MANILA – The overly long wait for the release of new license plates is now over with the continued operation of the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) new plate-making facility inaugurated last year.
The facility not only produces more and improved license plates in less time; it is also safer for operators and has become a conducive workplace to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
In a web episode of TransporTalks by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), LTO chief, Asst. Sec. Edgar Galvante, said since the inauguration of the new plate-making facility, anyone who can read and understand instructions is capable of working in the new facility.
“May kapansanan pero sa process namin may maitutulong sila, open kami doon. Katulad sa plate-making, hindi mo kailangan magsalita ka—nakakabasa ka, nakakaintindi ka—’yung mga instruction nababasa mo naman at magagawa mo naman (Has a disability but is capable of helping in our process, we’re open to those. Like in plate-making, you don’t need to speak—you can read, understand—read the instructions and do them),” Galvante said.
They have hired four PWDs to date, one of which is quality assurance inspector, Edwin Sherwin Milanes.
As an amputee, Milanes has been hired by the LTO as inspector of license plates released by the facility.
“Kami ‘yung nagche-check ng plaka, kung tama ba ‘yung nasa QR code niya, kung ‘yung plaka ba ay maayos, walang gasgas, tapos kung ‘yung RFID niya match ba sa plaka (We are those who check the license plates, if the QR code is correct, if the plate is proper, no scratches, and its RFID matches the plate),” Milanes said.
One of his co-workers is Maricar Perez, who is capable of speaking through sign language, is one of the facility’s hot foil machine operators.
She said that through her work, she has since learned to be responsible as a government worker and now happy for being able to provide for her family.
“I am happy because I can help in supporting my family. And I am proud of everyone who is working here in LTO,” Perez said.
Since their hiring, Galvante said the LTO is open to more PWDs.
“Kaya sa ngayon meron kaming apat. At in fact, kung pwede pang dagdagan, dadagdagan namin (For now we have four. And in fact, if we could add more, we will),” Galvante said.
Aside from allowing the hiring of more PWDs, the new facility is also safer to all personnel.
Arjay Añasco, a hydraulic press operator, said since the installation of IDeROBOT or the facility’s automatic embossing machine, operators are more secure and safe because the machine itself is covered in polycarbonate glass.
The automation process has also lessened the number of human errors, speeding up the release of license plates, he said.
“Mas marami kaming nagagawa sa tulong ni IDeROBOT. Mas mabilis namin naibibigay ‘yung mga plaka nila (We can do more with the help of IDeROBOT. We can release license plates faster),” Añasco said.
The DOTr said the robot can produce around 700 plates an hour which totals to almost 6,000 pairs of plates in an 8-hour shift.
Aside from IDeROBOT, the facility also houses seven manual embossing machines, five hot foil stamping machines, and five units of RFID printers.
To date, the transportation office said about 1.9 million pairs of license plates have been made and are being distributed by the LTO.
How to check if your license plate is ready
For those who are waiting for the release of their plates, Galvante said there are two ways of checking if yours are ready.
One is to call your car dealer and check if your license plates have arrived.
Another way is to check it at www. lto. net. ph through the plate backlog inquiry option.
“Ang gagawin lang nila, pumunta sila sa website ng LTO. At makikita nila sa menu nun, merong plate query (Just visit the LTO website and on the site menu, there’s a ‘plate query’),” Galvante said.
Just key in the 15-digit motor vehicle (MV) file number, he added.
Aside from inquiring about the status of license plates, one could also schedule a license renewal appointment at a local LTO office within the website.
For car dealers, the website also houses a payment assessment tool which also allows online payment to skip the lines at LTO offices.