LTO-7 activates Malasakit Text Line

Text line to entertain queries on land transportation issues

The Malasakit Text Line numbers.

CEBU CITY—The Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) activates on Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Malasakit Text Line so the public could ask questions on land transportation concerns.

In a press release posted on its website, LTO-7 explained that the agency decided to launch the Malasakit Text Line for the transacting public within Region 7.

“This initiative is created to fill the void after some of the LTO-7 offices were temporarily closed starting last Wednesday due to the ongoing health crisis,” according to the LTO-7.

Starting Wednesday, March 18, LTO-7 temporarily closed the Cebu City Mega Licensing Center at the SM Seaside City Cebu, Driver’s License Renewal Offices (DLRO) at the Robinsons Fuente, SM City Cebu; Bohol DLRO-ICM, Talibon Extension Office and Jagna District Office-Garcia Hernandez in Bohol; and Dumaguete City District Office, Bayawan City District Office, DLRO-Robinsons Dumaguete and La Libertad District Office in Negros Oriental. 

Read more: 11 LTO-7 offices closed to combat COVID-19

The text line will entertain questions on licensing, registration, apprehension and plates.  Questions on licensing can be sent to 0918-557-6658; for registration to 0918-557-6662; apprehension to 0918-557-6664; and plates to 0918-807-3502.

The LTO-7 staff will answer the text messages on regular office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays. The stakeholders are advised to text only the specific contact number that handles their specific concerns.

“We’re calling the public to bear with us in this critical time. The LTO-7 is doing its best to serve the public,” said LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec.

LTO-7 has identified quick response centers or focal point offices that are open on regular office hours on Mondays to Fridays to accommodate the concerns of the motorists. These offices are the Tagbilaran City District Office, Bais City District Office and Cebu City District Office and Operations Division.

LTO, however, will have to reduce the number of office visitors to 50 percent as part of the guidelines of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on the community quarantine and social distancing measures. 

“These quick response centers cater the usual transactions, but we have to limit the people as part of the social distancing guideline,” said RD Caindec.

LTO-7 urged stakeholders to ask questions first through the text line before going to any LTO-7 office. /bmjo