Sec. Augusto Boboy Syjuco, TESDA director general, shares a piece of his mind with lady automotive mechanic trainees in one of his training workshop visits.

The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 aims to maintain the quality of air and protect human life from the dangers of air pollution. It calls for a holistic national program of air pollution management focused on prevention rather than control.

Excessive vehicle emissions, for instance, have resulted to an alarming level of air pollution making Metro Manila as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Studies showed that 70% of air pollution in Metro Manila come from vehicle emissions due to incomplete combustion of improperly maintained public utility vehicles, notably jeepneys and buses.

So who is trained enough to determine whether or not vehicles are contributing to the pollution or not?

Well, I am proud to say that it’s the TESDA-certified automotive technicians who are manning the private emission testing centers (PETCs) and automotive service shops nationwide!

The Department of Trade, through the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumers Protection (BTRCP) has developed and now implements standards and procedures on the licensing of qualified private service centers and their technicians as prerequisite for performing the testing, servicing, repair, and the required adjustment to the vehicle emission system.

PETCs are required to employ an adequate number of TESDA-certified Motor Vehicle Emission Control Technicians (MVECT). These are technicians who have passed the competency assessment and have been certified in any of the four national qualifications in automotive servicing being implemented by TESDA.

Auto servicing qualifications

The available qualifications for automotive servicing technicians are those for Automotive Servicing NC I, Automotive Servicing NC II, Automotive Servicing NC III, and Automotive Servicing NC IV.

Qualified technicians can perform tune up for gas and diesel engines, battery servicing, ignition system servicing, wiring/lighting system test and repair, and under chassis preventive maintenance.

Aside from PETCs, the DTI also requires all business establishments engaging in service and repair shops including motor vehicle repair shops to apply for accreditation, and one of the requirements is that the service technicians employed in the shop must be TESDA-certified workers. Only qualified technicians, those who have demonstrated their skills and competencies by passing the TESDA competency assessment, can efficiently perform quality service jobs to customers’ satisfaction.

I am glad that TESDA through its skills upgrading programs has been part of these people’s – and of our air’s – transformation!