NO PENALTIES. Urbano Maglines, Jr., Land Transportation Office-Caraga Region chief of operations, says Thursday (April 23, 2020) that penalties have been waived for late renewal of vehicle registration while the region is under enhanced community quarantine. The waived penalties also cover license renewal for March and April, and in succeeding months until the quarantine is lifted. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
BUTUAN CITY – The Land Transportation Office in Caraga Region (LTO-13) has assured there will be no penalty for the late renewal of registration of vehicles. noting that the region remains under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to contain the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Urbano Maglines, Jr., the chief of operation and spokesperson of LTO-13, told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday (April 23) that around 39,123 vehicles in the entire region are set for registration renewal beginning March to April this year.
The number is based on the data on the motor vehicles registered in the same period in 2019.
Maglines said the waived penalty is based on the directives from the LTO head office, adding the same consideration will also apply for the succeeding months until the ECQ is lifted.
LTO-13 stopped the registration and renewal of registration and licenses on March 18 upon the declaration of ECQ in the region
Data provided by LTO-13 indicated that in March 2019, a total of 21,303 motor vehicles were registered in the area with 24,788 registration transactions were handled, 15,601 licenses and permits issued, 25,401 license transactions handled, and 1,032 apprehension cases.
The total revenue collection in March 2019 reached up to over PHP36.7 million.
In April last year, a total of 17,829 motor vehicles were registered in Caraga Region with 20,081 registration transactions handled, 15,048 licenses and permits issued, 22,804 license transactions handled, and 703 apprehension cases with a total revenue collection of PHP34,918,424.60.
Maglines said increased revenue collection was also recorded in LTO-13 from January to February 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
The total revenue collection during the first two months this year was recorded at PHP89,503,400.15 or an increase of PHP20,044,034.80 compared to PHP69,459,365.35 revenue collection in the same period last year.
In a separate interview, Thursday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Caraga Region OIC Regional Director Nordy Plaza emphasized that LTO-13 now operates with skeletal force, most of the staff required to report are those in the law enforcement operations.
“Our law enforcement personnel are now assigned as front-liners in quarantine checkpoints while the others are tasked to ferry the health workers in Butuan City through the free transportation program of LTO-13,” Plaza said. (PNA)
