CEBU CITY – The Land Transportation Commission (LTO)-Central Visayas launched on Thursday its very first Driver’s Education Center (DEC) at the LTO-Cebu City District Office on N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City that is designed to facilitate and assist poor and deserving applicants in getting their driver’s license.
LTO-7 regional director Victor Emmanuel Caindec described the project as “Malasakit” initiative following the agency’s move to require driving course certificates to applicants of new student permits, new driver's licenses, and to those who wish to change or add a restriction code to their existing licenses.
"If there is what we call a private driving school, this is considered as a public driving school that will help those who cannot afford to enroll in a private driving school. With our own DEC, they can still get their license and be certified,” Caindec said.
He added that this is the first in the region after the agency accredited 23 private driving schools that offer driving courses to applicants. The center can accommodate 10 applicants per session following the implemented health protocols such as social distancing.
For student permits, applicants must undergo a 15-hour Theoretical Driving Course (TDC) while new driver's license applicants for both non-professional and professional will be required to secure a Practical Driving Course (PDC) Certificate.
Additional Restriction Code (RC) applicants also need to secure a PDC certificate. Caindec added that for as low as P300, the deserving applicant can avail of LTO's very own DEC. Details on how to get a slot with the full requirements will be posted at the LTO 7's Facebook page.
"Applicants must be indigents, with good morals, and must enroll online so that they can take a slot," Caindec said. The agency plans to coordinate with various local government units (LGUs) to assist the LTO in identifying the deserving applicants from their respective areas.
The agency's move of requiring all applicants to enroll in driving courses is in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's call of having more educated drivers on the road. The lack of awareness or knowledge on the country's traffic laws has led to the growing number of traffic violations, Caindec said.
All driving course completion certificates are electronically transmitted through the LTO-IT system that started on August 3, 2020.