House panel tackles bills seeking expanded LTO services in Quezon

By Nimfa L. Estrellado Quezon 4th District Rep. Mike Tan attends the House Committee on Transportation deliberation on bills seeking to upg...

By Nimfa L. Estrellado

Quezon 4th District Rep. Mike Tan attends the House Committee on Transportation deliberation on bills seeking to upgrade and expand Land Transportation Office (LTO) facilities in Quezon Province, including proposed improvements to LTO offices in Tagkawayan, Alabat and Gumaca. (Atorni Mike)

LUCENA CITY, Quezon - Three bills seeking to upgrade and expand Land Transportation Office (LTO) facilities in Quezon’s 4th District were discussed by the House Committee on Transportation during a recent deliberation. The measures aim to improve public access to government transportation services and strengthen the operations of LTO offices in the province.

Quezon 4th District Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" Tan filed the measures to make LTO services more accessible and convenient for motorists and residents across Quezon Province. The proposals also seek to improve the capacity and classification of existing LTO offices in several areas within the district.



The proposed measures come amid increasing demand for vehicle registration, licensing and other transportation-related services in southern Quezon. Residents from far-flung municipalities and island communities often spend several hours traveling just to complete basic LTO transactions.

House Bill No. 8981 seeks to turn the existing LTO extension office in Tagkawayan into a regular district office with expanded services and personnel. House Bill No. 8982 proposes the conversion of the Alabat Extension Office into a regular district office, while House Bill No. 8983 seeks to upgrade the classification of LTO Gumaca from a Class “D” to a Class “C” district office.

If approved, the measures would allow the affected offices to receive larger operational support and additional manpower from the national government. The proposed upgrades are also expected to improve the processing capacity of the offices and reduce overcrowding during peak transaction periods.

According to Tan, the proposed measures aim to bring government services closer to the people and address the growing number of LTO transactions in Quezon Province. He said stronger and larger LTO offices are needed because of the province’s increasing population, economic activity and transportation-related transactions.

“Hindi na sapat ang kasalukuyang kapasidad ng ating mga tanggapan para tugunan ang dami ng transaksiyon ng ating mga kababayan,” Tan said. “Layunin nating ilapit ang serbisyo ng gobyerno upang hindi na kailangang bumiyahe nang malayo ang mga residente para lamang makapagproseso ng kanilang mga dokumento.”

In his sponsorship speech, Tan said LTO Gumaca recorded more than 269,000 transactions from 2023 to 2025, reflecting the growing demand for transportation-related services in the district. He said the number shows that the office is already handling more transactions than its current capacity can efficiently manage on a daily basis.

LTO Gumaca currently serves motorists from several municipalities in the 4th District, making it one of the busiest transportation offices in the area. The office regularly handles applications for vehicle registration renewals, driver’s licenses and other regulatory transactions involving public and private vehicles.

The lawmaker also pointed out the difficulties faced by residents of Tagkawayan and Alabat Island, many of whom still need to travel long distances just to reach the nearest LTO office. He added that transportation costs, long travel hours and additional expenses continue to burden motorists seeking vehicle registration, driver’s licenses and other government services.

Traveling from island municipalities to mainland LTO offices often requires additional boat fares and connecting land transportation expenses. During bad weather conditions, residents may also experience delays that affect scheduled transactions and document processing.

“Kapag naaprubahan ang mga panukalang ito, mas mapapabilis ang proseso ng rehistro, licensing at iba pang serbisyo ng LTO,” Tan added. “Makakatulong din ito upang mabawasan ang pila, gastos at oras ng biyahe ng ating mga mamamayan.”

Under the proposed measures, additional funding, personnel and improved facilities would be provided for LTO offices in the district to improve public service delivery. The upgrades are also expected to speed up transactions, reduce queues and make government services more convenient and accessible for residents across the province.

The proposed office conversions and upgrades are also expected to support economic activity in the district, particularly in areas dependent on transportation, logistics and small business operations. Faster processing of permits and registrations could help reduce delays affecting drivers, operators and local enterprises.

Tan urged fellow lawmakers to support the immediate approval of the bills to help improve the delivery of transportation services in Quezon. He said the measures would help provide faster, more efficient and more accessible government services to communities throughout the province.