80 Years to the Future

The King of the Road begins

Brothers Anastacio, Fernando and Jorge Francisco pioneered the jeepney to rebuild the country's public transportation after World War II, starting from a small Las Piñas workshop with ₱200. Francisco Motor Corporation was born.

Industrialization

Francisco Motor Corporation became the Philippines' distributor and assembler of Isuzu, mass-produced brand-new jeepneys, and built the majority of the jeepneys in the country. It also pioneered Filipino vehicles such as the PINOY, the Harabas and the Anfra.

Mazda and the PINOY

Assembly and distribution of Mazda began, running from 1970 to 1998. In the 1970s Francisco Motors also manufactured and distributed the PINOY AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle).

The Anfra AUV

The Anfra AUV went into manufacture and distribution, used by utility companies and government agencies, and stayed in production into the late 1990s.

Strong through the 1984 recession

Francisco Motors stayed strong after the 1984 recession, and later came through the Asian financial crisis.

Expansion

Francisco Motors became country distributor of Mahindra and Daye, built armored trucks for banks and military vehicles, and exported jeepneys to Sierra Leone.

The first full-electric Francisco Jeepney

The family built the first full-electric Francisco Jeepney and Anfra utility vehicles, with lead-acid deep-cycle battery prototypes rolling through Las Piñas, long before electric vehicles went mainstream.

Hyundai and Fiat

Francisco Motors distributed Hyundai from 1989 to 1998 and Fiat from 1990 to 1994. In the 1990s it also began exporting passenger jeepneys to neighboring countries for public mass transportation.

A new generation at the wheel

Elmer Francisco became Chief Operating Officer of Francisco Motor Corporation, a role he held until 2009, overseeing jeepney manufacturing and research and development of electric vehicles.

Pope Mobile and APEC

Francisco built the Anfra-based Pope Mobile used by Pope John Paul II during World Youth Day in Manila, and was a major sponsor of the 1995 APEC Summit. Francisco-built vehicles became part of national moments, strengthening the brand's cultural and institutional trust.

The Ford and Mazda dispute

Ford took controlling shares of Mazda and stopped supplying Mazda components to Francisco Motor Corporation, despite an exclusive contract valid until 2002. Production of the Anfra and the Francisco Passenger Jeepney stopped, and the company took its complaint to the Board of Investments, with about 5,000 employees affected.

Corporate history on film

Francisco Motor Corporation's corporate history video features founder Anastacio Francisco, the plant and assembly line, and the FMC Passenger Jeepney.

Electric modernization

The modernized Francisco Jeepney was electrified, showing that the legacy vehicle could evolve into clean mobility.

On screen in “Manila”

Gary Valenciano drove the Francisco Jeepney in the “Manila” music video for the Department of Tourism’s Manila heritage concert, with Elmer Francisco Industries as jeepney sponsor.

The revival years

Answering the call for climate change mitigation, Francisco Motors electrified iconic Filipino vehicles: the Jeepney™, the owner-type jeepney and the PINOY Transporter, with provisions for hydrogen fuel-cell technology. eFMC was incorporated to spearhead the jeepney modernization program, and the PINOY eVTOL entered its prototyping stage. The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act of 2022 became the green light for the modern lineup: JEEPNEY™, PINOY, KIDLAT and DOMENG®.

3D design model

The Francisco Jeepney was built as a full 3D design model, shown here on May 6, 2023, from the classic body lines to the chrome front end.

A global partner network

Francisco Motors grows into a platform of partnerships and projects:

• Partnership with UnionBank on blockchain
• Listing of the eFMC token on the Global Hydrogen Exchange (HDEX)
• Development and mass production of the Luft Pinoy eVTOL, powered by hydrogen fuel cells
• Carbon credits and green hydrogen production with Maharlika Carbon and the Luntian Movement

Manufacturing goes global

Francisco Motors LLC, a Delaware-registered mobility company with 79 years of legacy, 250,000+ vehicles built and three generations of trusted operator relationships, was established as the US entity, securing the company's IP and trademarks as part of its plan to shift manufacturing to the United States. Vehicles and chargers are manufactured in China, with R&D and manufacturing in Los Angeles and PEZA special economic zone localization in the Philippines.

DTI-CITEM's official sustainable mobility partner

At IFEX Philippines (May 22 to 24, 2025), Francisco Motors served as the official sustainable mobility partner of DTI-CITEM for the International Food Exhibition and Sustainability Solutions Exchange.

Transport groups on board

Francisco Motors signed MOUs with the biggest transport groups in the country, including FEJODAP, ACTO, ALTODAP, LUZVIMINDA and TUBOJODA, and over 1,700 transport cooperatives nationwide.

Mobility operating system

Francisco Motors evolves into an automotive technology, infrastructure, finance, insurance, and data platform.

FMC 2047

The goal: eliminate 100% of carbon emissions from public transport across FMC nations by 2047.