Mission log: Pasig muffler adjudication and courtesy call to TPMO officials...

RIDE REPORT:

Morning was hot just like any summer day and as usual, I was both excited and scared... Excited that I am about to do the community another service and scared of the outcome or the possibility na makagalitan or mapahiya sa tao...

Arrived in location before 9AM and there were a couple of riders already there... Joined them in waiting for the others and ordered goto with tokwa't baboy as the riders came one by one...

I even went home to get the decibel meter that I forgot and once I got back, we all decided to test our pipes based on the procedure being followed by LTO and QC BPOS...

Mostly passed, some barely and one didn't... Luckily he had a dB eliminator with him... However, and in my personal opinion, even with the dB eliminator, the pipe was still noisy...

Before heading off to Pasig, I was interviewed by UNTV and I also explained the procedure for measuring the noise off a motorcycle... After the interview, we geared up and headed to our destination...

The trip was very hot and had traffic points along the way, but we all got there safely...

Our first destination was the adjudication office as we wanted to go through normal procedure and not take any shortcuts...

In the adjudication office, we filed our cases and complaints with the administrative officer and was given the schedule of April 23 @ 11AM for our corresponding hearings... I gave them the complaint letter and as they were processing our cases, we got into conversation with the people in the office...

They are all in agreement that the lack of process in the apprehension of mufflers is giving them a hard time and stressing them out... I explained to them that this is an easy fix if Pasig would allow us to help them with an IRR and enforcer training to boot... They all wanted the help and has given us tips on who to talk to, where to go and who to look for...

After we received our summons for the hearing, we then decided to go to Dulay's office...

When we got there, we were told that he had just left for a meeting and Edwin was frustrated that we had not gone to him first... I told Edwin that we need to follow procedure rather that going directly to Dulay because I wanted us to get a resolution first before anything else... The visit to Dulay was to bring the same letter we sent last year and just ask him to fix the process which he didn't and had brought the same baseless apprehensions back... If he did it before, he will do it again... And by telling Edwin that the only thing that will prevent the enforcers from not apprehending riders is by putting rubber plugs on their mufflers is simply preposterous... Clearly shows that he does not understand the implications of what is happening... The letter will help clear it out and hopefully, we receive a favorable response soon... But this is not the gist of the ride report, the best out of this ride is coming up...

After having our official statement and letter of appeal received, I then asked for the officer in charge of the blue boys, I was pointed to the office of Asst Chief Victor Barral and Enforcement Chief Phillip Reyes... We caught Reyes as he had just arrived from an operation and spoke to him in his office... Mr. Reyes is a very diplomatic guy and had taken our points and issues like a professional and a gentleman... He listened with intent as I explained that the way apprehensions are being conducted is causing a rift between the riders and the City enforcers... I then told him of our intentions to help the government fix the problem by giving them a copy of the process and offered to train all his enforcers in exchange for the right procedure and application of the law... Without a word, he shook my hand and told me that this is what we have been asking for ever since... I was filled with hope and the sense of accomplishment at this point as we are in the verge of building a relationship with the people were having issues with on the streets...

After the talk, we then showed him an example of the dB meter we had earlier used to test our bikes and gave him a brief explanation as to how it is used... We then headed down stairs for a live demo...

As we reached the enforcer's parking lot, we were so lucky to catch up with Asst TPMO chief Barral who was supervising the apprehension of the enforcers who are in violation of the traffic laws that they are enforcing... Yes, you heard me right, Barral was having his people issue tickets to their very own... Open muffler tickets, no helmet, not registered and so on... It was a bold move and a show of force that I thought we can utilize in fighting this issue...

As we got together, Mr. Reyes told Mr. Barral that we were going to do a demo on the proper procedure of measuring the sound coming out of a muffler... Before showing them how to operate the dB meter, I took the initiative to explain what a noise controlling device is, what the difference is between an open pipe and aftermarket pipe, How the opening at the end of the muffler doesn't matter, and the components of a muffler... At first, the confusion was clearly evident, but after a few explanations, they were able to get that the process is quite simple... The muffler has three basic components that needs to be evident:

1. The main body or canister that has to be free of any damage and air leaks
2. A resonating tube/chamber inside the canister
3. Fibers that insulate the sound emitted by the muffler

We then headed to the process of measurement based on SAE Motorcycle Noise standards and carefully showed them how it is done step by step... After the demo, I explained to both Reyes and Barral that the ordinance is without process, without standard and is aimed at motorcycles only when it clearly states that it is for all motor vehicles... Both of them agreed and declared that the process is needed otherwise, all adjudicated cases will be lost and their people penalized and be given a bad rap... This was the indicator that our mission was a success as these two men are the ones who work with the enforcers directly and give them the orders from up top... They are also in charge of the over all operations and delegation of duties to the blue boys of Pasig...

