LTO Cainta Extension Office severely damaged by Carina

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, on Saturday directed all Regional Directors and District Office heads to conduct and submit final assessment reports on the damage caused by Typhoon Carina to the agency’s facilities for immediate action.

This order follows an initial damage report revealing that the LTO Extension Office in Cainta, Rizal was severely affected by widespread flooding on July 24 due to Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

According to a report submitted by LTO-Calabarzon Regional Director Elmer Decena, 80 percent of the equipment was damaged by the flood, while 90 percent of records for disposal were soaked. Additionally, all computers used for examinations were damaged, 20 percent of the files in the extension office were drenched, and the bottom part of the engraver machine was affected.

Mendoza has instructed Decena to conduct a massive clean-up of the Cainta Extension Office to ascertain the full extent of the damage to other facilities.

"Inatasan din natin ang RD Calabarzon na humanap ng pansamantalang opisina ng Cainta Extension Office where the equipment and other documents would be temporarily relocated," Mendoza said.

"The Cainta Extension Office will be temporarily closed for a few days until such time that our personnel there are able to find a temporary relocation site and resume operations for our clients in the area," he added.

Mendoza also directed satellite and extension offices near Cainta to accommodate clients from the town and nearby areas until the extension office returns to normal operations.

Under the guidance of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, Mendoza assured that all necessary assistance will be provided to ensure the Cainta Extension Office resumes normal operations as soon as possible.

"We also directed all Regional Directors and District Office heads to submit the damage report as soon as possible so that we would be able to download the necessary assistance in the soonest possible time," Mendoza said.