Editor’s Letter
“If I have seen farther than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
– Sir Isaac Newton
Life is a journey, and the best journeys are made with the best of companies that uplift each other.
As we move along the journey of life, we experience many great, unforgettable moments: your firsts, attaining that long-sought-after dream, surprise encounters that affect us profoundly, and more. It is these moments that enrich us, change us, and make us desire something better. We are able to unlock these moments by working hard, taking risks, looking beyond what’s in front of us, leaving our comfort zone, following the advice of friends who have our best interests in mind, and ultimately, keeping an open mind.
It is but human to desire to share these experiences in the hope that those with whom we share our stories will also be inspired to discover their own unforgettably unique adventures in their respective journeys.
Having been around motoring and media for over half of my life, I’ve had the immense pleasure of meeting friends who have helped shape me into the person I am now, relying on the goodwill, guidance, and sometimes governance of others to chart my path. We rely on our friends’ knowledge, wisdom, and experience to guide us as we seek to chart our very own adventures.
From captains of industry, world leaders, engineers who push the boundaries of what’s possible, to designers and other creatives who meld art and life seamlessly together, we have collectively encountered many “giants” in this day and age, giants who see beyond the curve, influencing trends and ultimately helping to shape our collective future.
I would like to take this opportunity as well to show my most sincere gratitude to the people who supported us in the very beginning. From family and friends who nourished us, encouraged us, and alowed us to pursue our passion. To my first editors and bosses in media, and the industry pillars who gave us the lucky break we needed to make that quantum leap, from just another writer, to someone with purpose. A special thanks to my recently departed Mother, herself an educator (the most noble of professions) who taught me to love reading and voraciously consume information as much as I did food when I was a child. Look Mom, I inherited your love for reading and writing. Thank you very much.
Today, we band together to create our stories, curated to ensure we share nothing but the finest experiences with others, in the hopes that you, the reader, may also be inspired to seek what is beyond you, look past the obvious, be eager and excited to look forward to a new and uncharted region in our own respective yet interconnected sojourn that is life.
Our media aims to deliver unique and exceptional stories not just from the Philippines but from all over the world, with special emphasis on our ASEAN neighbors. We share much with our brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia, yet we are all very unique. Or, as they say, same-same, but different, which best describes our hodgepodge of Southeast Asian culture and history.
Lastly, we ask that you be patient with us as we tweak and refine our website, content, style, photography, and ultimately the types of stories that we publish based on feedback from you, our esteemed audience. We hope for a lively and very interactive readership that tells us what they would like, regularly engaging with us through email and with our social media channels.
Truthfully, while I have been writing about cars for over two decades, I never once thought I would ever have the title of Editor-In-Chief. Please indulge me until I rightfully earn my stripes as an editor.
We hope you enjoy reading our stories and articles as much as we do putting them together.
We look forward to sharing our journey with you and we hope you can share your journey with us too.
The Team
There is always something better lying ahead; it’s just waiting to be discovered.
This sums up the common belief of our team. Trawl through the digital world and you’ll see many great things, many new discoveries and previously unseen vistas. It’s all there for us to find, we just need to venture out, beyond what’s right in front of us.
But the sad reality is that there is so much hate, negativity, many soothsayers of doom and crucially, fake news and narratives to aim to twist and shape our point of view. Indeed, the digital landscape can be a scary place with the sheer amount of misinformation perpetrated by shadowy powers.
The Drive List is meant to be a safe space, a place where people can find good things, truthful experiences of our own, honest news and reviews. We ourselves started with nothing, guided simply by the experiences of others for the most part, before making our own new discoveries. Of events that ultimately inspire, give hope and make us desire for a better tomorrow. For ourselves as individuals, and for all of us collectively. Our space in the digital cosmos should help give you a safe starting point to plot your own journey forward and discover new experiences that will ultimately enrich your life.
Our team is an eclectic mix: we share the journey on The Drive List but we aim to arrive at different destinations with the goal of experiencing life to the fullest, and sharing our journeys, our experiences with you. But the love of cars / motoring, watches, food and travel, plus the common desire for a better tomorrow for the Filipino people bond us together. But our backgrounds couldn’t be more different.
By day, I work in the hospitality and property business, alongside my 22 years in automotive journalism, writing for Summit Media’s BBC Top Gear Philippines, followed by stints at The Manila Times, then now with the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a columnist in the automotive section. I was also a columnist for Visor before I left to start The Drive List.
Jaykee Evangelista, our Creative Director and collaborator in so many small passion projects, is a world-renowned multi-media designer, having been involved in media for three decades, with big-name celebrities and brands all over the world falling under his client portfolio. Jaykee also started his career with Summit Media. For Jaykee, The Drive List is a culmination of all his ideas and experiences which he wants to curate and archive for discerning readers.
Aldous, our Social Media Director is an entrepreneur, involved in the automotive trade, healthcare and dabbling in fashion. He himself is a video editor, content creator and photographer / videographer by passion. Buoyed by our encouragement, Aldous wants to try his hand at a traditional media, coming from his background as a content creator.
Erica (who happens to be my much better half), is a long-time entrepreneur and has been a content creator for fashion, beauty and wellness in the last seven years. She is my boss, and my ever-faithful partner who has kept me alive, has kept me grounded and out of trouble.
Aside from our regular team (which we hope to grow), we have contributors from abroad; we believe bringing content from around the region first hand is critical to the team’s collective success, providing a richer experience for our audience with unique and captivating content
Very different backgrounds, very unique perspectives. But our common passion is manifested in The Drive List.
Join us in our journey.
Botchi Santos
Editor-In-Chief
Aldous Aldwin
Director for Social Media
Erica Tan
Business Development Head
Jaykee Evangelista
Creative Director
Contact Us
We’d Love to Hear From You!
Whether you have a question, feedback, or just want to say hello, our inbox is always open.
Email us at: info@thedrivelist.com
