First-Ever Trail Venture Epic Trophy Held Amidst Typhoon Threat

Typhoon Queenie fails to hamper inaugural 4x4, off-road & overlanding event at The Hamptons Caliraya

As the country braced for torrential rains brought about by typhoon Queenie (international name: Surigae), several competing teams arrived at The Hamptons Caliraya in Cavinti, Laguna on September 23, 2026 (Wednesday) to prepare for the first-ever Train Venture Epic Trophy (TVET). While some parts of Luzon were drenched or even flooded by the typhoon, it was sunny and dry at Cavinti, which is widely known as the ecotourism, adventure, and glamping capital of the Philippines.

After initial inspections of the trail machines were conducted during the whole day of Wednesday, a Welcome Dinner was held to start the inaugural 4x4, off-road and overlanding event, which was sponsored by Republic Gas Corporation (Regasco) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Trail Venture Corporation Executive Director and Event Chairman Albert Martinez welcomed the participating teams, after which Technical and Race Director Eddie Alvarado emphasized the rules of the competition. The competing teams were able to clarify the rules further during the Open Forum.

Epic Trophy: Extra Tough Contest of Man & Machine

As the penultimate 4x4 competition in the Philippines, the organizers designed an extra tough course and several Team Tasks challenges for the TVET participants. The 4x4 machines of the participating teams underwent a thorough scrutineering process conducted by Alvarado’s technical team before they were allowed to line up for the starting line under the innovative Regasco arch at The Hamptons Caliraya clubhouse grounds.

After several challenging team tasks, a grueling three days traversing the TVET course laid out along the dense forest around the Sierra Madre mountain range, and a complex Regasco “Matira Matibay” Cup, only seven teams managed to finish the ultra-tough competition. Team Kimat of Baguio City/Benguet emerged as the Overall Champion of Trail Venture Epic Trophy 2026. They will have the distinction of being the very first team to take home the Perpetual Trophy and represent the Philippines in several 4x4 competitions in Borneo and Thailand.

Champion: Team Kimat - Baguio | Benguet

2nd Place: Team Bogus - Ilocos Norte | Pampanga

3rd Place: Team Libut -  Pampanga

4th Place: Team New Bay - Marikina

5th Place: Team Boso - Rizal

6th Place: Team Kuyaw - Lanao del Sur

7th Place: Team Ulaga - Laguna | Cavite 

Trail Venture Expo: No Rain, Maximum Gain

There were some rain clouds and a light drizzle on Friday morning (September 25) while exhibitors were putting up their respective booths and tents at the TVET Expo. Some prospective sponsors unfortunately deferred their participation in the Expo at the last minute because of the overstated storm forecast, where the expected strong typhoon apparently avoided the Laguna area.

True to their corporate slogan, “Matira Matibay”, Regasco personnel were there throughout the 5-day event from start to finish despite the threat of strong rains. Meanwhile, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which is mandated to raise and provide funds for charities of national character, ignored the storm warnings to prove their motto, “Hindi Umuurong sa Pagtulong”, that translates to “PCSO never backs down from helping”.

Under the clear weather, Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corporation (KMPC) gave demo rides of their leisure vehicles such as the KLX150S dual-sport and the KLR650 Adventure motorcycles; as well as the Brute Force 300, Brute Force 750, and Mule 4x4 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Expo visitors and campers had a choice between green or blue with the presence of Amaron and Blue Lithium automotive batteries while Valvoline provided oil and lubricant options. Powerhouse Automotive Surface Protection showcased their PPF and other auto care services. Of course, The Hamptons Caliraya booth enjoined Expo visitors to take a look at available high-end properties and activities around the venue. Most of the exhibitors got tons of inquiries and sales leads during the Expo. 

Trail Venture Camp: 2 Nights Under the Stars

Weeks before the event, several 4x4 overlanding and moto-camping clubs have signed up to camp at The Hamptons Caliraya grounds regardless of weather conditions. However, when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that typhoon Queenie may cause possible flash floods and landslides, some of these campers deferred their participation. But the storm warning proved to be exaggerated as the Caliraya camp grounds was sunny during the day and cool during the night during the TVET Camp’s three-day schedule.

