LTO to prioritize OFWs working as drivers for plastic license cards

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is set to prioritize giving the remaining plastic license cards to departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who might need the government ID, LTO office-in-charge Hector Villacorta said Thursday.

The newly designated LTO head said there are only 53,000 plastic driver’s licenses left in their storage, and they will prioritize giving them to OFWs who might need them for work, such as those who have been employed as drivers.

“The best way is to give it to those about to depart OFWs. Baka hindi tanggapin ng Saudi o Middle East o kung saan man ‘yung papel eh pupunta sila abroad para magtrabaho pero ‘yung lisensya baka ‘di paniwalaan,” Villacorta said in a public briefing.

(Saudi Arabia or other Middle East countries might not accept the paper licenses. The OFWs are going abroad to work, but their employers might not consider their license if it’s on paper.)

“We’re talking to our regional directors na ang i-priority ay those traveling as drivers ang occupation [that the priority is those traveling employed as drivers],” he added.

In April, LTO announced it would print out drivers' licenses on paper due to the shortage of plastic cards.

Villacorta, who was named LTO OIC by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday, said that he wishes to address the lack of license cards and license plates for motorcycles during his stint in the agency. —VAL, GMA Integrated News