MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday, May 22, said 6 bills converting certain extension offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) into regular district offices would help shorten lines.

Poe, Senate committee on public services chairperson, said that converting these offices “would mean faster processing of transactions and shorter queues.”

The extension offices handle driver’s license applications and motor vehicle registration.

“Inaasahan natin at inaatasan natin ang mga opisyal diyan sa LTO offices na gawan ng paraan ang matagal nang problema sa mga licensing center – ang napakahabang pila,” Poe said on Tuesday, as the 6 bills were approved on second reading.

(We are hoping and we are ordering the officials in those LTO offices to do something to address the problem in the licensing centers – the very long queues.)

Conversion of these offices into regular LTO offices would also mean additional funds for hiring staff who would handle the larger volume of transactions. (READ: A disappointing story about getting a PH driver’s license)

House Bill (HB) Nos. 927, 3169, and 4166 would convert the licensing centers in Kawit, Cavite; Batangas City, Batangas; and San Pablo City, Laguna into regular licensing centers.

Meanwhile, HB Nos. 1875 and 3986 would convert the extension offices in Muntinlupa City and in Balayan, Batangas.

HB No. 3188 would convert the Caloocan City extension office located at the Malabon City Hall into a regular district office to be run by the Malabon city government itself.

Poe will also conduct a hearing in Iloilo City on Friday, May 25, on measures seeking to create regular LTO offices in the Visayas. – Rappler.com