JAY ALDEGUER BUILDS PHILIPPINES PORSCHE PARADISE 30 YEARS

## The Man Who Made Porsche Paradise in Paradise Jay Aldeguer started selling souvenir t-shirts to tourists at age 22, building his Islands Group into a modest empire of retail chains, budget hotels and tour companies over 30 years. But it's his other obsession that has made him a legend among automotive enthusiasts across Southeast Asia. Aldeguer's journey into cars began in 1997 when he spotted a Miata Roadster in a Manila showroom, but classic cars were relatively inexpensive in the Philippines in the late 1990s. Just before Christmas that year, he made an offer on a white 911 Targa that was accepted, acquiring his first Porsche at age 27, an example he has kept to this day and is currently preparing for his son to use as a wedding car in June. Tucked away on the side of a woodsy hill in Cebu, part of the Visayas chain of islands and an hour's flight from the Philippines' capital Metro Manila, is one man's trove of air-cooled treasure. Aldeguer's ivy-covered bachelor pad sits nestled under the canopy of trees, a small home built from an old family bodega, with his garage symbolizing 20 years of his relationship with Porsche right across the front door. ## From One Car to Dozen Dreams After 30 years of devotion to the brand, there are now more than a dozen classic 911s in his collection and giving them all an adequate share of seat time has become an enviable if time consuming challenge. Aldeguer's collection of vintage 911s now includes an extremely rare 1968 911 'Soft Window' Targa and a very early 1966 model sitting alongside the last of the G Series cars built more than thirty years later. Aldeguer explains his Porsche bias: "It's a purposeful car, especially for Cebu since our roads are not the best in the world." He describes Porsches as "very robust, hardy cars, very responsive" with "an X factor you just can't pin down," noting that collecting classic cars in the Philippines is challenging where imports are rare, import markups high, and bureaucracy demoralizing. ## Building Culture Through Community Aldeguer's influence extends far beyond his personal collection. Tour de Cebu is organized by the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts (PACE) of Cebu with support from the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC), with a clear mission to contribute to local car culture while showcasing Filipino mechanics and craftsmen, promote tourism, and inspire more people to invest in making vintage cars roadworthy. Now in its 11th year, the Tour de Cebu Historic Sports Car Rally attracted over 50 participants in 2025, nearly double from the previous year, with PACE officially bringing the event to Cebu in 2014 through a rally covering 1000 kilometers across the Visayas. Frank Vicoy and Nico Ornopia recently dominated Tour de Cebu 2025, steering their 1972 Porsche 914 to victory in the three day, 1000 kilometer historic sports car rally across Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental. ## Recognition and Awards Aldeguer's tourism advocacy efforts earned him the "Entrepreneur of the Year Tourism" award from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, conferred by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, while the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship's Go Negosyo movement honored him as one of the Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in Tourism. Tour de Cebu has evolved into a powerful tourism driver, earning the title "Sports Tourism Adventure Event of the Year" in both 2019 and 2023. Aldeguer graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, majoring in Management and Communications, and after backpacking through Europe, brought home the idea for Islands Souvenirs, transforming the souvenir industry from a cottage business in Cebu in 1992. The story captured by Type 7 photographer Alfie Munkenbeck reveals more than just a car collection. It documents how one man's passion for precision German engineering created a cultural movement that now spans islands, inspires generations, and proves that automotive dreams know no geographic boundaries.