THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said the long-delayed motor vehicle inspection system (MVIC) program is finally being realized.
The two agencies disclosed this during a walk-through and media forum held at a private emission testing center in Angeles City Wednesday, December 23, 2020.
Giovanni Lopez, DOTr chief of staff and assistant secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation, said the MVIC was mapped out more than 12 years ago.
He added that it is only during the Duterte Administration that it is being formally realized and implemented.
“For the past 12 years, pinag-iisipan na po, pinagpa-planuhan na po itong MVIS. But only during the term of Secretary Tugade and Asec Galvante na talagang pinatupad, that is 2018 and we rolled it out 2019," he said.
For his part, LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante reiterated the need for PMVICs to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles and prevent the occurrence of road crashes.
“With MVIC, ang kailangan talaga, hindi 'yung modelo ng sasakyan kundi its roadworthiness. Kaya malaking tulong na ma-put up natin itong MVIC para we can have the benefit of having a scientific, methodical, and very systematic checking of the roadworthiness of a vehicle,” Galvante said.
Regarding the difference between Private Emission Testing Centers (PETCs) and PMVICs, the LTO chief said the MVIC checks all the major parts of the vehicles.
The PETC on the other hand only tests emission, according to him.
"Kaya, for as long as kailangan 'yung nagtse-check ng emission, nandun pa sila. Halimbawa, 'pag may nakitang hindi sumusunod sa emission control na sasakyan, mabibigyan ng citation at kailangang ayusin ang sobrang smoke emission. At kapag ito'y naayos na, hindi kailangang pa-inspect sa MVIC kundi sa PETC lamang ito ipapa-inspect,” Galvante explained.
Jethro Dionisio, a former operator of an emission testing center who now operates a PMVIC in Laoag, agreed with Galvante's statement.
He said the PETC is a very good program in compliance with the Clean Air Act that addresses the pollution issue.
Dionisio, however, noted that the program is full of human intervention.
"Doon po sa emission testing, nakikita mo kasi na it is only checking the pollution. Na-observe din po ninyo siguro, doon po kasi maraming human intervention. Earlier [during the walk-through], it was shown to us how a vehicle is tested sa bagong programa, which I believe is about time. We check the roadworthiness of cars, na hindi ito makakaka-aksidente. As a former operator of the PETC, I fully support this [PMVIC] program,” Dionisio said.