Known as the Republic Act 8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act), the law mandates the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to implement a compulsory national motor vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program to make sure vehicles comply with set emission standards. The I/M programs are implemented with joint partnership of government and private agencies setting up Private Emission Testing Centers (PETC) and Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) to conduct the emission tests. To this effect, all in-use vehicles are required to pass the emission test given by MVIS and any accredited and authorized PETC, and are given a Certificate of Emission Compliance (CEC). This means that the renewal of annual vehicle registration at the LTO will only be possible upon presentation of such certificate.
Despite the use of EURO 1 stationary idle test procedure in testing center, it does not accurately represent the amount emissions when the vehicles is on the road, the effectiveness of the PETC and MVIS in reducing the vehicle emission remains criticized. This study seeks to determine the relationship between characteristics (such as vehicle age, vehicle type, engine displacement, number of cylinders and fuel type) and the exhaust emission using data collected in IT-based Private Emission Testing Centers and Land Transportations Office Motor Vehicle Inspection System (LTO-MVIS) all over the Philippines. This study will also attempt to model exhaust emission from mobile sources depending on vehicle type and fuel used.
The study revealed how engine displacement, vehicle age, and number of cylinders relate to exhaust emission. It was also found out that there is also a need to enhance the database management and system link between PETC’s and Central Database. As such, the study recommends a continuing acquisition of exhaust emission data on a yearly basis from testing to further evaluate and analyze emission trends and Inspection and Maintenance program effectiveness.
