1 million plastic license cards left — LTO

MANILA, Philippines — Plastic license cards are down to one million, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said. 

LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza said that the remaining plastic cards will only cover the backlogs of the agency from April to June.

“We are down to around one million cards na lang...this is sufficient para ma-cater natin ang backlogs,” he said in an interview with Radyo 630 on Monday. 

(We are down to around one million cards only,... this is sufficient to address our backlogs).

Mendoza also said that 800,000 cards are needed to cater to the licenses that expired last May and June. 

A Quezon City court granted a writ of preliminary injunction on October 13, halting the procurement of plastic license cards due to a bidding dispute involving Allcards Inc. and the winning bidder, Banner Plasticard Inc.

Two hundred thousand cards are reserved for overseas Filipino workers renewing their driver's licenses.

Mendoza said that OFWs seeking license renewal before departing the country must show their ticket to the LTO.

In the same interview, Mendoza said that the LTO is considering alternatives which included engaging in a government-to-government agreement with the National Printing Office to supply plastic licenses.

"We are talking to them right now, same quality and hopefully [the] same price," he said.