MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

2 emission testing centers set in MP
BY ANDREW DOGAONG

BONTOC, Mountain Province - Securing Certificate of Emission Compliance (CEC) for motor vehicles in the province is now easier and cheaper with the recent establishment of two private emission testing centers in this capital-town.

The two emission testing centers are the Vic-Mars and the Saint Anne’s Emission Testing Center located at the Tarnate’s Hardware Compound and at the Derije Compound, respectively. Both centers are duly registered and accredited by Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority.

Owners of motor vehicles in the province previously had to bring their vehicles for smoke emission tests to Lamut, Ifugao or Baguio City where emission testing centers are located.

Republic Act 8749 known as ’Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999’ requires all motor vehicles to pass emission test before they are registered or are allowed to renew their registration. Vehicles whose emissions are within the emission standards are issued CEC by duly government accredited emission testing centers.

Health authorities said emission from motor vehicles is one of the major contributors to air pollution and also the main cause of respiratory diseases.

Christine Gomez, head of the Land Transportation Office here said with the recent computerization of their office, registration or renewal of registration of vehicles cannot be processed without first presenting a CEC.

She said that initially in their manual registration and in the absence of Emission Testing Center in the province, their office accept registration of vehicles even without showing a CEC but still their office require owners of vehicles to secure CECs as mandated in RA8749.

With the presence of emission testing centers in the province and with the computerization of LTO – Bontoc, Gomez said registration of motor vehicles is expected to increase. Bontoc is registering approximately 1,500 motor vehicles including tri-cycles yearly.