Dizon: 11-year, 18.5-M plates backlog cleared

After more than a decade of delay, the government has finally cleared the license plate backlog for motorcycles and motor vehicles, with 18.5 million plates produced and their distribution underway.

“Finally, after 11 years, we were able to wipe out our motorcycle plates backlog. This year, we produced 5.4-million MC plates, which effectively eliminated the backlog,” Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said at a media briefing on Tuesday at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) headquarters in Quezon City.

“Right now, those plates are being distributed to the LTO district offices,” he added.

As of 30 June, the LTO has produced a total of 18,578,612 license plates for both motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles. Dizon said more than seven million of the plates have been distributed to the vehicle owners.

The backlog, which began in 2014, was caused by procurement issues and system inefficiencies that left millions of registered vehicle owners without license plates. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the LTO to expedite the resolution of the problem.

Assistant Secretary and LTO Executive Director Gregorio Pua said the agency has met its commitment to the President ahead of the June 2025 target deadline.

“On the last day of June 2025, we were able to comply with our commitment by producing a total of 8,578,612 plates that included both backlogs and current plate requirements,” Pua said.

Of the total produced, 11,815,068 were motorcycle plates and 6,763,544 (equivalent to 3,381,772 pairs) were for four-wheel vehicles.

“This significant accomplishment, which surpassed the expectations of everybody, was a team effort, with the dedication and perseverance of our plate-making plant,” Pua added.

The LTO has launched ltotracker.com, a website where motorists can check if their plates are ready for pickup or delivery. The tracking service is integrated into the eGovPH app to streamline access and reduce delays.

“The President’s instruction was clear: fast-track the plate production to address the problem and don’t disappoint the Filipino people,” said DoTr Assistant Secretary and LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza.