LTO-7’s Drivers Education Center in Cebu City launched

CEBU CITY, Philippines- The Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas  (LTO-7) launched on Tuesday morning, September 29, 2020, the Drivers Education Center located inside their Cebu City District Office along N. Bacalso Avenue here.

The program aims to provide driving education to individuals who want to apply for a student’s permit before they would be allowed to apply for a driver’s license.

LTO-7 regional director Victor Caindec clarified that the center will only cater to those who cannot afford to pay for private driving lessons.

Caindec said the LTO-7 will only ask P300 as tuition fee from those who will qualify to enroll for the program, which is cheaper compared to private driving schools asking for P5,000 as an enrollment fee.

“Ang nakalahi, ang tuition barato. Ang nakalahi, dili bisan kinsa pwedeng moari diri, diha-diha moingon nga ‘gusto kong magpa-enroll karon dayon.’ Kay moagi paman ta ug proseso kay atong seguroon nga kato ra gyung angayan,” Caindec said.

(The difference is that the tuition fee is cheaper. The difference is that anyone can come here and say ‘I want to enroll right away.’ We will still have to go through a process so we can make sure that only those who are deserving can enroll.) 

Indigent individuals who wish to avail of the program may ask an endorsement from local government units (LGUs) or their respective barangays.

Caindec said  they also coordinated to different transport groups, such as Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), in endorsing deserving individuals in the program.

PISTON-Cebu Coordinator Greg Perez, for his part, welcomed the initiative made by the agency.

“Dako pod ni nga tabang sa amo labi na nga gitagaan ug higayon ang mga dili ka-afford o mga lisod nga han-ay sa mga tawo nga makakuha ug lisensya,” Perez said.

(This is a huge help for us, especially that those who cannot afford are given the chance to get a license.)

Currently, the Drivers Education Center can only cater to around six enrollees per session due to the strict implementation of the health and safety protocols, such as the observance of the social distancing.

But Caindec said that he is planning to extend the program in the provinces of Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental.

Enrolled students shall undergo 15 hours of lecture within 3 days or 5 hours per day.

Earlier, LTO issued Memorandum Circular No. 2019-2176, which states that “Student-drivers permit shall only be issued upon completion of a mandatory theoretical driving course to be conducted by LTO or its duly accredited driving schools for at least 15 hours and shall be completed within two years from the start of the course.”

/bmjo