CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – A lawmaker from Bukidnon has supported the call for the suspension of emission test for motor vehicles as requirement for registration or renewal amid the new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. John Flores said he is supportive of the proposal as this would, in a way, prevent the spread of the virus.
“Here in Bukidnon, many emission testing centers have been ordered to close shop either due to business irregularities or failure to complete government requirements. The few remaining centers simply cannot accommodate enough. This unfortunately results in social distancing protocol violations and very long queues,” Flores said in a statement Sunday, July 19.
The long hours of waiting would also cause inconvenience to the public.
Flores has joined Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez who earlier appealed to the transportation department, particularly the Land Transportation Office.
“Please consider the proposal to suspend these emission tests and to fast track the investigations on erring centers. We need to be more judicious especially during this global health crisis. Time is of the essence,” Flores said.
Rodriguez has earlier filed Resolution 1007, which called on the Lower House to “express its collective sense” for the suspension of the requirement. The COVID-19 pandemic, he added, “has affected and disrupted the lives of all Filipinos, including more than 11 million who own motor vehicles.”
He noted that with the lockdowns and quarantines in many parts of the country, most transactions with the government were halted, such as the registration of vehicles. And as quarantines and travel restrictions eased, he said many vehicle owners “are now having their vehicles registered, resulting in very long lines and unusual delays in the process of registration, especially in emission testing centers.”
Rodriguez cited the situation in Cagayan de Oro where applicants have to line up very early in the morning to get a priority number, which takes four to five hours, then they wait until their numbers are called to be given an appointment for their emission test, which is at least two weeks away.
“It’s a lot of inconvenience on the part of motor vehicle owners, to say the least. These taxpayers deserve better service,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
