LTO now producing 1 million license plates per month

MANILA, Philippines — The government is one step closer to wiping out its multimillion backlog in license plates as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that its plate-making facility has reached a production rate of one million plates per month.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza said yesterday that the increased production will not only address the backlog but also guarantee available plates for newly bought vehicles.

“We are now producing one million plates a month. We have dedicated machines that cater only to motor vehicles. Production is also focused on the bigger backlog for motorcycle plates,” he said.

The LTO said that it has eight working machines to expedite production and that the Department of Transportation ordered 15 million plates.

Data from the LTO showed that there is a current backlog of 80,000 plates for motor vehicles, which Mendoza said can be addressed before the end of November.

However, Mendoza previously said that the backlog for motorcycles, which was pegged at around 13 million, could take longer to address and may take until 2025.

“With the current production rate, we will be able to wipe out the backlog for motorcycles by early 2025. We are confident of addressing it. We are on the right track,” Mendoza said.

He pointed out that the increased production is good news for new car owners who previously had to endure a long delay in the issuance of plates.

The LTO is targeting to release license plates within seven to 10 days upon submission of documents to the agency.

“We estimate that the current demand for motor vehicle plates is around 2,000 vehicles a day. So times two because plates are front and back, so it’s 4,000 a day. We have that capacity; there’s no reason why a buyer who comes to you now will have to wait months in order to get their plates,” he said.