The Land Transportation Office (LTO) released on Tuesday, 26 March, a scheduled renewal for motorists to claim their respective plastic card-printed driver’s license following the lifting of the injunction order of the Court of Appeals (CA).
The completion of the schedule was in compliance with the directive of LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II to rush the schedule in order for motorists to start claiming their plastic-printed driver’s license next week in time for the end of the long Holy Week break.
“Ito naman ang bilin ng ating Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista na dapat ay may magandang balita na babalikan ang ating mga kliyente pagkatapos ng kanilang mahabang bakasyon," Mendoza said.
“So I have already instructed our officials down to the regional level to prepare this list of schedules and finish it before Maundy Thursday. Our goal is to start the distribution process of the plastic-printed driver’s license next week,” he added.
Based on the LTO memo, the following schedules for renewal are approved:
For driver’s licenses with expiration dates from 1 April to 31 August 2023, and 1 to 30 April 2024, they are scheduled to renew their licenses from 15 to 30 April 2024;
For driver’s licenses with expiration dates from 1 September to 31 December 2023 and 1 to 31 May 2024, they are scheduled to renew their licenses from 1 to 31 May 2024;
For driver’s licenses with expiration dates from 1 January to 31 March 2024 and 1 to 30 June 2024, they are scheduled to renew their licenses from 1 to 30 June 2024.
“Failure of the driver to renew his/her driver’s license within the prescribed schedule shall render the license expired,” the memorandum read.
At least one million pieces of plastic cards were delivered to the LTO Central Office on Monday, 25 March, after the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the DOTr and the LTO, through the Office of the Solicitor General, when it lifted the Writ of Preliminary Injunction issued by a Quezon City court last year.
The injunction order, it was recalled, halted the delivery of 3.2 million remaining plastic cards and eventually resulted in the mounting backlog of plastic-printed driver’s licenses which will be around 4.1 million by the end of this month.
With the assured delivery of the remaining 3.2 million plastic cards, Mendoza said they will be able to narrow the backlog gap while the LTO is exhausting all measures to ensure sufficient supply and stock for the entire 2024.
Mendoza said the schedule list was aimed at ensuring that motorists would not flock to LTO offices nationwide.
“The list will ensure orderly distribution. This list will be posted in our LTO offices and in our social media accounts so we appeal to our clients to always keep themselves updated,” Mendoza said.
“Gagawin natin ang by schedule na processing at claiming para hindi magsiksikan sa mga LTO offices and eventually magkaroon ng order ang processing at distribution,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza added he had already instructed the regional directors to coordinate with the LTO Central Office for the delivery of the plastic cards down to the District Offices and satellite offices nationwide.