All right! Something that we can all be proud of. Top Gear Philippines features Franco Cagayat – a 21-year old sculptor (who is also autistic) from Paete who carves detailed replicas of cars from a single block of wood. Just check out the detail on those sculptures – complete with the hoods that pop up and detailed etchings of the engine bay underneath. Pretty wicked!

In a country where any affliction can forever cast a stigma on you as “abnormal” or “abnoy,” seeing one like Franco excel in something that combines a passion for cars and art is truly something.

I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with a few American designers and, upon knowing that I’m Filipino, praised our sculpting scene especially in Paete. Nice to know that even if we’re not that really known for automotive engineering, we’re still known for other things other than boxing and corruption.

Maybe Franco can be a start.

Check out the video below: