LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II (PNA file photo)
MANILA – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is seeking a takeover of the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) from German information technology (IT) contractor Dermalog as part of the government’s digitalization efforts.
In a statement Thursday, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said such a takeover would help expedite addressing problems raised by the Commission on Audit and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“Our IT experts are capable of operating and maintaining the system. In fact, they are responsible for fixing the system to make it easier and more comfortable for the end-users, and eventually for the full utilization of the online platform,” he said.
To date, Mendoza said the issuance of driver’s licenses is 100 percent done under the LTMS, while around 95 percent of motor vehicle registration renewals are done in the system.
The LTO is currently focusing on improving the registration of newly-registered units on the LTMS which presently sits at around 60 percent.
He is seeking a 100 percent transition to fully digital transactions before the end of November this year.
“System maintenance will be easier and the government can also save money in fixing system deficiencies through the DICT because we are moving towards 100 percent utilization of the computer system that the government has paid for over PHP3 billion,” he added.
Mendoza said an evaluation of the DICT disclosed 14 deficiencies in the LTMS system and 166 needed enhancements to improve the system.
“We are definitely capable of taking over. In fact, this was the reason why I created a technical working group and right now, we are in the final phase of review and assessment for full implementation by next month,” he said.
Mendoza also disputed claims from Dermalog that LTO personnel are resisting the use of the LTMS.
“This is not true, I have personally witnessed the actions of our frontline personnel so it is unfair to issue inaccurate statements like that,” he said.
Earlier, Mendoza created a technical working group to consolidate the LTMS with its older IT system -- Stradcom IT – which is still being used in some LTO districts and extension offices.
In May, Dermalog came under fire when a local transportation group called on the government to probe the implementation of the LTMS due to system glitches and its inability to deliver a fully integrated system despite the LTO paying 80 percent of its PHP3.4 billion contract since it was awarded in 2018.
In March, Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Agus Widjojo also sent a letter to ABONO Party List Representative Robert Raymond Estrella alleging that Indonesia and several other countries have encountered problems with Dermalog resulting in the termination of its services. (PNA)
