The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau 6 (DENR-EMB 6) has called on owners, operators and drivers to properly maintain their vehicles to keep roads in Metro Iloilo and other parts of Western Visayas free from air pollution.
Lawyer Jonathan Bulos, Director of DENR-EMB 6 and Chairman of the Metro Iloilo Airshed, said it is an obligation of motorists and owners to maintain their vehicles.
“They will be not allowed on the road if they do not maintain their vehicles aside that they will be apprehended by the anti-smoke belching unit or the Land Transportation Office they are also contributing to air pollution,” said Bulos.
Last Friday, January 29, DENR 6 spearheaded a Free Smoke Emission Test involving all its official vehicles including that of EMB 6, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, PENRO-Iloilo, CENRO Iloilo City and vehicles of employees. The emission test was conducted in partnership with the Metro Iloilo Airshed (MIA).
Bulos said the activity aimed to monitor and ensure that their vehicles are compliant with emission standards set forth in the Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999.
“As the lead agency in the implementation of the law, this activity is an opportunity for us to show to other agencies and the public that our vehicles are complying with the law,” said Bulos.
The one day-activity was not intended to be a regulatory operation but rather a monitoring one for the emission of vehicles to inform owners of the status of their vehicles and to make the necessary tune up or repair.
Bulos said mobile sources are the known culprit for air toxics which are recognized or suspected to cause cancer and other health and environmental effects. Not only passengers are exposed to these air toxics but drivers, too. (JCM/LAF/PIA6-Iloilo)