After a few more items of discussion was completed, Barral and Reyes has told us that they will take this up with the City Council to make the amendment and ask the Mayor to apply the process and procure dB measuring devices for this very purpose... We will then be called up to conduct the enforcer's training on how the devices are used and how the process is done step by step...

We will then be following up with their office from time to time for the status and we will ask them, in the form of a formal letter to put this part of their tasks on hold until we have fixed it... For now, before the order is given out, they need to follow the standing orders from the City Council, but will exempt all those with rubber plugs or dB eliminators, irregardless of the sound so they wont get slammed for not following orders... As soon as they get the council to agree to the solution offered by our organization, the order will then be made to stop it's operation and resume until the process is built, and their people properly trained to apply it...

And that my friends, is how it all went... I believe that we did what we came for, without forcing our way, following the right procedure and talking to the RIGHT people to serve our purpose...

I would like to thank Braggy of UNTV for bringing us the extra media coverage, Edwin Go, our soon to be Director of Public Affairs, all the riders who came and all the volunteers who supported us in their own way...

This mission is a success and we will keep you posted on the updates as they come and hopefully, both Barral and Reyes stands true to their word and we get this issue cleared up and fixed...

To all the riders out there, fix your mufflers, make sure they have fibers, get rid of the really noisy ones and the ones meant for racing or competition use only and let us all work together in making our streets a little more quieter... Let us cooperate with the government and show them that we understand the purpose of what they are doing and let us respect the right of other people to have a more peaceful environment...

We can still us loud pipes and aftermarket mufflers given that we are responsible, courteous and respectful in the use and sound it emits...

Thank you and God Bless us all!!!

***Admins, kindly spread the article to the other sites especially MCP***

To our (MRO/MAP)'s criticts... Induldge us please...

Woke up and decided to check my FB and came across a picture desecrating an image of a person with a tattoo as "PASAWAY"

Here at MRO/MAP, we do not condemn the "PASAWAY"... We aim to save them... We do not go out and throw dirt at their faces... We hope to help them unlearn the bad habits... We do not crucify them from what they have done to paint negativity on our image, but we want them to learn from their mistakes and make amends...

In that picture, a question was asked... "Is this the type of people that your defending through your rallies?"

Let me make a statement on this...

We do not go out and rally... We go out, peaceful, no intention to block traffic or make people suffer as much as we could... Instead, we are there to spread awareness, knowledge of whats going on and to help them realize what were going through... This is called a peaceful motorcade that has strict mandates of absolute and maximum courtesy to other users... Whether a line breaks or a group is separated, the priority is to get them through when and if they want to... What our "ESCORTS" from the government does, is out of our hands because we have our own marshals... But because they are there, we allow them to take control at their own discretion... We have made it clear though, that any non-courtesy given to the other road users is frowned upon... We do not make or suggest or tell our participants to block traffic, get off of their bikes in the middle of the highway and what not...

Next, we defend everybody... Yes everybody... That includes me, us, them, and even YOU... We defend their rights that are being stepped upon, abused and taken for granted... We defend the rights of the other 95% of riders who do not belong to MRO/MAP, or any GROUP for that matter who has no access to the information, the new laws and whats happening in the riding community... "PASAWAY" or not, we do this for them in hopes that we impart the right way of using their machines, knowing and following the law and hopefully, undoing the wrong notion of being a rider...

Finally, at MRO/MAP, we make sure that we are bound by rules that we do not create on our own... We bind ourselves to what is written... Although we seek clarification, ask questions, provide suggestions, voice out concern and act diplomatically against legislation, rules, ordinances and proposals that prove detrimental to the riders safety and rights, that doesn't mean we are nothing more of an activist group... We have our own set of papers, documents, studies, data, resource material and collected reactions from other groups here and abroad that back up our position... We do not hide incidents, cover up stories, fabricate/create a different outlook when presenting statistics and claim expertise...

So yes, we fight for the "PASAWAY's" rights because, condemning them will not help them... Instead, rescuing them or showing them what is right from wrong, shows that we are riders like them...

We are not here to claim that we are representatives of the community... We are here, simply, to let their voices run through us... Who's voice are you shouting for?

- Jobert Bolanos

Desperation? Depression? Nah... It's just crap...

No matter how much good you do for other people, there will always be those who think other wise... They will think you are wasting your time, wasting your effort and calling you useless, worthless and spit on your face like you are not worth crap...

Yet these are the people that you do these things for, hoping that what you have done will leave some sort of spec of legacy that you have done something worth being proud of...

Sadly, no matter how much other people are proud of what you do, the ones you had hoped to be behind you and support you on everything are the very people who think your no better than SHIT...

So much for the saying, "you worth is only realized once your gone"