DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) now owns a plate making plant capable of producing the country’s need for licensed plates.
The plate making plant was inaugurated Tuesday, April 24, 2018, in time for the 106th founding anniversary of the LTO.
The plant enables the LTO to manufacture vehicle plates which contributes to a faster and more efficient issuances of licensed plates to new vehicle owners.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said “The LTO had a lot on its plate when we took over. There was a huge backlog in license cards, while the court stopped the distribution of plates. Isa-isa nating sinolusyunan ‘yan. Ngayon, may lisensya na at five years pa ang validity. Ngayon, hindi lang basta na-distribute ang mga plaka. Gagawa pa tayo ng sariling plaka (One by one, we are finding solutions. Now, we have driver’s license with five years validity. Now we not only distribute vehicle plates, we would make our own).”
The DOTr and the LTO rolled out seven manual embossing machines which can produce up to 22,000 plates daily.
These machines are already calibrated and operational, with one automated embossing machine arriving in July, and set to be operational by August 2018.
The machines will enable LTO to manufacture its own plates rather than outsourcing the service.
The plate making equipment were delivered last February 26, 2018. It is part of the contract of Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corporation and JH. Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH Joint Venture, who won the contract for the procurement of motor vehicle and motorcycle license plates to address the backlog from July 2016.
Tugade said the DOTr targets to release the plates of those who bought vehicles from July 2016 onwards on August or September this year. For years years, the country suffered the lack of licensed plates for new car owners due to legal battle between the licensed plate supplier and the government.
Carlito Conde, a motor vehicle owner said “I hope, I wish, that their new plate making facility will be able to serve all motor vehicle owners and I hope, everything they print will be properly accounted.”-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.Ph with report from PNA
