Press Release - Tolentino to LTO: Consider the surge in OFW remittances this holiday season in projecting vehicle sales amid license plates backlog

Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino has asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to consider the surge in foreign remittances during the holiday season in projecting vehicle sales amid the agency's backlogs in the issuance of license plates for motor vehicles.

In his radio program 'Usapang Tol,' Tolentino told LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza about the possible increase in motorcycle sales during the holiday season when remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families also increase.

"This Christmas season, many of our OFWs are remitting and sending money. So, some of them have the capacity for a downpayment for a motorcycle, which increases the sales of motorcycle dealers," the senator said, in response to Mendoza's report of an uptick in motorcycle sales while LTO's backlog in motorcycle license plates issuance reached nine million.

Tolentino explained that unlike four-wheeled vehicles, whose owners change them every five to six years, or even more, the turnover in motorcycle sales is much faster, which correspondingly increases the required number of license plates.

The LTO chief welcomed the suggestion and told the senator they "will factor in" the surge of OFW remittances during the holiday season in their projection.

Mendoza revealed that the LTO would take nine months to solve the backlog in motorcycle license plates since the plant that produces them could only generate one million license plates in one month.

Last week, the LTO was criticized for planning to enforce a directive restricting and penalizing the use of improvised plates on Sept. 1, 2024. The directive was reset to Dec. 31 this year.

Mendoza said he also ordered to stop collecting the P40 certification fee for non-issuance of the license plate from the LTO upon hearing Tolentino's position against the collection of the certification fee.

The senator lauded the LTO chief in the same radio program for its "right decision."

Tolentino sa LTO: pagdagsa ng OFW remittances ngayong kapaskuhan, magpapataas sa vehicle sales at kakailanganing plaka

Dapat ikonsidera ng Land Transportation Office (LTO) ang epekto ng pagdagsa ng OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) remittances sa darating