DOTr Sec Tugade wants driver's license exams in local dialects

In an effort to afford every Filipino the opportunity to fully comprehend the Land Transportation Office's (LTO) driver's license (DL) examination and possibly rid the agency of fixers in the process, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through Secretary Arthur Tugade, announced that soon, these examinations will be made available in local Filipino dialects like Cebuano, Ilonggo, Chavacano, Ilocano, etc.

The transportation chief explained that the LTO, through DOTr Department Order 2020-003, should formulate and make DL examinations available in other local dialects, besides English and Tagalog, at the option of the examinee.

“Kapag nag-a-apply ng driver’s license, dalawang language ang ginagamit sa exam, English o Tagalog. Itong nakaraang linggo, nag-issue tayo ng Department Order in consultation with LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante. Pinapa-translate ko into local dialects yung exam. Halimbawa sa Cebu, translate into Cebuano. (When applying for a driver's license, two languages are used in the examination: English or Tagalog. Last week, we issued a Department Order in consultation with Asec, Galvante of LTO. I directed them to translate the examination into local dialects. For example in Cebu, translate it in Cebuano),” the DOTr chief said.

Sec. Tugade further added that some applicants may not be familiar with the national dialect or English, and printing the DL examination questionaire in local dialects could help them better understand the questionnaires.

All LTO Regional Directors are mandated to provide a translation of the driver's license examination in their respective regional language wihtin 30 days from the effectivity of the Order.

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