ABSTRACT
The descriptive-evaluative research was conducted to determine the mandate, institutional procedures, and outcomes of Land Transportation Office License and Permit Issuance System. One hundred respondents, composed of fifty clients, and fifty implementers were given sets of researcher-made questionnaire to gather data. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative analysis utilized frequency count and percentage. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The result of the study revealed that majority of the clients showed awareness, participation, and positive reaction towards the Land Transportation Office Licensing and Permit Issuance System; and the Implementers were satisfied of the performance of Land Transportation Management System (LTMS). Challenges encountered by both clients and implementers included system connectivity, addressing clients’ queries, client familiarization of LTMS, implementers’ training, system sustainability, and technological literacy. Recommendations were formulated to improve the performance of Land Transportation Office Licensing and Permit Issuance System.
Keywords: Land Transportation Office, License and Permit Issuance System, Institutional Procedures
INTRODUCTION
Driving is a privilege and not a constitutional right. A driver’s license is not granted to anyone without passing a set of tests and examinations. To ensure that individuals will uphold road safety and follow traffic rules, a certain set of standards must be met before they can legally drive on the road.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) as one of the agencies of the Department of Transportation (DOTr)is tasked to register motor vehicles, issue driver’s or conductor’s license and permits, enforce transportation laws, rules, and regulations, and adjudicate cases. The LTO provides three types of driver’s licenses depending on the individual skills; these are student permit, non-professional permit, and professional permit. These permits are given in tiers or stages; rookie drivers are given a student permit while experienced drivers are granted professional license.
Recently, with the support from the German company DERMALOG, LTO launched a new portal that gives citizens online access to all LTO services without waiting time. Applying for a driver’s license, registering a car, or paying fees are now possible online in the Philippines.
The Land Transportation Office has launched its website portal that provides fast and 24/7 access to the agency’s services via computer, tablet, or smartphone.
The online portal is called “Land Transportation Management System” (LTMS). It includes an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) from DERMALOG with face and fingerprint identification, that prevents false or double identities of the applicant. Furthermore, the new system allows an easy integration of services of other government agencies in the Philippines. Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, former LTO Chief, said that the new LTO portal is one of the key steps on our way to become a frontline government agency showcasing fast and efficient public service for a progressive land transport sector (Hamburg, 2020).
Through the years, rules, and procedures relative to issuances of drivers’ license and permits have been revised and modified to meet the needs and demands of the times. These revisions and amendments of the rules and regulations highlight the driving skills and strict observance of road safety and traffic rules of the person who is applying for drivers’ license and permits.
The requirements for driver’s license and permit applications have changed drastically under the new guidelines since driving course completion certificates are required, one for the “Theoretical Driving Course,” and the other for “Practical Driving Course” for both new applications and license renewals. The changes in the requirements and procedure could cause complications and more costs for everyone but it aims to ensure that the applicants who will earn the license are fit, knowledgeable, and capable to drive.
Meanwhile, the full digitalization of the LTO Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) requires its clients to register in the portal to have their user accounts to access LTO services. The system itself requires the LTO clients to embrace digitalization in transacting business in the agency. But not all clients of LTO are computer literate, nor use digital platforms and other technologies. There are so many factors to consider such as, the clients age, educational background, nature of work, and their income bracket.
The use of fixers and other forms of deceitful transactions are likewise concern to the LTO, during Senate Committee hearing, former LTO Chief Teofelo Guadiz III said “in most of these cases, I would say 75 to 80 percent, it is another person who is taking the seminar; it is another person who is taking the examination, we feel that this is reprehensible”, Guadez told the senate panel the LTMS which is allegedly being used by fixers (Borday, 2022).
The researcher, being an LTO employee for the last seven (7) years, has observed that despite all the efforts of the LTO to achieve its mandate effectively, several hindrances still abound which have triggered her interest to conduct the present study.
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