PMVIC owners agree to Tugade’s appeal of lowering inspection fee amid the pandemic, waiving of reinspection fee for 1 year

Wazzup Pilipinas?!

As an act of solidarity and a way of heeding the call of motorists, officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announce that Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) owners have decided to heed the appeal of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade’s to lower the current PMVIC inspection fee, level it with the current fee of PETCs while there is a pandemic, and waive for one year the reinspection fee for private and public utility vehicles (PUVs).

The move was announced in a virtual press conference today, 11 February 2021, led by DOTr Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation and concurrent Chief of Staff Giovanni Lopez, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Reinier Paul Yebra, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, and other road transport stakeholders.

“Nais ko pong umpisahan sa pahayag na— narinig at naintindihan po ni Secretary Tugade ang hinaing ng ating mga kababayan, maging ang mga isyu na inihain ng ating mga mambabatas ukol sa pagpapatupad ng MVIS,” Asec. Lopez said in his opening statement.

“Dahil dito, nais ko pong ianunsyo na matapos ang mahabang negosasyon at diskusyon, matapos po ang sunud-sunod na dayalogo at mga meetings, napapayag ‘ho ni Secretary Tugade ang mga Motor Vehicle Inspection Center Owners na iparehas ang kanilang singil sa kasalukuyang singil ng mga Private Emission Testing Centers,” he added.

This means that from P1,500-P1,800, the PMVIC testing fee will be lowered to P600 for private vehicles. Nonetheless, the process will still cover all 73 inspection items, including smoke emission, for a comprehensive test of a vehicle’s roadworthiness. Meanwhile, the inspection fee for motorcycles will also be lowered to P500 and P300 for public utility jeepneys.

Aside from lowering the current PMVIC test fee, private owners have also agreed to waive the retest fee for one year.

Earlier, Secretary Tugade issued the appeal of lowering the PMVIC fees in adherence to the request of President Rodrigo Duterte and in order to strike a balance between keeping the roads safe and considering the financial difficulties being experienced by many vehicle owners at due to the present COVID-19 pandemic situation.

For the part of LTO, Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said that the latest development regarding the lowering of testing fees for vehicle inspection, which is a requisite prior to vehicle registration with the agency, will be effective immediately.

“Kaya ‘yun po ang aming ipatutupad at bibigyan po natin ng kaukulang directive or payo ang mga LTO offices na nagsasagwa ng registration or inspection para makatupad dito sa utos ng ating Mahal na Pangulo,” the LTO Chief said.

Moreover, while the move has gained the support of private stakeholders, they also maintain that MVICs are vital to ensure road safety and upholding the welfare of the people.

“In the same way that we responded to the call of the government about roadworthiness and made the investment without hesitation, we believe that this is a good and worthy program, “President of Vehicle Inspection Center Owners Association of the Philippines (VICOAP) Iñigo Larrazabal stated.

"In this case, in the time of pandemic that we agreed to lower our fees, we will still have to perform our mandate. And this is beyond getting paid. We take seriously our advocacy of road worthiness. We appeal also to the motoring public, this is a good chance for you to check if your vehicle is roadworthy - for the same amount of money that you pay [the old process]," he added.

“Meantime, our life-threatening problems on respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to unabated motor vehicle emissions and also the needless Filipino deaths yearly due to road accidents or crashes and of course, the equally urgent global problem on climate change cannot wait to be addressed anymore. Like COVID-19, it is also an emergency that we all need to address,” President of Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. Dr. Leo Olarte expressed.

ePLDT Operations Center fortifies enterprise cybersecurity and IT management

Wazzup Pilipinas!


ePLDT, the industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions in the Philippines, introduces “eOC” or ePLDT Operations Center to further strengthen the cybersecurity of business operations and fortify the holistic IT management of enterprises today.

With the expertise of ePLDT’s existing Security Operations Center for cybersecurity, combined with its Managed Operations Center (MOC) for IT uptime management & monitoring, eOC ensures the IT resilience of companies and help them elevate efficiency.

Its expertise and global best practices for both cybersecurity and IT, adaptive platforms and knowledge bases, safeguarded by the Philippines’ leading data center operations, assures business owners who are obsessive-compulsive that its critical business operations are well taken care of.

Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups says that “the group assures that enterprises are safeguarded because ePLDT is also obsessive-compulsive in providing only the best services for our customers. eOC will definitely address all these issues as it brings together all your needs in an affordable package designed especially for your business.”

With the shift to digital technology brought on by the global health crisis, there has been an increase need to heighten cybersecurity and protection for business owners, especially with remote work as the new normal. ePLDT Operations Center is able to provide these solutions, with globally-aligned practices and the country’s foremost subject-matter experts ensuring safeguards are in place and the complexities of businesses are simplified.

The Security Operations Center (SOCaas) monitors and analyzes cyber security incidents through a combination of the right expertise, processes, technology, and threat intelligence. SOCaaS provides 24x7 threat visibility, prevents false positives and allows faster detection, while its response option minimizes the damage caused by a cyber security incident and stops it from spreading.

ePLDT’s Managed Operations Center, on the other hand, gives business owners further peace of mind by proactively determining the status and relationships of critical IT infrastructure through its threshold-based and AI-led prevention. IT teams, and even non-technical leads, can also save precious time and regain their focus with on-demand performance reporting and expert recommendations of ePLDT professionals.

