March 28, 2924 – In a significant move aimed at enhancing convenience and efficiency, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced that individuals who were issued paper-printed driver’s licenses can now have them replaced with actual plastic cards. Starting from April 15, drivers can head back to the district office where they initially obtained their paper licenses, and these will be promptly exchanged for durable plastic cards.
Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II, the LTO chief, emphasized the simplicity of the process: “Babalik lang sila sa district office kung saan nila nakuha 'yung papel na 'yun at papalitan ng card” (They only have to go back to the district office where they got the paper, and it will be replaced with a card).
Scheduled Renewals
For drivers whose licenses expire between April 1 and August 31, 2023, as well as those expiring from April 1 to April 30, 2024, renewal dates have been set from April 15 to April 30, 2024. The second batch of renewals will cover licenses expiring between September 1 and December 31, 2023, and May 1 to May 31, 2024, with renewal periods from May 1 to May 31, 2024.
Resumption of Plastic Card Issuance
The resumption of plastic driver’s license issuance follows the lifting of an injunction order by the Court of Appeals (CA), which previously prevented the LTO from receiving plastic cards. On Monday, March 25, the LTO’s central office received one million pieces of these much-awaited plastic cards after the CA ruled in favor of the Department of Transportation and the LTO.
Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, expressed optimism about this development. She urged the LTO to ensure uninterrupted delivery of plastic cards: “Umaasa tayong tuloy-tuloy na ang delivery ng plastic cards ayon sa commitment ng supplier at agarang matugunan ang backlog. LTO should immediately issue guidelines as to how drivers with paper licenses can claim their plastic card-printed licenses” (We are hoping that the delivery of plastic cards based on the commitment of the supplier will no longer be hampered so we can address the backlog).
Long-Term Solutions
Senator Poe also highlighted the need for sustainable solutions. She suggested that the LTO explore the possibility of producing its own plastic cards, similar to the approach taken for vehicle plates. By doing so, delays in critical services like license issuance can be minimized.
Past Challenges
In August 2023, a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), preventing the LTO from receiving plastic cards supplied by contractor Banner PlastiCard. This legal hurdle disrupted the delivery of 3.2 million plastic cards. The TRO stemmed from a complaint filed by the losing bidder, AllCard Inc.
Due to the shortage of plastic cards, totaling 4.1 million, the LTO resorted to printing driver’s licenses on paper. However, Assistant Secretary Mendoza provided reassurance: “By the third week of April, 'yung second na one million papasok na. By the second week of May, 'yung kabuuan na 1.2 million, papasok. After that, meron tayo panibagong supplier na parating that will cover for the rest of the year” (One million more pieces of plastic cards will arrive by the third week of April, another 1.2 million will arrive by the second week of May. After that, we will have a new supplier that will cover the remaining cards for the rest of the year).
With these developments, the LTO chief believes that the plastic card shortage for driver’s licenses is now “behind us already.” Drivers can look forward to a smoother process and more durable licenses as the LTO continues its efforts to improve services and address backlogs .