LTO to issue driver’s licenses with 5-year validity on October

The Land Transportation Office will begin issuing driver’s licenses with 5-year validity in October.

During a Senate committee on public services hearing Tuesday, the LTO said they see this move as one solution to the license applications backlog.

“We have already awarded the contract to supply five million cards. It will address the backlog for the 4th quarter of 2016, the entire year 2017 and first quarter of 2018,” LTO executive director Romeo Vera-Cruz said.

LTO also boasted the added security features of their new cards to ensure that these will not be duplicated or tampered with.

“In our new 5 year validity the bar code contains the picture, photo, biometrics, index finger prints history personal circumstances,” Romeo Vera-Cruz said.

Although the LTO has already been implementing the issuance of driver’s license with 5-year validity in accordance with an executive order, a law must be passed to ensure that this will last.

“Bakit natin kailangang gawing batas, unang una, para hindi magbago ang isip ng LTO kasi kung executive decision, kapag nagbago nang isip o may ibang administrasyon maaaring palitan,” said Senate committee on public service chairperson Senator Grace Poe.

(Why do we need to pass it into a law? Firstly so that LTO cannot change it. Because with an executive decision, If the LTO management change their minds, or a new administration takes office, they can change the order.)

Senator Poe’s committee yesterday approved the proposed longer validity period of driver’s license.  She targets to finish the committee report and sponsor it at the plenary next week.

Meanwhile, in the lower house of Congress, the House committee on transportation will create a technical working group to study the said bill.