DOTR: Extended 5-year registration validity for new vehicles only

The extended five-year validity of vehicle registration that was approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will only apply to brand-new vehicles and motorcycles, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the DOTr said new vehicles and motorcycles will have to register yearly after the initial five-year period to allow the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to check on roadworthiness and safety.

“On the 6th year, kailangan nang i-renew ‘yan and every year thereafter. Ang rason po dyan, habang tumatagal o tumatanda ang ating sasakyan, it becomes less reliable because of depreciation or wear and tear. Mas kailangan ang LTO na magkaroon pa rin ng comprehensive roadworthiness check,” Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

(On the 6th year, the registration of the new vehicles needs to be renewed and every year thereafter, because as vehicles age, these become less reliable because of depreciation or wear and tear. It is necessary for the LTO to conduct a comprehensive roadworthiness check.)

He explained that the extension of the registration validity for new vehicles is due to longer warranties offered by car dealers.

Lopez added that the extension of the registration validity will make the process more convenient to vehicle owners and help them avoid queues at LTO offices during renewal, while addressing issues such as fixers and corruption.

The DOTr and LTO are expected to issue a Department Order and Memorandum Circular on the new five-year car registration policy, with February 15 as the target date for implementation.

On Tuesday, Malacañang announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “initially approved” the DOTr’s proposal to extend the validity of registration for new vehicles to five years from the current three years.

Meanwhile, Lopez urged the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) to make the five-year registration for brand-new vehicles a free service to help vehicle buyers.

“I think 80-90% ng car dealers, nagbibigay sila ng free registration as come-on. Makikiusap ako sa CAMPI na baka pwede pa rin nilang gawin, free registration pa rin para at least makakatipid ‘yung ating mga kababayan,” Loopez said.

(I think 80-90% of car dealers already offer free registration as a come-on. I will ask CAMPI if they can still do it, so that at least our fellow motorists can save.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News