DOTR: Extended 5-year registration validity for new vehicles only

February 6 ------ The extended five-year validity of vehicle registration that was approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will only apply to brand-new vehicles and motorcycles, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

In a statement, the DOTr said new vehicles and motorcycles will have to register yearly after the initial five-year period to allow the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to check on roadworthiness and safety. “On the 6th year, kailangan nang i-renew ‘yan and every year thereafter. Ang rason po dyan, habang tumatagal o tumatanda ang ating sasakyan, it becomes less reliable because of depreciation or wear and tear. Mas kailangan ang LTO na magkaroon pa rin ng comprehensive roadworthiness check,” Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

Lopez added that the extension of the registration validity will make the process more convenient to vehicle owners and help them avoid queues at LTO offices during renewal, while addressing issues such as fixers and corruption. The DOTr and LTO are expected to issue a Department Order and Memorandum Circular on the new five-year car registration policy, with February 15 as the target date for implementation.

On Tuesday, Malacañang announced that Marcos “initially approved” the DOTr’s proposal to extend the validity of registration for new vehicles to five years from the current three years. Meanwhile, Lopez urged the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) to make the five-year registration for brand-new vehicles a free service to help vehicle buyers. “I think 80-90% ng car dealers, nagbibigay sila ng free registration as come-on. Makikiusap ako sa CAMPI na baka pwede pa rin nilang gawin, free registration pa rin para at least makakatipid ‘yung ating mga kababayan,” Loopez said.

Source: gmanetwork.com