‘Sa aming mga Igorot, kailangan laging may kapidpidwa (kasama), hindi pwedeng isa lang’ - Igorot Stone Kingdom founder Velasco on buying another Discaya luxury vehicle

Baguio City, Philippines – Exactly two weeks after acquiring a high-profile Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth more than P29 million, Igorot Stone Kingdom founder Pio Velasco has purchased another luxury vehicle formerly owned by the Discaya couple.

Velasco secured a 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV for P6.6 million during the Bureau of Customs’ public auction on February 25, 2026. He was the lone bidder.

In a media interview, Velasco explained that he did not buy the vehicle to show off wealth or status, but anchored the decision on what he described as a cultural belief among Igorots. He said that in Igorot tradition, things are not meant to stand alone.

Using the term “kapidpidwa,” or “kasama,” Velasco referred to the idea of pairing. In this case, after obtaining the Rolls-Royce Cullinan on February 11, he said it was only fitting to bring home the Cadillac Escalade to accompany it.

With the addition of the Escalade, he said both luxury vehicles will be brought to Baguio and Benguet—this time not standing alone, but as a pair.

“Sa aming mga Igorot, kailangan laging may kapidpidwa. Hindi puwedeng isa lang, kailangan may kasama. Kaya we opted to buy that Cadillac. Nabid natin kanina, and luckily we won as the lone bidder, kaya dalawa sila na iuuwi natin sa Baguio at Benguet,” Velasco said.

The Escalade and the Cullinan were among dozens of high-end vehicles seized by authorities from the Discaya couple following allegations of tax evasion and illegal importation linked to questionable flood-control projects.

The Bureau of Customs confirmed that 28 vehicles were part of the Discaya collection, although earlier reports suggested the number could have reached as many as 40.