LTO-7 intensifies plate distribution drive

Local

MOTORISTS across Central Visayas are receiving on-vehicle notices as transport authorities intensify a field campaign to locate and release available license plates directly to vehicle owners.

The Land Transportation Office-Central Visayas (LTO-7) has expanded its Aggressive Plate Replacement Campaign one week after its June 15 rollout, deploying personnel to identify vehicles with available replacement plates, verify records, and facilitate release through district offices.

Teams have been placing information flyers on vehicles, particularly those still bearing old green license plates, to inform owners that replacement plates may already be available and to guide them on where to claim them.

LTO-7 Director Atty. Wendel C. Dinglasan said the agency is shifting to a more proactive approach by bringing services directly to communities.

He said many motorists are unaware that their replacement plates are already available.

"Many of our motorists are unaware that their replacement plates are already available. That is why we will no longer wait for them to come to the LTO," he said on Monday, June 22.

He said personnel will go directly to communities to locate vehicles with available plates and leave notices to inform owners where to claim them.

Dinglasan said the initiative is aimed at bringing government services closer to the public, adding that it ensures that every plate in custody is released to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

"Our goal is to bring government service closer to the people and ensure that every plate in our custody is released to its rightful owner as soon as possible," he added.

The initiative aligns with earlier directives from the central office, which require offices to automatically check plate availability during registration renewals and related transactions, allowing motorists to claim plates during routine processing.

District offices, extension offices, mobile units, inspection units, and the Visayas Plate Courier and Distribution Hub have been instructed to maintain updated inventories and coordinate transfers to ensure prompt release of plates across offices.

The campaign covers replacement plates paid for as early as 2015, as well as motorcycles still using old green plates that are being replaced with standardized black-and-white plates.

LTO-7 said the expanded field operations are designed to reduce unclaimed plates and speed up distribution across Central Visayas.

LTO-7 also reminded drivers to renew licenses, student permits, and vehicle registrations before July 31, in line with existing guidelines following an earlier extension that waived penalties for late renewals.

Earlier this year, the regional agency reported that nearly half a million motorcycle license plates remained unclaimed across Central Visayas, with data showing that only 167,352 of 487,624 pending plates had been claimed as of February 27, or 34.32 percent.(MyTVCebu)