LTO scraps periodic medical exam requirement for driver's license holders
MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office scrapped periodic medical examination requirement for holders of driver’s license with five to ten years validity.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency said that its chief Art Jay Tugade amended LTO Memorandum 2021-2285 or the supplemental Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10930, which extended the validity of drivers’ licenses.
“There’s no empirical data saying that the period medical examination could prevent road crashes,” Tugade said.
Instead, Tugade said that “for licenses who will be issued a five-year validity driver’s license and 10-year validity driver’s license, the medical examination shall only be required 60 days prior to or on the specified renewal date."
Filipinos with driver’s license but are working or staying abroad are required to undergo medical examination 30 days from their arrival in the Philippines before they can be allowed to drive, the LTO added.
Tugade said that the agency decided to no longer require periodic medical examination after data showed that failure to undergo periodic medical examination is not among the reasons for road crashes.
Under the previous memorandum, those with a driver’s license with five year validity are required to undergo a medical exam by third birthdate from getting the license, while those with ten year valid license should undergo a medical exam on the fourth and seventh birthdate from when they obtained their license.
Tugade said they believe this amendment to their policy will bring ease financially and will save drivers' time.
This comes after the LTO's earlier memorandum imposing a price cap for driving schools took effect on April 15.
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