LTO: no longer latoy-latoy

I was at the LTO last week. I had to renew my license which has been 5-months expired.

LTO uses some electronic gadgets to aid in its license application processing.

The first gadget is a webcam. It’s not high-resolution at all. No need for high-res photos for a 1x1 picture printed on our license cards, ‘di ba?

What’s silly is this lady who operates the camera.... Over the loudspeakers, she would announce a name and call that person to her window. Then, over the blaring speakers, she would command “Atras! Tingin sa camera! Pirma!”

It’s embarrassing for some people, you know, especially the karaniwang tao. Malay ba nila that this round thing peeping out of the window is a camera. Suggestion to LTO: Why don't you post written signs beside each gadget saying

"Tingin sa camera ->" 
or 
"Pirma dito ->"

The second gadget is a signature capture ultramagneticpop device. It has a stylus and a white band where people are supposed to write their signature. Of course, you wouldn’t see your signature on the device. It’s like writing your signature using a pen without ink. (See www.geniusnet.com.tw for more details on this gadget).

Both inputs to the camera and the signature capture device come out in the new license, freshly printed and laminated with matching hologram-hologram pa sa likod. Nice and spiffy!

Before and After

All in all, I think LTO has improved a lot in processing licenses. I remember those times (the more I use that line, the more I feel I’m getting ooooold) when LTO would issue a temporary paper license and then stamp a notice saying something like: “valid for 60 days”. You’ll need to go back to LTO to claim the plastic card license. Gone are those days.

This time around, it took me around 3.5 hours (8am to 11:30am) to secure my license. There was a bonus, you know. I got to secure a license to drive two wheeled vehicles! I think it cost me an additional 30 mins or so to get that additional restriction code allowing me to drive a motorcycle. Other than that additional processing time, it was soooo easy to get that motorcycle license.

In fact, it was my first-time ever in my entire lifetime in this whole world that I ever drove a two-wheeled motorized vehicle … evah! It was my first time to drive a scooter and I managed to get a license to drive it! (Okay, okay, so the system wasn’t perfect enough to screen out crazies like me).

The license renewal was an almost worry free morning. Except for one thing ...

There was this security guard.
When I entered LTO and was at his “inspection” station, he asked me

“saan po sila, sir?”

I said

“renewal ng license”.

He:

“Meron na ho ba kayong requirements? Ang NBI clearance at police clearance?”

I said ... nothing. I said nothing as I contemplated what he just told me.

Last time I renewed my license, I could not recall any need to get a police clearance.

I was quiet, looking at the security guard, contemplating whether I should go home and retrieve my NBI clearance among my files.

Without much insistence from me, he relented to my silent stare:

“Sige sir, paki-tanong niyo nalang po sa luob ”

I went in and processed my license. Three and a half hours later, I asked the same guard:

“Saan kailangan ang NBI at Police clearance?”

A discussion ensued. I made it clear to him that HE told me that an NBI and police clearance were required. Of course, he denied it.

Imagine if other people believed him when he told them that they needed an NBI and police clearance. Haaaay .... Purnada ang isang buong araw ng maniniwala just because this one security guard gave wrong information.

Other than that, I’m happy with the improvement of LTO.

There still are fixers hawking whatever services, asking trivial questions hoping to get you into a conversation, trying to be useful. But even without them fixers, the process is smooth enough. Just requires a little patience.

And you’ll need some street smarts to ward away the “masasamang elemento” like that mis-informing security guard. Jerk!

Driver Edong

Jerk = change in acceleration with respect to time
(Did I remember Prof. Sy-Siong correctly?)