Beyond Proactive Monitoring, ePLDT’s Managed IT experts also perform Problem Management, Incident Resolution, Change Management, Vendor Management and Knowledge Management services. With customer-specific Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ePLDT can remotely operate and manage the performance and uptime of enterprises’ critical machines.

“This is in line with ePLDT’s goal of simplifying the complexities of IT for businesses,” according to Nico Alcoseba, VP & Head of ICT Business for PLDT Enterprise. “The complex business landscape requires sophisticated and customized solutions, and eOC combats issues related to security threats, downtime, and even costly investments.”

For more information on ePLDT Operations Center, visit https://www.epldt.com/eoperations/

When Should CBD Flower Strain Be Used?

Wazzup Pilipinas!


The legalization of CBD products happened last 2018; since then, it has been booming in the market as a more natural take on medication. News and excitement have spread quickly. Now, you probably are asking yourself, should I try one?

I understand you have your reasons why you want to try CBD products. It might be just out of curiosity, or you want to be "in" with the latest trend, or a friend recommended it, or your doctor said so, or you already are a marijuana user but would like to try a different kind, etc. Whatever your reason is, it is up to you! It would be best, though, if you were very careful. Let us check further.



What Is A CBD Flower Strain?

One of the popular Cannabidiol products is the CBD flower strain. It is like a healthier version of marijuana. They came from the same genetics but with different strains. CBD or Cannabidiol is extracted from a hemp plant, while it is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol extracted from marijuana. It’s healthier because CBD is non-psychoactive, which means it will not make you "high," unlike the THC, which is psychoactive (read more).

Cannabidiol may also be considered healthier because of the health benefits you could get from it compared to marijuana. Studies, experiments, and researches have resulted in findings of CBS's medical properties. However, there are doubts about it since it is said that there is not enough proof of its effects. Though, many people have testified, confirming that they have experienced the said medical benefits.

CBD flower strains are consumed in different ways. One could be inhalation of vapor. Others include using it as a tea, sprinkle it in your food, and even use it in your bath! Just sprinkle it in your tub full of water.



So When Should I Use CBD Flower Strain?

As mentioned above, we may have varied reasons for wanting to try Cannabidiol products, which is okay. However, we must have the right reasons to maximize its effect. Following are our suggestions:



When You Feel Anxious Or Depressed

Cannabidiol is known to work as an anti-depressant. It is known to help with anxiety and depression. It helps regulate our mood.

There was one review in 2015 where it said that CBD is an effective treatment for different types of anxiety disorders, including the following:

● Panic Disorder (PD)

● Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

● Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

● Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

● Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)


There is also a recent 2020 study where the experiment was done on people experiencing anxiety disorders. The CBD treatment has improved their ability to perform daily functions and lessen their anxiety and depression symptoms.



When You Feel Exhausted

Cannabidiol will make you feel relaxed. It will also help you to have a good sleep. So this also works for those who are experiencing insomnia. Less fatigue too!



When You Are In Pain

One of the most popular effects of consuming CBD is its ability to relieve pain. Hemp plants have natural strains that are packed with Cannabidiol. This means that using it will help you reduce the pain that you are feeling.

It has anti-inflammatory properties that could help you avoid or lessen inflammation. Moreover, Cannabidiol is anti-arthritic. This works for almost any pain.


When You Have Cancer

There was research in 2010, where it showed the effectiveness of CBD in preclinical models of metastatic breast cancer. They say that Cannabidiol reduced the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells.

Moreover, a 2019 review focusing on pancreatic cancer where they saw that Cannabidiol helps slow down tumors' growth. It also reduces the invasion of tumors and induces the death of tumor cells.

It is also said to lessen the symptoms that you experience after chemotherapy. It may help you feel better.


When You Have A Neurological Disorder

Researches are resulting in Cannabidiol being useful in the reduction of migraine and seizures. It was also studied in preventing and alleviating epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).



When You Want To Stop Smoking Cigarette

Using CBD flower strain will help you stop smoking cigarettes. We all know the harmful effects of nicotine that is present in cigarette smoke. If you decide to quit but cannot do it right away, you may start using a substitute - use flower strains.

You get rid of the harmful nicotine, you benefit from Cannabidiol. You win!

Aside from the benefits of CBD mentioned above, others include:

● Anti-acne

● Reduces the risk of heart diseases

● Addiction management


These are only a few out of the many health benefits consuming Cannabidiol in flower strains can do. It is pure, so it has high CBD content, enough for you to feel its effects. Also, a flower strain may be inhaled through vaporization, so it reaches your bloodstream faster.

With the plethora of benefits, this substance contains, it's natural to suddenly have the need for it. However, it would be best to seek your doctor's take on the topic before making any hasty decisions.


Are There Side Effects?

This might be less of a topic because people don't talk much about this, for only a few. However, it is essential that you also check the side effects after knowing the benefits. It is for you to be aware of what might happen so that you will prepare. Following are the side effects of CBD:

● Possible tooth decay

● Dry mouth

● Vomiting

● Maybe in the long term, pulmonary disease

Is It Legal?

CBD's legality has long been questioned as it is a close relative of marijuana. However, to clear things up, President Trump, during his reign in 2018, signed the Farm Bill, which made growing hemp and producing Cannabidiol-infused products completely legal.