New LTO ruling: Periodic Medical Exam no longer required for 5/10-year-validity license renewal
If the LTO issued you a driver’s license with a 5 or 10-year validity, you might have noticed that you must undergo a Periodic Medical Exam. Those with the former will have to get it done in the 3rd year, with the latter having to do it twice in the 4th and 7th years. This is no longer required following the agency’s latest announcement.
LTO amends Memorandum Circular 2021-2285, no longer requires Periodic Medical Exam (PME)
Photo: LTO
Under LTO Memorandum Circular 2021-2285, AKA the “Supplemental Implementing Rules and Regulations” of Republic Act 10930, it was initially provisioned that “aside from the regular medical examination as a requirement for application of a new or renewal of a driver’s license, those issued with a 5-year or 10-year valid driver’s license must undergo a PME”. You can find your schedule reminder stamped on the front side of the receipt of your previously-issued license.
According to Chief Jay Art Tugade, though, this amendment is brought about by the fact that based on various studies, data collected, and consultations that the agency conducted, a failure to undergo the required PME is not included among the causes of road crashes. “There’s no empirical data saying that the periodic medical examination could prevent road crashes,” LTO Chief Tugade said.
That said, the mandatory medical examination will now be a requirement only before applying for and during the renewal of a driver’s license. “For licensees who will be issued a 5-year validity driver’s license and 10-year validity driver’s license, the medical examination shall only be required sixty (60) days prior to or on the specified renewal date,” Tugade clarified.
Filipinos holding PH driver’s licenses but working abroad will be required to undergo a medical examination within 30 days of their arrival in the Philippines before they are allowed to drive in the country.
“Kami sa LTO ay naniniwala na ang hakbang na ito ay magdudulot ng bahagyang ginhawa sa publiko dahil bukod sa hindi na sila kailangang gumastos ng paulit-ulit para sa medical examinations, maiiwasan din ang dagdag-abala lalo na sa mga mahahalaga ang oras para sa trabaho. Nasa pagkukusa na lang ngayon ng bawat indibidwal kung nanaisin nilang sumalang sa medical examination [The LTO believes that this will be more convenient to the public because they no longer have to spend for repeated medical examinations, and they can avoid interruptions in their valuable work times. It’s by their own effort if they want to undergo the medical examination],” Tugade later added.
We have to admit that this idea is sound. If we are to bank solely on the data that the LTO gathered, then this may be the right move to execute, indeed. Plus it’s a good thing that people’s times are being taken into consideration, too. The LTO sure is serious about its thrust to provide better, more convenient, and more affordable services to the Filipino public, wouldn’t you say so?
