Malacañang made headlines last week when it announced that President Rodrigo Duterte had declared that the new Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) should no longer be mandatory.
Of course, we all had questions following the big announcement: Do we still need to go to a private motor vehicle inspection center (PMVIC)? Or will having our cars inspected at a private emission testing center (PETC) be just fine? Now, we finally have further clarifications.
No need to go to both
In a recent press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that car owners have the option to go to either. That means you’ll be able to renew your car’s registration as long as you bring your vehicle to a PMVIC or a PETC, but there’s no need to go to both.
“Bagama’t ang Pangulo po ay nagsabi na hindi dapat ipatupad ang motor vehicle inspection, kinakailangan pa rin po na mag-submit ng either yung emission clearance or MVIS,” said Roque. “Dalawa po yang pupuwede ninyong isumite, yung emission na dati na po yan or MVIS. Hindi pupuwede na wala ang pareho.”
Fees now similar to emission testing
Now, you might be thinking: “Why would I even want to spend extra at a PMVIC?” Well, the Department of Transportation and the LTO have already agreed to lower the testing fees at PMVICs. The Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (VICOAP) has also released a statement on how PMVICs will be operating at a loss because of this. The new prices are still subject to change, but it’s a good start.
“Alinsunod sa naging order ng ating Presidente, ang mga operator ng private motor vehicle inspection centers ay nagsabi na ang singil nila ay kapareho lamang ng emission test na P600,” Roque added.
No word yet on what will become of PMVICs or the LTO’s MVIS as of this writing, but we’re expecting to see important updates real soon. For now, tell us in the comments what you think of these recent developments.
