One of the benefits about owning a Mazda in the Philippines is the free 3-year periodic maintenance services (PMS) otherwise known as the YOJIN3 program. You just drive in for servicing at the predetermined intervals, and sign. No need to pay, unless your vehicle has some undue wear and tear that doesn't fall into the program.

If you ever felt that the three year period was too short, well, we have some good news. Mazda Philippines has now extended their free PMS from 3-years to 5-years for all new vehicle purchases.

Yes, that’s 5 years of free services on both parts and labor as long as you continuously have your vehicle maintained at any Mazda dealerships in the country. Similar to before, the free maintenance services will begin once the vehicle reaches 10,000 km or 6 months, whichever comes first. It will then continue every 10,000 km or 6 month period. In total, your vehicle will receive 10 service intervals over the 5 years.

According to Mazda Philippines chief executive, Steven Tan, the company saw fit to implement the new service package that is bundled with every new Mazda vehicle sold in order to cater to the needs of their customers. Specifically, the new 5-year program also fits well with many financing plans and corporate car plans.

"For lot of bank financing plans, 5 years is the sweet spot. Banks feel 5 years works really well," said Steven Tan of Mazda Philippines. "A lot of corporate car plans are 5 years. From a fleet car point of view, it makes a lot of sense. 5 year fits better."

For every PMS, Shell Helix Professional Oils will be used for fluid changes. Before you ask, yes, fully-synthetic oil be used. Included in the 5-year free PMS are the scheduled replacement of parts such as filters.

By extending the PMS to 5 years, Mazda Philippines aims to improve customer retention. This way owners won’t just sell their vehicles once the initial free 3-year PMS package is up. At the same time, customers will be assured that only original parts are being used for their vehicles.

Now if you just bought a Mazda before the announcement, don’t worry. The new 5-year free service plan will be retroactively implemented for Mazda cars bought from April 2020. No buyer's remorse then... unless you bought your car on March 31, 2020 under ECQ.