Feb 22, 2023


Systems Fixed

Right-thinking motorists and vehicle owners are growing optimistic for an on-line system that will make dealing with the Land Transportation Office a lot less of a hassle and a lot more efficient.

Already the Land Transport Management System, or LTMS, that the LTO has put in place is making renewal of licenses a lot less time consuming.

At least, that is the experience of many who took the time to sign up to the LTMS portal where they can review stuff like traffic rules and regulations and other lessons one needs to learn to pass the required on-line tests.

The LTMS is also working well, at least in regional, district, and satellite offices, where it is firmly established and connected, with making renewal of motor vehicle registrations again less of a hassle and more efficient.

Vehicle owners can set appointments for when they want to head to the LTO for the renewal. The system and process also allow vehicle owners to get their vehicles tested for emission and roadworthiness ahead of time, so their time at the LTO offices can be counted in minutes or fractions of an hour.

Already there are now one-stop-sites where one can get their vehicles get their roadworthiness and emission tests and immediately get their registrations renewed.

Although it must be said that one thing about the LTMS is that this all depends on a really strong and stable internet connection. But perhaps we can trust the LTO to be working on that side of the process.

The LTO under its chief Jay Art Tugade claimed before a congressional hearing that the LTMS processes already in place is being heavily utilized and working as it should.

Many LTO processes are now integrated into the LTMS.

Aside from the Driver's Licensing System (DLS) and the renewal processing of Motor Vehicle Inspection & Registration System (MVIRS), the LTMS also includes the Law Enforcement & Traffic Adjudication System (LETAS), Revenue Collection System (RCS), Portal (front-facing application used by the general public), Online Application & Appointment System (OAAS), and Executive Information System (EIS).

August is being targeted as the month when all LTO processes will be coursed through the LTMS.

Already the LTO is touting initiatives that should finally take it to the digital age, including the use ofLaw Enforcement Handheld Mobile Devices by April, the pilot testing of new registration for the MVIRS which should be made available to all 51 sites in the country.

LTO is even talking about vehicle registration renewals fully going on-line. By next year no less.

But vital to this is the migration of all LTO transactional data from old IT provider, Stradcom, to the Department of Information and Communications Technology and then transferred to the agency's current provider Dermalog.

Here's hoping all stumbling blocks to this nationwide rollout of the LTMS will hurdled and the Tugade can deliver on promises to Congress and the motoring public.

Strada Milestone

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation has just gone past another milestone, selling 100,000 Stradas.

Mitsubishi is celebrating the milestone by rolling out a special variant-the Strada GLS S-Limited.

The special limited edition Strada comes with Front Bumper, Step Board, and Gloss Black Rear Bumper all in red accents, a tailgate spoiler, LED Headlights and Daylight Running Lights, and special two tone silver and red decal racing stripes.

Inside the S-Limited features black leather with red stitching for seats, door trim, steering wheel, hand brake lever and shift knob.

Only 75 of the Strada GLS S-Limited will be sold, so those who want one better hurry to the nearest Mitsubishi dealership.

Honda Relief

Honda has come out in support of relief efforts for the victims of the recent earthquake that hit the Turkish-Syrian border.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. of Japan pledged to donate10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support the humanitarian relief and recovery efforts in the affected areas.

Honda subsidiaries in Europe and the US have also pledged to contribute to the relief efforts.

Hyundai Adventure

Hyundai Motor Philippines has given members of media another opportunity to enjoy the attractions and road adventures offered by the island of Cebu from behind the wheel and the comfortable cabin of the Creta and the Stargazer.

On just the first day of the Hyundai Adventure in Cebu, local and national journalists traveled from the Hyundai Cebu South Showroom to the coastal cities in southwest Cebu, all the way up to Busay, before crossing over the channel to Mactan via the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)