The Department of Transportation on Thursday, February 11, announced that motor vehicle inspection centers (MVICs) will temporarily lower their rates following complaints of higher fees in the middle of a pandemic.

The lower rates are effective immediately, but the government has yet to determine until when they will be in place.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Giovanni Lopez said MVIC owners agreed to the following fees:

• P600 for light private vehicles (from the previous P1,500 to P1,800)
• P500 for motorcycles
• P300 for jeepneys

Reinspection fees will no longer be charged within one year as well.

Iñigo Larrazabal, president of the Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines, said they will “oblige” even if it means they would have to operate at a loss.

“If running at a loss will help Filipinos during this time of pandemic, we will happily oblige. At the end of the day, what matters is that we save as many lives on the roads as we can,” Larrazabal said.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) had required motorists to pass a 73-point check done by private MVICs – if available in an area – to be able to register vehicles. But President Rodrigo Duterte has since ordered a stop to mandatory MVIC checks because of the higher fees.

Before the entry of MVICs, motorists only had to spend around P400 for emission testing. Passing this test, however, does not guarantee that a vehicle is roadworthy.

Following the President’s order, motorists now have the choice to either have their vehicles checked through private emission testing centers (PETCs) or MVICs.

But LTO chief Edgar Galvante appealed to the public to still go to MVICs, as these provide a full vehicle checkup.

“Ang PETC, hindi naman sa binabalewala natin ‘to o inferior. Ang PETC, ini-inspect lang nito ay emission. Samantalang ang MVIC, ang chine-check nito ‘yung buong performance ng sasakyan. Kaya hindi ito interchangeable,” said Galvante.

(It’s not that we’re saying PETCs are worthless or inferior. PETCs only inspect emissions. In contrast, MVICs check the entire performance of a vehicle. They’re not interchangeable.) – Rappler.com