Fees waived for OFWs renewing driver’s licenses abroad–LTO
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who will be renewing their Philippine driving licenses through government caravans held abroad will no longer have to pay for medical and courier service fees, according to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
“Our OFWs continue to make sacrifices while being away from their family and loved ones for the good of the country. This program is a concrete step of the government to show that they are given importance and are not forgotten, while making the process of renewing their driver’s license easier,” LTO chief Markus Lacanilao said in a statement on Wednesday.
The waiving of the medical and courier service fees is part of the LTO’s special program for OFWs under a new memorandum issued by the agency. It applies to those renewing their Philippine driver’s licenses through caravans organized abroad by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The caravans are held in different countries and serve as one-stop shops for OFWs in need of various government services, including passport renewal, notarial and civil registration, contract verification, welfare assistance and driver’s license renewal.
One-stop shop
With this program, the LTO said that OFWs will no longer have to return to the Philippines just to renew their driver’s license. The new memorandum will also make the process less of a financial burden since fees for the required medical examination will also be waived.
With the waiving of the courier service fee, the LTO said it will deliver the processed driving licenses to selected OWWA and DMW offices, and Philippine embassies abroad, where these can be picked up by their owners.
“Before, expenses for medical and courier services reached up to P6,000. Under the new program of the LTO, these payments will now be removed,” it added.
