ILOILO City – Motorcycle riders across Western Visayas may now receive their long-overdue license plates without setting foot inside the Land Transportation Office — thanks to LTO Region 6’s aggressive on-the-road campaign to clear a decade-long plate backlog.
Launched officially on August 4, the “Oplan: Stop, Plate, and Go” initiative brings license plate distribution to the streets by allowing LTO law enforcement teams to flag down motorcycles without plates and instantly issue them — on the spot — from stockpiles kept in patrol vehicles. The only requirement: the motorist must present valid registration documents such as the official receipt and certificate of registration (OR/CR).
“We want to expedite plate distribution through our LTO Regional Law Enforcement Section (RLES) 6 teams,” said LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II.
Instead of penalizing riders without plates, the LTO issues them their official plates right on the spot if it’s already assigned or available.
The campaign, first piloted in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON, now covers the entire Western Visayas region.
As of August 3, LTO-6 has already distributed 27,271 motorcycle plates under this proactive scheme, said Geduspan.
Supporting President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to fast-track plate distribution and aligned with Department of Transportation secretary Vince Dizon’s thrust for reform, the campaign shifts focus from penalties to service delivery.
“Instead of a citation or temporary operator’s permit, motorists are happily receiving their plates on the spot,” said Assistant Regional Director Jeck Conlu, who personally supervised the operations on August 5.
One rider flagged near Jaro Plaza in Iloilo City recounted his surprise: “Abi ko sanction kag TOP (Temporary Operator Permit) ang ihatag sa akon — nalipay gid ako nga plaka ang ginhatag. Nami-ka serbisyo sang LTO Region 6 subong.”
Geduspan attributed the successful implementation to improved plate production at the national level, heightened public awareness, and aggressive field deployment.
“The backlog in plate production has been resolved. What remains is to get those plates into the hands of owners — and we’re doing that faster now with this new scheme,” he said.
For riders whose plates remain unassigned, field officers assist in checking availability or tracking their status using the LTO’s digital system.
Although the full-featured plate tracker is currently limited to the National Capital Region, Region IV-A, and Region III, LTO-6 is coordinating with its Central Office to implement courier-based deliveries in Western Visayas.
“Once that partnership with the accredited courier and local delivery services is finalized, residents here will also be able to track their plates and have them delivered directly,” Geduspan added.
With fewer than 10,000 plates from 2021 registrations still awaiting dispatch from the Central Office, Geduspan said the region is close to clearing its remaining backlog.
LTO-6 assures motorists that this is not a punitive campaign but a public service drive.
“This is not about catching violators. It’s about serving the public efficiently. If a motorist is flagged and we see they have no plate but their registration is clean, we’ll give them their plate — right there and then,” Geduspan emphasized. “It’s our way of bringing the LTO closer to the people.”/PN
