A major reshuffle in the transport sector’s leadership moved Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Vigor D. Mendoza II to the top post of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), replacing Teofilo Guadiz III, who will now head the Office of Transport Cooperatives (OTC).

Meanwhile, Markus Lacanilao, former Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, has been designated as the new LTO chief.

In a statement, Mendoza thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. for the continued trust and confidence as he takes on his new role at the LTFRB.

“I and my family express our sincerest gratitude to President Marcos for the opportunity to serve the Filipino people, for the 26 months of challenging but worthy public service as Chief of the LTO,” Mendoza said.

“On my part, I stand proud on my way out for I know that I did not fail our Chief Executive in addressing all the problems concerning land transportation and for being an instrument to showing the Filipino what genuine public service is,” he added.

Mendoza, who was appointed as LTO chief in July 2023, exited the LTO after more than two years of implementing policy reforms and solving seemingly impossible tasks within the agency.

He came in the LTO at a time when it was at the receiving end of vicious attacks from the public, especially netizens over the issue of shortage of plastic cards for driver’s license.

The LTO was also at the receiving end of motorists' anger over shortage of supply of the security paper being used in the printing of Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (OR/CR) and other important documents.

But what really dragged the LTO to the bottom of public distrust and derision was the decades-long backlog of license plates for both four-wheel vehicles and motorcycles.

When he assumed the top LTO post, there was over one million backlog for four-wheel vehicles and more than 12 million backlog for motorcycle plates.

As soon as he assumed the top LTO post, Mendoza led efforts to resolve the agency’s 11-year backlog of over 13 million license plates, stabilize the supply of plastic cards and security paper, and introduce digitalization reforms that improved efficiency and transparency.

The LTO, under Mendoza’s watch, also launched online renewal services for driver’s licenses, expanded access for overseas Filipinos in Taiwan and Japan, and introduced the LTO Tracker system for real-time monitoring and home delivery of plates and licenses.

Mendoza expressed confidence that the LTO will continue its reform momentum under the leadership of incoming chief, Lacanilao.

“I will leave the LTO with my head held up high and with a proud heart, knowing that I did not disappoint our President Marcos, and knowing that I made a big difference in ensuring the quality service that the Filipino people deserve in the LTO,” he said.

Mendoza also expressed gratitude to the men and women of the LTO for believing in his policy reforms, including fulfilling his promise of addressing contractualization in the LTO by pushing for reforms that led to the job security of hundreds of former contract of service personnel.