LTO: Release of plastic license cards starts today

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office will start today the nationwide distribution of plastic driver’s license cards, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II announced yesterday.

An additional 600,000 plastic cards have been delivered to the LTO, according to Mendoza.

He said the LTO would be able to address the backlog in driver’s licenses with the expected delivery of 9.7 million more plastic cards.

“In the regions, we started the distribution of plastic license cards. Here in the National Capital Region, we will start tomorrow (Tuesday),” Mendoza said.

He said aside from the one million plastic cards, 6.5 million more would be delivered by the supplier.

“We need at least 550,000 to 600,000 cards per month. With the arrival of 6.5 million cards plus the remaining 3.2 million cards, these are enough to cover the backlog from last year and cover the 2024 requirements,” Mendoza said.

The LTO is planning to tie up with courier companies for the delivery of plastic license cards, he said.

“To expedite the release, we started to accredit courier firms. We are also offering a partnership with local government units (LGUs). In fact, we have an agreement with Mayor Joy Belmonte so that residents of Quezon City need not go to the LTO,” Mendoza said.

Aside from Quezon City, San Juan and Marikina are willing to serve as conduits in the release of plastic license cards, he said.

The LTO reminded the public of the renewal schedules issued by the agency to expedite the release of plastic card licenses.

Driver’s licenses that expired from April 1 to Aug. 31, 2023 and expiring from April 1 to 30 this year should be renewed from April 15 to 30 to avoid fines, according to the LTO.

Motorists with expiring licenses from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, and from May 1 to 31, 2024 are scheduled for renewal in May.

Driver’s licenses that expired from Jan. 1 to March 31 and June 1 to 30 will be scheduled for renewal in June.

At least one million plastic cards were delivered to the LTO central office on March 25 after the Court of Appeals lifted a writ of preliminary injunction issued by a Quezon City court last year.

The injunction order halted the delivery of 3.2 million remaining plastic cards and resulted in the backlog of plastic-printed driver’s licenses, which will reach 4.1 million by the end of the month.

The injunction stemmed from a case filed by losing bidder Allcards Inc. in the procurement of around 5.2 million plastic cards last year.

The winning bidder, Banner Plastic Card Inc., had delivered nearly two million plastic cards to the LTO when a Quezon City court issued the injunction.