I doubt if there’s anyone more enthusiastic about renewing his driver’s license than my 82-year-old father. His current one is good up to his birthday in 2022. And he has been joking around the house that after he renews his license next year, the next time he’ll be visiting the LTO would be in 2032, on his 93rd birthday.
Much as I am glad that my father still harbors that youthful zest for life, I was a bit concerned about the prospect of him still driving around in his 90s, and having a license to do that even if—God forbid—he develops a condition that would make it unsafe for him to drive.
My concern was amplified when the news broke out that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) had green-lit the 10-year validity of driver’s licenses to eligible motorists. These 10-year licenses will be rolled out in LTO’s Metro Manila offices beginning today, and subsequently in the coming weeks throughout the country.
I reached out to LTO Chief Edgar Galvante a few days ago to ask a few questions that his good office’s media circular on the new licenses did not cover.
1) Will this 10-year policy consider particular demographics like age? What if I am a 70-year-old person applying for a 10-year license? There is a big likelihood that my physical capacities could’ve been limited during those 10 years. What is the LTO’s safeguard on this so we can ensure the safety of the motoring public?
Galvante: This is a very valid concern which was highlighted by the President during his SONA last July, when he mentioned the upcoming issuance of the 10-year licenses. Grantees of the 10-year license will be required to submit updated medical information every two and a half years. Failure to do so will not only disqualify them from the 10-year license on their next renewal, but may also subject them to suspension of their current license. Licensees failing to send their updated medical information will be sent advisories via e-mail. Further failure to comply may mean the suspension of their license. This will have serious consequences for their violation record, especially if they are involved in accidents or traffic incidents.
Galvante added that five-year license holders will also be required to periodically submit their medical exams.
2) Will there be a merit system that can affect the validity period of the license holder?
Galvante: The violations monitoring system ensures that license holders will be held responsible for their infractions of traffic laws and rules. These infractions will be recorded in their accounts—those with demerits will automatically be barred from receiving a 10-year license, and can only receive a five-year license. Meanwhile, license holders who rack up five or more demerits will be required to take and pass additional Comprehensive Driver’s Education (CDE) courses before they can continue to drive. Suspension and even revocation of licenses will be meted to license holders who have chronic bad driving records. More stringent rules will be applied on professional license holders—the demerits and penalty points meted to them are doubled. The LTO will announce guidelines on the particulars of this point system and impact on license holders, as this is currently still being finalized in coordination with the MMDA and concerned local government units.
3) Is the 5-hour CDE seminar mandatory for all persons, whether renewing or applying for the 10-year license, and why is there a need for such even if the applicant has not violated any traffic laws?
Galvante: Yes, the CDE program is mandatory for all persons applying for renewal of their driver’s licenses. Applicants for new driver’s licenses will continue to qualify for their new license under the existing theoretical and practical driving course. There will be common curricula and subject matter in both programs, although the CDE is geared more as a refresher course. The CDE and accompanying qualifying exam are mandated under RA 10930. They are meant to help raise the quality of Filipino drivers and improve road safety. Galvante has assured that the CDE and exam are free and accessible to all. And to give license holders more time to comply with the CDE requirements, the LTO has extended the validity of expiring licenses (up to Dec. 31, 2021) by two months. In the next issue, we’ll look at the 10-year driver’s license more in depth, and tackle the nitty-gritties of acquiring one.
