CEBU CITY – Over 18,000 scholars have benefited from the free Theoretical Driving Course (TDC) that the Land Transportation Office-Central Visayas (Region 7) has been offering in the past two years.
An initiative by LTO 7 director Victor Caindec, 18,573 scholarships has been released since the program was launched in October 2020.
Caindec said the agency was able to release thousands of TDC scholarships despite the restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic and the devastating typhoon “Odette” last December.
"We are proud to say that as of year-to-date, we have released a total of 13,127 scholarships to the different parts of Central Visayas. This is in partnership with the different local government units (LGUs),” said Caindec.
According to the LTO 7 Driver's Education Center, they served 5,342 TDC scholarships in 2021 and 104 in 2020.
Caindec said the bulk of these scholarships is from their "Malasakit on Wheels" program through the e-Patrol Mobile Service which brings the TDC to the barangay level.
He added that 25 different training sessions have been conducted in different barangays.
"When we saw the opportunity to partner with LGUs specifically with the barangays, we have received overwhelming requests from the different village chiefs because they also want to educate their drivers in terms of road safety and making sure that they have proper licenses and registrations," added the LTO 7 director.
Aside from this city, e-Patrol were able to visit San Remigio, Tabogon, Sogod, Borbon, Tabuelan, Boljoon, Oslob, Alcoy, Dalaguete, Samboan, Compostela, Tudela, Santander, Pinamungajan, Minglanilla, Naga City, Talisay City, and Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island in Cebu.
In Bohol, thousands availed of the TDC from Tagbilaran City, Panglao, Dauis, Garcia Hernandez, Corella, Lila, Dimiao, Cortes, and Carlos P. Garcia.
Initial requests have been received by the agency in some of the LGUs in Negros Oriental.
So far, a total of 26 barangays and 37 LGUs have availed of the 15-hour TDC, Caindec said.
A 15-hour TDC is required for application of a student-driver permit under the LTO Memorandum 2019-2176 or the "Rules and regulations on accreditation, supervision, and control of driving institutions, and on standardization of driver education.”
"One of our targeted sectors are the ‘habal-habal’ (motorcycle-for-hire) drivers for the agency to help them in getting their driver's license, especially that we have also recorded an increasing number of accidents involving motorcycles," said Caindec.