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2.8-M TRIKE DRIVERS NATIONWIDE FIGHTING TO STAY ALIVE
December 18, 2003
Some 1,000 leaders of associations of tricycle
operators and drivers nationwide are meeting today
(Dec. 18) to seek President Arroyo’s intervention to
stop the eventual phase-out of two-stroke motorcycle
engines, to seek a reduction of emission testing fees,
and to abort an additional tax to be imposed on the
sector.
At the 1st National Convention of the National
Confederation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers
Association of the Philippines (NACTODAP) at the
Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in
Pasay City, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino
Communities Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez took up the
cudgels for the estimated 2.8 million tricycle drivers
and operations all over the country and promised to
bring their issues before the Chief Executive.
“Although we have been putting in place measures and
legislations to curb air pollution, from the Health
Air Pact in we forged with oil companies in 1993 to
reduce lead in gasoline and sulfur in diesel, to the
Clean Air Act in 1999, we must also consider the
livelihood of small workers and entrepreneurs,” he
stressed.
Alvarez said the phase-out of two-stroke engines may
not be needed as long as their emissions comply with
the standards set by the Clean Air Act and for
operators to ensure proper and regular maintenance of
tricycles.
According to the former Senator and Environment
Secretary who authored the first bills on the Clean
Air Act in the Senate and then in the House of
Representatives, the polluting hydrocarbons “white
smoke” coming from tricycles could be reduced with the
proper use of the fuel additive “2T Oil.”
Two-stroke engines, like those used by tricycles, need
a special lubricant, the so-called 2T oil, to protect
the moving parts of the engine from scarring.
“Improperly formulated 2T oil is one of the major
causes of air pollution in the transport sector. I am
calling on all tricycle drivers to use only the
‘clean’ 2T oil brands that are available in the market
today that are less polluting,” he said.
He said there are 2T oil products that are either
manufactured in oil refineries or the plant-based 2T
oil like the one from coconut – coco-methyl ester that
burns cleanly because it is sulfur-free and is
biodegradable.
Today’s most widely used 2T oil, sold to tricycle
drivers by retailers as “takal,” contain heavy metals
such as zinc, chromium, cadium, lead and other
carcinogenic elements. These are used engine oil or
petroleum wastes of the four-stroke engines of cars,
jeeps, trucks and other heavy equipment.
On the issue of additional taxes, NACTODAP president
Ariel P. Lim said a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
memo-circular dated Jan. 21, 1998 already exempted
those having “subsistence livelihood” from paying
value added tax (VAT) or percentage tax and/or payment
of registration fees.
Lima said the BIR memo states that any business “where
the aggregate gross sales or receipts do not exceed
P100,000.00 during any 12-month period shall be
considered principally for subsistence or livelihood
and not in the course of business,” and is thus
exempted from paying VAT and percentage taxes.
Meanwhile, NACTODAP is also protesting the uniformed
emission testing fee of P300.00 being imposed by the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)
which is a pre-requisite prior to vehicle
registration.
“They are asking government for lower fees for
tricycles than the P300.00 now being charged on all
cars, jeeps and trucks. Perhaps a much lower cost
should be considered since simpler emission testing
procedures are being done on tricycles as compared to
other vehicles,” Alvarez added.
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