POE: CONVERTING LTO EXTENSION OFFICES INTO REGULAR LICENSING CENTERS TO EASE TRANSACTIONS, DECLOG WORKLOAD

Sen. Grace Poe today said the passage of six bills seeking to convert extension offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) into regular district offices will improve services at licensing and renewal centers in various towns for the benefit of the public.

Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services and sponsor of the measures, said converting extension offices into regular LTO offices "would mean faster processing of transactions and shorter queues" in that they will have substantial and permanent staff and necessary funding to handle larger transactions for driver's license and motor vehicle registration.

"Inaasahan natin--at inaatasan natin--ang mga opisyal diyan sa LTO offices na gawan ng paraan ang matagal nang problema sa mga licensing center--ang napakahabang pila," said Poe following the approval on second reading of the measures on Tuesday, May 22.

The following measures were approved: House Bill No. (HBN) 927 converting the LTO licensing center in Kawit, Cavite into a regular licensing center; HBN 1875 converting the LTO extension office in Muntinlupa into a regular district office; HBN 3169 converting the LTO licensing center in Batangas City into a regular licensing center; HBN 3188 converting the Caloocan City extension office located in Malabon into a regular Malabon distict office; HBN 3986 converting the LTO Balayan, Batangas into a regular district office; and HBN 4166 converting the LTO San Pablo, Laguna licensing center into a regular licensing center.

Poe was also the principal sponsor of Republic Act No. 10930 which extended the validity of driver's licenses to five years and further renewable for a period of 10 years if the license holder has not committed any violation.

Poe will also conduct a hearing on Friday, May 25, in Iloilo City on various bills seeking to create regular LTO offices in the Visayas.