LTO unveils platemaking facility

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) yesterday inaugurated its platemaking facility, which the agency hopes would address the backlog in vehicle license plates.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade led the inauguration of the manufacturing plant at the LTO compound in Quezon City.

Tugade said the 1,000-square-meter facility houses seven machines that can produce 1,600 plates each or a total of 11,200 plates per eight-hour shift.

“With this new plant, the LTO now has the capability to manufacture license plates on its own. Plate production will be faster than outsourcing the service,” LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said.

The LTO hopes to resolve the backlog of plates, which totaled 3.8 million for motor vehicles and 5.2 million for motorcycles from July 2016 to March this year.