Bangsamoro LTO eyes extending driver's license validity to 10 years

The Bangsamoro Land Transportation Office (BLTO) on Wednesday said it is planning to extend the validity of driver's license in the region from five years to 10 years.

In a message to GMA News Online, the BLTO said its office is “implementing the extension of driver's license validity in the BARMM region from 5 years to 10 years.)

“The BLTO is working to align its services with national standards while improving accessibility across the region. Additional details regarding the implementation timeline and process will be announced soon,” it added.

Tech provider Stradcom Corporation (STRADCOM) in a separate statement said its company had a meeting with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Tuesday.

“MOTC and STRADCOM officials also discussed the adoption of the 10-year driver's license validity in BARMM, which would extend the current five-year validity period,” STRADCOM said.

“This policy is also consistent with the driver’s license issuance of the LTO Central Office. STRADCOM confirmed that this initiative could be done in the LTO-IT system,” it added.

Aside from the extension of driver’s licence validity, the Bangsamoro ministry and the tech provider also discussed the expansion of BLTO’s automated services and additional LTO sites to serve far-flung areas.

STRADCOM vice president and head for auxiliary services and project development Luis Angelo Ibarra affirmed the company’s continued commitment to supporting the MOTC’s transportation initiatives, including its network expansion. 

The MOTC and STRADCOM in November 2021 entered into an agreement to automate land transportation systems in BARMM and to interconnect its database with the LTO Central Office. 

This partnership also covers the authenticity and validity of documents such as driver's licenses and motor vehicle registrations issued by the BLTO. —RF, GMA Integrated News