MARIO ADAP HONDA’S ‘MAN OF THE HOUR’ in the Filipino American Community in Chicagoland

No one could predict what life’s outcomes would bring us, especially when we willingly transport ourselves to another country looking for the greener pastures.

Just like what many young Filipino professional immigrants have experienced when they packed their bags, left their loved ones behind, and traveled with Lady Luck to America, Mario Adap, born and raised in Apani, Cagayan, Philippines, has had fascinating stories to tell, from his rise from adversity like a phoenix in this beautiful country called America. Interestingly, Mario’s life in America can be described as a rich tapestry of highs and lows, to surmise it in such descriptive words.

Mario was young, able, and armed with a professional degree in veterinary medicine coupled with early work experiences that he gained as a young college graduate in the Philippines when he came to the U.S. in 1990. He was afforded and was willing to start from scratch and ready to accept whatever life had to offer him in a foreign country, away from home and loved ones.

Very determined in landing any kinds of job, menial or otherwise, he did not mind the challenges that befell him. Swallowing his pride, he accepted and worked on any jobs for a start-up as a shoe salesman, phlebotomist in a lab, dialysis tech, and later dilly-dallied in a part-time sales job at Castle Honda Dealership located at 6900 W. Dempster Street, in Morton Grove, IL, while maintaining a full-time job as a lab tech at the same time.

Castle Honda Dealership is a medium-sized car dealership that sells the latest models of Honda cars, old and new; it offers the best selection of Honda cars in the Chicagoland area trademarked with its reputable name. It’s at Castle Honda Dealership that Mario found his permanent home for his ideal and suitable job, a home away from his missed Philippine home, for its permeating homey atmosphere. He found a new family here, starting from his amiable General Manager AJ Mundell, to his friendly car sales partners. For more than thirty years, Mario has worked with this company and proudly carries the flagship of the Castle Honda Dealership. He credits AJ for giving him the opportunity to work at Castle Honda Adding, “It’s a family-owned business and maintains that “Family Friendly Atmosphere in its personal relationship dealings through the years. It has been like one big happy family, and many of us have been here for some time now and we have developed a good working camaraderie with each other. I spend a lot of Se here with genuinely likeable people.”

It’s not only a familial work home atmosphere that Mario has found at CID, it is here where he found a niche to work with the growing population of the Filipino American community of Chicago. Chicago, being the third hugest city in the U.S , is teeming with a good group of new and old immigrants from the Philippines, majority of which is from the health care professions, such as nurses, doctors, and other health affiliates. Mario gratefully states, “1 am humbled that my kababayans trust me with their vehic-ular needs, mostly the new arrivals , with low or no credit problems to be able to purchase a car in starting a new life in this county. It indeed gives me great satisfaction to see them proudly driving home in their new Honda car, after several failures in being denied (due to bad credit) from the other car dealer-ships.” He adds, “Ever since, I have been so proud and honored selling Honda for many years now, as Honda is tops in itself in engineering and has gained a good reputation for being the most reliable vehicle in the automobile industry. The company offers a wide variety of vehicles that are sporty, family-friendly, and fun to drive. You name it they have it, and they are all highly rated by third-party independent sources. I like and really feel good selling the best!”

Mario emphasizes, “My approach at work is simple…Honesty and Good Service. I serve the Filipino community by giving them the best price on their purchase, help those who need credit assistance, whether to establish credit or help those who need “credit repair” for a start-up in life.”

He continues, “And for our larger community, the Filipino Amer-ican community of Chicago, oval our beloved Philippines, I have involved myself in many fimdraisers to help our kababayans here and abroad, by sponsoring or donating for their hu-manitarian causes, whether calamitous or happy events or celebrations 1 have also helped organize events and fimd-raisers and sponsored local entertainers in showcasing their talents.” Mario is also a proud and active member of the Freemasonry St Cecilia Lodge and the Beta Sigma Fraternity of the Midwest.

Mario’s proverbial “Ameri-can Dream” has now been realized, not only it’s because he and his beautiful family are now together in one beautiful roof in Morton Grove, Illinois, but also his second family, the Honda family, is still giving him the nurturing, comforting feeling of love, and satisfaction in serving the Filipino American community that he cares for. So, when it comes to seeking help in Honda purchases, Mario is the only Filipino car salesperson that can actually serve your needs. He is tops in serving his customers, as he also advises, counsels and treats his customers as his own family as well.

Mario’s natural charisma complemented by his always-ready impish smile greeting you inside the Castle Honda showroom makes it easy for anyone that meets him to establish an instant mutual relationship.

Simply put, Mario’s total persona embodies Barbra Stnisand’s song, “People,” the mason maybe why he is one of the luckiest persons in this world, a successful man in the Honda car sales business. He quips, “I enjoy meeting lots of different people, and gaining some special friends through the years makes my life happy, fulfilled and complete.”

The ever-popular Honda Man of the Hour in the Chicagoland area, MR. MARIO ADAP. Have a visit and chat with him anytime, by calling him at 847-965-8833 or his cellphonc 224-766-0609. You may get an e-price at marioadap®ymail. com. (By Veronica V. Leighton)