EDITORS DESK
When first announced by the Land Transportation Office (LTO,) the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) requirement prior to registration drew a lot of flack from motorists. The resistance was understandable as it was introduced at the height of the pandemic and the initial inspection fees were astronomical. Yet with the intervention of no less than the DOTr secretary and several of our senators, this process has now become optional and the fees practically reduced by half.
Naturally, now that it’s no longer required, few motorists actually bother to go through the new procedure. Many seem happy with the old way: sitting through the long lines at emission testing centers, and then proceeding to the nearest LTO office for another long process.
This week, I decided to take the chance to go through this optional step at a Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC). Being the motoring section editor and relatively familiar with cars, I was fairly confident that I maintained my Toyota Innova well, kept it stock, and was thus very likely to pass the test.
I drove it over to Steadfast MVIC in Santa Clara, Manila. As you can expect, the center was empty with no one bothering to go through this now optional step. Still, the staff greeted me, conducted a visual inspection, and ushered me to an air-conditioned waiting area while they conducted the test.
The test is pretty comprehensive as they visually inspected all the lighting functions of the car, checked for potential defects, and even rolled the car into several equipment designed to test the suspension, brakes, power delivery, and emissions.
While waiting, one of the staff guided me on how to create my own LTO account which will be used to conduct business with the agency from now on. The car and any other vehicles, under my name, will be tied to my account to make transactions faster and smoother in the future.
My biggest concern was how the Innova would fair emissions-wise. I’ve strived to maintain it as best as I could but I’ll admit, it’s been a while since my last oil change. They attached a pipe to the exhaust tip to collect the emissions and run it through the sensor. Brilliantly, this system also keeps the interior of the building smoke-free. While connected, the car is revved only a little bit, up to a point determined by the computer for an effective reading. None of that careless flogging they typically do at emissions centers.
By the end of the 15-minute test, I had a printed readout of my inspection results. It passed nearly everything with flying colors. I was ready to renew the vehicle’s registration. In fact, the test revealed that I haven’t taken care of the rear brakes which weren’t biting as effectively. The chief technician said it’s a quick fix at any shop.
For the low price of P600 for my diesel Innova and just 15 minutes of my time, my car was inspected. The results were uploaded to the LTO’s online database, and I now have a sheet to show my mechanic of what exactly is wrong with my car. The test result is valid for 60 days and will be recognized at any Metro Manila LTO office.
Many may hate this procedure, but I certainly think it’s well worth the price. It’s an emission test and vehicle inspection in one. An inspection at any casa will cost you P500 already, while a standard emissions test is P500. P600 total is still far better than having those tests done separately. Plus, you get an objective assessment of how safe your vehicle is.
(The author is the Motoring Editor of Manila Bulletin.)