Sen. Go Chides LTO’s Issuance of Paper Driving License

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY - Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go rebuked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on its decision to issue a vulnerable driver’s license made of bond paper after its polyvinyl choride (PVC) counterpart becomes scant.

The PVC should be replaced by the sturdy polycarbon version  which has a five to ten years’ validity. It has 32 security features that include a hologram, laser engraving and guilloche.
“Bakit ibibigay na papel? Bakit ninyo papahirapan… gawan ninyo po ng paraan trabaho po natin sa gobyerno na pagserbisyuhan po ang ating mga kababayan lalo na iyong kanilang alam ay pamasada so nakapila para po kumuha ng linsensiya at ngayon papel ibinigay sa kanila,” a visibly angry Senator said. 

 The Solon cited that the paper license would easily tear-off inside the pocket of the licensee when he/she got soaked in the rain.

The decision of the LTO to shift to the paper form could give problem and inconvenience to the driver when he/she is flagged down by the law enforcer.

“Ako po ay nanawagan sa LTO, DOTR (Department of Transportation) alam ninyo, kayo naman may na ipasa na po na batas si dating Pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte na iyong five years na po ang validity ng ating card. Pag wala kang violation ay maari pang maging ten years po ito. Ibig sabihin para di na po pabalikbalik ang ating kababayan sa opisina magpila doon sa LTO,” the Davao City based Senator deplored.

LTO Chief Jay Art Tugade announced last week - after a public backlash - that his offices all over the country will be issuing temporary driver's licenses printed on pieces of paper as plastic card supply ran out last week of April 2023.
"Many of our countrymen have already spoken. As a response to your suggestions, we are announcing that all driver's licenses set to expire by April 24, 2023 shall have their validity extended until Oct. 31, 2023," Tugade told the people when he spoke in a government television
The plastic card shortage is said to hit around 5.2 million motorists.
The problem, according to LTO officials, occurred after all procurement of the office involving P50 million and above should be conducted by the Department of Transportation at its central office in Manila..
It could be remembered that the government issued a similar temporary paper PhilSys ID cards on paper in 2022, after struggling to provide plastic identification cards to millions of registered Filipinos.