Implementation of Vehicle and Factory Anti-Pollution Measures

The issuance is anchored on the government’s pollution control program.
Letter of Instructions No. 551 operationalizes the anti-pollution requirements connected to Presidential Decree No. 1152 (Philippine Environment Code).
The implementation is assigned to the NPCC, transport regulators under the Land Transportation Commission, and law enforcement agencies under the Chief of Constabulary.

Letter of Instructions No. 551 mandates compliance with anti-pollution measures for vehicles and factories.
The issuance requires prompt government enforcement against sources of pollution that create public nuisance conditions and violate device installation requirements.
The issuance emphasizes immediate action on citizen reports to support the aims of the government’s anti-pollution policy.

Public utility and government vehicles must install anti-pollution devices within three (3) months from the effectivity of Presidential Decree No. 1152 (Philippine Environment Code).
Privately owned vehicles must install anti-pollution devices within one (1) year from June 6, 1977 (the issuance date of the Code).
Any effective anti-pollution device in the open market is sufficient for compliance.
Anti-pollution device compliance timelines are enforced through law enforcement action after the applicable deadlines.

Law enforcement agencies must apprehend vehicles emitting visibly black smoke after the deadline applicable to vehicle installation.
Apprehended vehicles emitting visibly black smoke must be immediately grounded after the trip during which they were apprehended to avoid inconveniencing passengers.
Grounding remains in effect until the deficiency shall have been corrected (i.e., until the vehicle’s anti-pollution deficiency is remedied).
Enforcement focus includes black smoke emissions and compliance with the post-deadline device requirements.

Factories that are nuisances per se due to noise, discharging effluents into rivers and bodies of water, or oppressive odor caused by wastes or by-products must submit plans to the NPCC for the installation of effective anti-pollution devices.
Such plans must be submitted within one month.
The NPCC must list these factories and must submit the list to the President within one month.
The factories must be closed within one month after submission of the list by the NPCC unless they obtain NPCC certification.
Closure does not apply if the factory obtains from the NPCC a certification that an adequate anti-pollution device has been installed and demonstrated in actual examination to have abated the noise, effluent discharge, or oppressive odor that constitutes the nuisance.

All citizens are urged to report vehicles, factories, and sites that are nuisances per se.
Reportable nuisances include: emitting visibly black smoke, creating noise, discharging effluents, or yielding oppressive odor, combined with having no anti-pollution device to eliminate those characteristics.
The NPCC is directed to take immediate action on citizen reports.
NPCC action on reports must be carried out in keeping with the aims of the government’s anti-pollution policy.

The NPCC Commissioner must implement the anti-pollution program directives and administer the factory submission, listing, and certification process.
The Land Transportation Commission Commissioner is directed to implement the vehicle anti-pollution compliance measures within the transport enforcement and regulatory sphere.
The Chief of Constabulary and all law enforcement agencies are directed to enforce apprehension and grounding rules against vehicles emitting visibly black smoke after the relevant deadlines.
All directed offices must implement the measures without delay as part of the national pollution control program.