LTO gets donation of 4 million plastic license cards

MANILA, Philippines — Four million plastic license cards will be donated to the Land Transportation Office by a medical clinic association with “no strings attached” in the memorandum of agreement, the LTO announced yesterday.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said the agreement was scheduled to be signed yesterday between Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers (PSMED).

“The medical clinic decided to make an unconditional donation of four million plastic cards to the LTO,” Mendoza said. “Upon the approval of the transportation secretary, in two weeks the first delivery will take place and every month thereafter until the plastic cards will be completed.”

According to Mendoza, the donation amounts to at least P160 million and represents almost 50 percent of the annual LTO requirement of plastic cards.

“Our annual requirement for driver’s licenses is seven million. It will be a big saving for the government. That is why we thank the medical clinic,” he said.

Mendoza said PSMED did not ask for anything in exchange for the donation.

“There is no condition,” he said.

According to Mendoza, the four million plastic cards will cover the LTO’s requirement nationwide.

“Once we sign the deed of donation, starting tomorrow, those who will renew their driver’s licenses will be able to get (a plastic card) as we still have 600,000 cards. We can start in anticipation of the delivery sometime second week of January next year,” he said.

Mendoza said this will be a gift for overseas Filipino workers and those who need to go to other countries this Christmas.

The LTO will issue guidelines for those who have applied and been given paper licenses.

“We will come up with a new schedule to prevent long lines,” he said.

Mendoza said the LTO needs at least 550,000 plastic cards per month.

“The inventory will be good for two months. So we can wipe out the backlog in license cards, which stands at around 2.3 million. These was the backlog during the past administration,” Mendoza said.