Here in the Philippines, transacting with government agencies has always been a quite the chore. For us motorists, transacting with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is something that we do not look forward to each time we renew our driver’s licenses or when we renew our vehicle registration.
And that’s exactly what this recent viral Tiktok video showed.
A recent Tiktok video originally from “escstreetclub” (that was sent anonymously to MotoPinas.com) documented their journey with transacting with LTO's head office in East Avenue, Quezon City. According to the uploader of the Tiktok video, “it was such a hassle to transact with the LTO.” When they started in the morning, they were already greeted by lots of fixers just outside the LTO main office, who were trying to point them to their respective “offices” for requirements.
The original uploader lamented how pricey the simple “medical check-up” amounted to PHP 500.00 when in fact only a simple vision test was done.
The uploader continued that his driver’s license renewal process took 2½ hours long. He checked on his companion who was trying to get a new driver’s license coming from a student permit. As usual, the area designated for new driver’s license applicants is jam-packed, and to their dismay, they were told to just come back the next day as it was already 5:30 PM. The uploader said that they arrived at the LTO main office at 11:30 AM, and spent the whole day transacting with the agency, but still came short and were told to come back the next day.
The uploader also claimed that there was a PHP 100.00 fee for doing the online exams (LTMS) using the LTO’s available computers
Convenience through DLROs
While it is true that government agencies, such as the LTO, may have some shortcomings in terms of offering convenience to their clients, there are actually much more convenient alternatives offered by the private sector which are working hand in hand with the government.
The Driver’s License Renewal Offices (DLROs), which can be found in most commercial establishments, can process your driver’s license renewal in just a few minutes and in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. Some examples are the ones in Estancia, The Link Makati, and Tiendesitas.
These DLROs can also process new student permit applications. Unfortunately, even with process readiness since 2018, these DLROs are not yet permitted by the LTO to process student permits for new driver’s licenses.
