10-year driver’s license validity to start next year

CEBU, Philippines — The implementation of the 10-year driver’s license validity will push through next year, after COVID-19 has impacted its implementation.

“All the IT infrastructures are already being programmed for implementation but, due to COVID-19, there are some concerns that the delays might affect the implementation. Furthermore, there is an intention to somehow run the 10-year license validity within the 2020 timeframe,” said LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec in a statement.

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante made an announcement earlier that drivers with “good standing” can acquire the 10-year license validity which will start in October 2021.

Caindec, however, clarified that the 10-year license will only apply to all renewing licenses. A new non-professional and professional driver’s license will have a five-year license validity on its first license.

LTO-7 has started the issuance of a driver’s license with a five-year validity in November 2016.

Caindec said the 10-year license validity is implemented using the backbone of the new LTO IT system, which started with the new five-year card validity program and connects to the agency’s Automated Certification and Education of Student-Drivers (ACES).

“Ultimately, the new LTO IT system under the new LTO management system will now be able to integrate the ACES, the five-year validity, the LTO point system, the LTO enforcement system, etc., and it has to be cohesively implemented to realize the mechanism of the 10-year validity,” said Caindec.

Under Republic Act No. 10930, any holder of a professional or non-professional driver’s license who has not committed any violation of Republic Act No. 4136 and other traffic laws, rules, and regulations shall be entitled to a renewal of such license to 10 years.

“There is a point system required and to be able to establish the point system, there has to be that apprehension system to connect to the database,” Caindec added.

Caindec explained that every violation of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, including other traffic laws, rules, and regulations of local ordinances will automatically accumulate demerit points depending on the gravity of the violation.

“Renewal requires mandatory hours of lecture and courses. To determine the number of hours that you need to take for the refresher, it also needs that there must be a corresponding connection to the LTO’s enforcement system to determine the additional hours for your lecture and courses,” Caindec said.

One of the things that need to be considered is the preparedness of the local government units.

“LGUs must now connect to LTO’s enforcement system and to do that, the LGUs must have a proper ordinance, they must enroll into LTO’s system, they must be able to have the capability to access our system, and they must now re-engineer their fines and administration framework to conform with our system, that itself will take some time,” Caindec further said. — GAN (FREEMAN)