Donor to give LTO 4 million plastic cards for driver’s license in January

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Vigor Mendoza (left) and Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers President Albert Alegre sign on December 18, 2023 the Memorandum of Agreement on the donation of four million blank plastic cards for driver’s licenses. (Photo from LTO)

MANILA, Philippines — 300,000 blank plastic cards on which driver’s licenses will be printed are set to be delivered by a donor organization to Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the first week of January 2024.

The agency said after this turnover, subsequent deliveries of 300,000 more pieces will be done every 15 days.

These movements will go on until a total of four million cards are brought to LTO.

The plastic cards are worth a total of P160 million.

LTO said the items are an “unconditional donation” for drivers from Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers (PSMED).

PSMED is an association of medical clinics accredited by the agency.

“This donation is timely as it came at a time when we in the LTO are facing a serious challenge of addressing the backlog and daily usage of plastic-printed driver’s license amid the uncertainty on the outcome of the legal battle on the plastic cards that the LTO procured early this year,” LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II said.

Earlier, Mendoza signed the Deed of Donation for the plastic cards with PSMED President Albert Alegre.

PSMED, according to Alegre, will shoulder all expenses incurred in the deliveries.

Apart from the plastic cards, Alegre mentioned their organization will also donate four sets of digital microscopes, UV lenses, and decoding lenses.

This charitable project is meant to enhance the security features of the driver’s license cards.

Amid all these grants, LTO Chief clarified there are “no strings attached” to the donation.

He said PSMED’s gesture is “purely out of the love of country and shared advocacy for efficient land transportation and road safety.”

Mendoza likewise said the plastic cards pass the standards and technical specifications of the agency.

In the event that some cards will be rejected by LTO’s security system, all of the 4 million plastic cards will be deemed undelivered and “would be replaced at no cost to the DoTr [Department of Transportation] and the LTO,” Mendoza said.

On Saturday, the agency mentioned the four million plastic cards are “more than enough” to handle the backlog of driver’s licenses.

The donation also fills the demand for plastic cards from new driver’s license applicants.

It accounts for over 50 percent of LTO’s annual demand of 7 million plastic cards for driver’s license.