Senator Grace Poe on Friday expressed hopes that opening more Land Transportation Office district offices and regular licensing centers would serve more applicants and would mean faster transactions.
Recently, Poe, chairman of the Senate public service committee and sponsor of a number of bills seeking to create more LTO offices, shepherded their passage, with six measures now enacted into law.
She said, “our people no longer need to travel that far only to get driver’s license or renew their license.”
“Less hassle as well for them,” Poe said.
Six Poe-sponsored LTO measures have been enacted into law converting licensing centers into regular offices or establishing new ones: Republic Act 11068 (San Pablo, Laguna), RA 11067 (Balayan, Batangas), RA 11066 (Batangas City), RA 11065 (Kawit, Cavite), RA 11063 (Malabon City) and RA 11062 (Muntinlupa City).
But Poe, citing reports she received about the struggles of driver’s license applicants regarding long queues in various LTO offices nationwide, asserted that there should be no “limited slots only” for fresh and renewal of license applicants.
“We are urging the LTO to streamline their process and accommodate more applicants for smoother and faster transactions,” Poe added.
Previously, measures establishing new or converting LTO extension offices have been approved on third and final reading in the Senate include San Pablo, Laguna; Balayan, Batangas; Malabon; Batangas City; Muntinlupa City; Kawit, Cavite; Medellin and Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu; Ticao Island, Masbate, Narra and Brooke’s Point, Palawan; Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur; Sipalay City, Negros Occidental; Valencia City, Bukidnon; and Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
In sum, 26 bills seeking to expand smaller LTO licensing centers into regular district offices and establish additional licensing offices in the country have been approved.
Eight measures have recently been approved on third and final reading in the Senate and just needs the President’s signature to become laws.
This number is expected to multiply as several measures are awaiting approval at the committee level and sponsored in plenary.
“These bigger and new LTO offices would help ease transactions because of the soaring number of registered vehicles every year,” Poe added.
Poe was also the main author of Republic Act 10930 which extended the validity of driver’s licenses to five years and further renewable for 10 years if the license holder has not committed any violation.