DENR, public transport group forge MOA to reduce diesel emissions.

The DENR and the public transport sector forged an alliance with the public transportation sector to ensure that emissions of jeepneys and other diesel-fueled vehicles comply with standards set in the Clean Air Act.

DENR Secretary Heherson Alvarez signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) October 1 with the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Filipinas Engine Remanufacturing and Reconditioning Corporation (FERRC) and Petron Corporation.

"We are initiating this pilot project for the implementation of a comprehensive inspection and maintenance (I/M) system that ensures diesel-fueled public utility vehicles comply with the law," Alvarez stressed.

Under the MOA, the DENR through its corporate arm, Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC), will provide financial assistance to FEJODAP members in cooperation with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

FERRC meanwhile, will supply re-manufactured engines with emission devices to FEJODAP-member jeepney drivers, including warranties/servicing and training of jeepney drivers and operators on the proper handling and maintenance of engines.

Petron gasoline stations nationwide will then conduct emission testings, provide technical experts and options for remedies, including repairs, the installation of emission control devices and clean diesel fuel.

FEJODAP, as co-guarantor of individual loans, will ensure that its members faithfully pay back their loans for the I/M project.

The MOA is a pilot program for the DENR national project on the reduction of emissions by mobile sources. It aims to prepare public transport operators for the mandatory procurement of COCs (Certificates of Compliance) as a requirement for vehicle registraton.

There are 3.7 million vehicles registered nationwide as of last year, approximately 1.4 million of which are diesel-fed utility vehicles such as jeepneys and taxi cabs, leading sources of air pollution. Diesel emission is said to be the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking.

Taken from Hangin.org [http://hangin.org/archive/0012/prDENR.htm]

back