LICENSE CARDS A staff of the Land Transportation Office shows a brand new student driver’s license at the Land Transportation Office Quezon City District Office in Centris Station. (INQUIRER photo/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines —The shortage of driver’s license cards is expected to be resolved by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) by September.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista announced on Wednesday that the pending licenses, numbering between 120,000 and 130,000, are expected to be delivered this month.
“Yung license natin, we’re expecting delivery by next week. Initially pakonti-konti lang ‘yan. By September, na-deliver na lahat ‘yung pending natin na dapat iisyu,” Bautista said.
(We’re expecting our licenses to be delivered by next week. Initially, it’s just a little by little. All our pending cards will have been delivered by September, which should be issued.)
The Secretary also clarified his earlier statement where he had said there were about 500,000 pending licenses.
“Remember, nung April 24, nagkaroon ng Memorandum Circular extending the validity of license expiring April 24 to October 31. By September, pwede na nating iisyu ‘yung lahat ng mga license na ‘to,” he recalled.
(Remember, on April 24, a Memorandum Circular was extending the validity of licenses expiring in April 24 to October 31. By September, we will also be able to issue all of these licenses.)
Meanwhile, motorists issued paper licenses may also get physical license cards beginning next month.
“Siguro, bandang August or by September, lahat ‘yan mabibigay na namin,” Bautista said.
(Maybe we can already provide all of these around August or by September.)
He also reported motorists may already access their electronic driver’s license (eDL).
This is through the online portal of the Land Transportation Office called Transportation Management System or LTMS.
The e-DLs may be used as alternative identification cards.
RELATED STORIES:
LTO to release 5,000 driver’s license cards before July 24
LTO to unveil digital driver’s license amid shortage of plastic cards
Paper-based licenses to save LTO’s day in the face of card shortages