Amid the celebration of National Women’s Month, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Metro Manila has conducted free all-women theoretical driving courses (TDCs) in the cities of Pasay, San Juan and Parañaque to equip women with essential driving lessons at no cost.
LTO National Capital Region director Roque Verzosa III underscored the significance of the initiative in promoting gender inclusivity in transportation, aligning with the national theme “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas.”
“Through these efforts, LTO-NCR continues to champion women’s empowerment by ensuring more women have access to driving education and opportunities,” he said. The program has benefited at least 65 women thus far across the three cities.
At the Driver’s Education Center in Pasay City, at least 29 women had completed their TDCs, led by both male and female LTO personnel.
The program stressed women’s active participation in the transport sector, providing them with the necessary knowledge to secure a student driver’s permit free of charge, according to Verzosa.
In San Juan City, 27 women completed their TDCs at the San Juan Licensing Center. They obtained a student permit. In Parañaque City, its LTO branch hosted two TDC sessions with nine women successfully earning their certificates.
Similar initiatives were also held in other LTO district offices outside Metro Manila, including Pangasinan and La Union in Northern Luzon.
Its district office in Zamboanga Sibugay, meanwhile, distributed free helmets to some women riders in the streets of Ipil.