LTO sets renewal sked for plastic license

March 27, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) released yesterday a schedule for motorists to renew and claim their driver’s license, printed on plastic cards, after the Court of Appeals (CA) lifted its injunction order.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II directed the agency’s personnel to rush the schedule in order to hasten the distribution of plastic-printed driver’s licenses next week in time for the end of the long Holy Week break.

“I have instructed our officials, down to the regional level, to prepare this list of schedules and finish it before Maundy Thursday. Our goal is to start the distribution process of the plastic-printed driver’s license next week,” Mendoza said.

Based on a memorandum of the LTO, holders of driver’s licenses with expiration dates from April 1 to Aug. 31, 2023 and April 1 to April 30 are scheduled to renew their licenses from April 15 to April 30.

The LTO added that holders of driver’s licenses with expiration dates from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023 and May 1 to May 31 can renew their licenses from May 1 to May 31.

On the other hand, holders of driver’s licenses with expiration dates from Jan. 1 to March 31 and June 1 to June 30 can renew their licenses from June 1 to June 30.

“Failure of the driver to renew his/her driver’s license within the prescribed schedule shall render the license expired,” the memorandum read.

Mendoza said that at least one million plastic cards were delivered to the LTO central office on March 25 after the CA ruled in favor of the Department of Transportation and the LTO, through the Office of the Solicitor General, when it lifted a writ of preliminary injunction issued by a Quezon City court last year.

The injunction order halted the delivery of 3.2 million remaining plastic cards and resulted in the backlog of plastic-printed driver’s licenses, which will reach 4.1 million by the end of this month.

According to Mendoza, with the assured delivery of the remaining 3.2 million plastic cards, the LTO would be able to narrow the backlog.

He assured the public that the LTO is exhausting all measures to ensure sufficient supply for the entire 2024.

Mendoza said the schedule list was aimed at ensuring that motorists would not flock to LTO offices nationwide.

“The list will ensure orderly distribution. This list will be posted in our LTO offices and in our social media accounts so we appeal to our clients to always keep themselves updated,” Mendoza added.

He said he had instructed the regional directors to coordinate with the LTO central office for the delivery of the plastic cards down to the district offices and satellite offices nationwide.

The writ of preliminary injunction stemmed from a case filed by losing bidder Allcards Inc. in the procurement of around 5.2 million plastic cards early last year.

The winning bidder, Banner Plastic Card Inc., had delivered nearly two million plastic cards when a Quezon City court issued the writ of preliminary injunction.