Thankfully, participating campers from overlanding communities and companies such as Pop-Up Campers PH, Mototesto Overland Equipment PH, and AM4x4 set up their 4x4-mounted camps starting Friday night and by Saturday afternoon (September 26), the TVET Camp site was full of rigs and folks who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. Saturday night saw a Cook-off Competition among the support crew and participants of the Epic Trophy Trail Competition that was judged by Swedish chef Denny from Sarawak while campers were provided with live musical entertainment by Banda Helena, a local acoustic performance duo. 

Enjoying the Outdoor Lifestyle

Some campers pooled their rigs together to create a great space to hang-out, relax, and have fun. The Mototesto group led by Tim Tuazon had a very rustic camping style especially since they’ve been embracing the outdoor lifestyle for several years now. Gloria Javier, who traveled with the group, stated that they normally travel in groups of more than 25 rigs but some members backed off because of the imminent weather threat.

Meanwhile, the Pop-Up Campers PH group led by Niño Racho, had their own coffee shop with Faizal LAST NAME of Dose Sinko Café as their in-house barista. Faizal shared a few slices of his delicious steak with the organizers, including the author. The group also had their own cocktail bar with Darryl LAST NAME as their resident bartender, who served his signature drinks such as his kinkily-named “Blow Job”. Because of the modern rigs, the high-capacity portable power stations, and the latest technologies, it was not the “off-the-grid-with-Mother-Nature” campsite that average non-overlanding enthusiasts might envision.    

One for the Books

Regasco raffled off several “Supremekalan” 2.7-kilogram LPG cylinders with single burners that are ideal for campsite cooking. Regasco also gave away butane-powered portable gas ranges to each rig owner who were at the camp.  During the raffle, Amaron gave away automotive batteries; Valvoline gave lubricants; Kawasaki gave away special jackets and shirts; while Blue Lithium batteries, Powerhouse, and The Hamptons Caliraya gave away loot bags. Power Wheels Magazine raffled off an inflatable cooler.

The Best Camp Set-up was awarded to Onederer WHAT’S HER NAME whose Pop-Up Camper on her Ford Ranger Raptor was set up with a comfortable condo-like vibe that she was able to set up by herself. The overlanding teams broke camp on Sunday morning (September 27) while the Special Stage (SS) of the Epic Trophy and the Regasco “Matira Matibay” Challenge was held on a makeshift track around The Hamptons Caliraya. The Awards Night for the Epic Trophy winners were held on Sunday night at the Clubhouse.

Institutionalizing the 4x4 and Overlanding Events

It was the dream of actor, sportsman, entrepreneur, and TVET Event Chairman Albert Martinez to institutionalize the 4x4 competition and the overlanding activities by gathering all the enthusiasts of these disciplines under one challenging and fun event. “We hope that everyone had fun during this very-first Trail Venture Epic Trophy,” Martinez told the participants. “We plan to make it bigger and better next year by endeavoring to conduct Regional Competitions in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and then determine the overall winner during the National Championship back here in Cavinti. The national champion will then represent the Philippines in international competitions,” he added.

“We also plan to expand the Expo and the Camp activities to enjoin more campers, overlanding enthusiasts and outdoor lifestylists to join us,” the popular actor continued. “We will endeavor to have a bigger raffle with a lot of prizes to give away, including a brand new car or pickup truck, hopefully.” The organizers were likewise thankful to Denza Philippines for lending a 2026 Denza B5 DMO premium SUV that was not only test driven by several Trail, Expo and Camp participants, but also provided the power for the lights and sounds during the acoustic performance and raffle draws through its Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature.        

The Trail Venture Epic Trophy was presented by Regasco and PCSO, and supported by Amaron automotive batteries, AM4x4, Blue Lithium batteries, FastCat Ferry, Gigglepin winch systems, Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corporation, Powerhouse Automotive Surface Protection, Valvoline oils and lubricants, and WRU; in partnership with The Hamptons Caliraya, Caliraya Mountain Lake Resort, and Caliraya Springs Golf Club with the cooperation of the Laguna Provincial Government, the municipality of Cavinti, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the PNP Highway Patrol group (HPG). 

For more details, log on the Trail Venture Epic Trophy Facebook page at   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583918633809