BUTUAN CITY – Revenue collections at the Land Transportation Office in Caraga (LTO-13) posted an increase despite the snags that different district offices have experienced as an effect of the continuing battle to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) from July to August this year.
A comparative data provided by LTO-13 to the Philippine News Agency Thursday (Sept. 24) showed that the agency recorded a PHP7.9 million increase in revenue collections in the past two months.
Urbano Maglines Jr., LTO-13 operations chief, said the agency managed to collect PHP86,607,337 from July to August this year compared to the PHP78,685,826 collected in the same period last year.
“We were able to increase our collections during the period despite the difficulties our clients experienced due to the strict implementation of health protocols,” Maglines said.
He added that from July 30 to August 17, the office of LTO-13 and LTO Butuan District Office temporarily stopped its operations when 20 of their employees tested positive in Rapid Test for Covid-19.
“We are thankful that all of them turned negative in their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests,” Maglines said.
The temporary closure, he added, was also due to the disinfection conducted in their offices and the mandatory 14-day quarantine of 20 of their personnel.
He added that during the period, the other LTO district offices in Caraga were open but strict health protocols were also imposed during transactions.
Except for the district offices in Butuan and Dapa in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, all the other district offices in the region posted increases in collections during the period, Maglines said.
Butuan district office is down by 29.5 percent during the period or PHP15.2 million this year compared to PHP21.6 collected from July to August last year. The district office in Dapa, Siargao Island, meanwhile, collected PHP1.3 million in the same period, which was roughly the same figure last year.
Among the top LTO district offices that logged an increase in collections during the period include the Patin-ay in Agusan del Sur with an increased collection of PHP5.4 million, Bislig City in Surigao del Sur with PHP5.1 million, Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte with PHP2.7 million, Tandag City in Surigao del Sur with PHP2.3 million, and Surigao City with PHP1.5 million.
Department of Transportation Caraga (DOTR-13) Acting Director Nordy L. Plaza lauded the efforts of all the district heads in the region for the increased collections despite the difficulties they encounter during the pandemic.
“Aside from closing down temporarily our office at Butuan, other district offices will have to limit the transactions daily to avoid the congestion of our clients and the possible risk for virus infection,” Plaza said.
He added that the drive to ramp up collections is based on the guidance of the leadership of the LTO at the national level to help the government collect revenues to fund programs and services for Covid-19 response.
Plaza also reminded residents in Caraga on the agency's health protocols, particularly on the temporary prohibition for senior citizens to transact in LTO offices. (PNA)
