading to the lake, and I’ve got extra space for your grilled fish.” Lolo replied instantly: “Finally! And don’t forget—your new tricycle means you can sell snacks in the next barangay now. More cash for our picnic supplies.” Javier grinned, twisting the throttle gently; the tricycle hummed smoothly down the street, no sputtering engine or creaky frame to slow him down.
For Javier, the Christmas & New Year promotion wasn’t just a discount—it was a ticket to a steadier business, lazier weekends, and the kind of reliability he’d only daydreamed about before. As he weaved through Manila’s alleys, already spotting a group of aunties waving for his kutsinta, he thought: this wasn’t just a new tricycle. It was a new start—wrapped up in Christmas lights and a very good deal.