ILOILO City – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Western Visayas plans to set up four more district offices across the region.
One of them will be put up in Malay, Aklan while the other three will be converted extension offices, according to Regional Director Roland C. Ramos.
Rep. Carlito S. Marquez of Aklan wants an LTO satellite office set up in Malay soon – in fact, the congressman has filed a bill for it: House Bill 5954 – said Ramos.
The bill – “an Act establishing a Land Transportation Office satellite office in the municipality of Malay, province of Aklan and appropriating funds therefor” – was tackled during a Senate public services committee hearing at the Iloilo provincial capitol on May 25.
Ramos disclosed that he would persuade Marquez to file another bill seeking the establishment of an LTO district office in Malay aside from the satellite office.
He claimed that they may not be able to provide “real services” with a satellite office, whose services are limited to motor vehicle inspection and driver’s license renewal.
District offices, on the other hand, also offer motor vehicle registrations, driver’s licensing issuance and law enforcement initiatives.
A district office in Malay may be able to accommodate around 300,000 clients from the town and neighboring municipalities, Ramos said.
LTO has a district office in Kalibo, capital of Aklan, but its distance from Malay – an estimated 72-kilometer drive – makes transacting inconvenient for the locals of the latter town.
Ramos estimated that LTO has more than 10 district offices and three extension offices across Region 6.
He said they plan to convert the extension offices in Pontevedra and Pilar towns in Capiz, and in the island province of Guimaras into district offices./PN
