ILOILO City – Applicants of new drivers’ licenses and those renewing expired ones must acquire a certification of completion of the comprehensive driver’s education (CDE), according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Though there is no exact date yet as to when this would be implemented in Western Visayas, LTO in Region 6 is urging motorists to take – and pass – the CDE once available.
The CDE is composed of a refresher seminar and an examination designed to ensure that “only deserving applicants with sufficient driving skills and (are) knowledgeable (of) road safety and proper road courtesy” will have their licenses renewed.
This is mandated under Section 3 of Republic Act 10930 (an act rationalizing and strengthening the policy regarding driver’s license by extending the validity period of drivers’ licenses) which amended the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
“This (aims) to elevate the quality of our drivers,” said Atty. Allan Sacramento, acting chief of LTO-6 operations division. “We want them to at least be in the know of traffic rules and regulation.”
Section 3 of RA 10930 further stated: “Toward this end, the conduct of theoretical and practical examinations, among others, must sufficiently measure the competency of drivers and must be designed to the type of license applied for its corresponding restrictions: Provided, that for professional drivers, the tests must be appropriated to the vehicle and type of service the applicant intends to operate.”
According to Sacramento, the CDE exams, currently being piloted in Metro Manila, may be expanded in the region by the last week of this month or the first week of December.
The CDE seminar would take a maximum of five hours to complete. It consists of video and written materials provided by the LTO.
The examinations would be held at driver’s education centers (DECs). Region 6 has two of such: LTO Regional Office 6 in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro district and the LTO office in Kalibo, Aklan.
The exams could also be taken online by logging in to LTO’s Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) portal.
How is it done?
“Mayroon tayong audio-visual materials doon at mga printed materials na pwede nilang i-review. After that they can have the validation exam. Pagkapasa nila doon automatically magpi-print ng certificate na ise-send doon sa kanilang email address,” Sacramento explained.
Exams taken in DECs or online would be free, according to Sacramento.
However, he said, if motorists opt to take the exam at LTO-accredited driving schools, these schools may charge fees.
Sacramento said the examination would be “about traffic rules and regulations and road safety.”
There would be unlimited takes on the exam. No one is also exempted.
10-YEAR VALIDITY
The LTO will soon issue drivers’ licenses valid for 10 years in line with the provisions of RA 10930.
Under the law, the new licenses valid for 10 years will be given to holders who do not have any traffic violations on file.
Those with traffic violations recorded during the validity of their expired licenses, meanwhile, will be issued renewed licenses that are only valid for five years.
Meanwhile, LTO warned that sanctions await motorists caught driving with expired licenses.
LTO has extended the validity of expired driver’s licenses by two months from the date of expiration: October 2021 to December 2021; November 2021 to January 2022; and December 2021 to February 2022.
The extension aims to ensure that motorists who are renewing their licenses are given enough time to comply with the CDE requirement, according to LTO./PN