A P33.4 million Bacolod City District Office in Barangay Mansilingan was inaugurated and turned over to the Land Transportation Office on Tuesday, February 28.
The P32 million building with a P1.4 million fence was donated by the Negros Occidental provincial government along with the 1 hectare property it was built on.
“The LTO, in order to be more responsive to the varied needs of its clients, has to adapt to the rapid growth of the Province of Negros Occidental and the City of Bacolod,” Lacson said.
“The considerable increase in the volume of LTO transactions has overwhelmed the agency’s previous office location and had to be addressed. This bigger area and office building will certainly facilitate the flow of transactions and ease congestion, and will result to a more efficient delivery of services,” he added.
The transfer of the LTO office from the Cottage Road in Bacolod to Mansilingan will steer further development in the surrounding areas, reinforcing the wisdom behind the donation, Lacson said.
The Hojilla family and Redclay Inc. donated the property to the provincial government that in turn donated it to the LTO, the governor said.
Among those present at the inauguration were Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Rep. Greg Gasataya and Councilor Claudio Puentevella, and LTO Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo Tugade, Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor, Regional Director Lenard Tabaldo, and LTO Bacolod Chief Renato Novero.
Tugade thanked the provincial government through Lacson for the donation of the new LTO office and property.
Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) provided the funds for a Drivers’ Education Center at the facility, and Gasataya assured that the Department of Public Works and Highways would complete paving the remaining short stretch of the road leading to the LTO office.
Gasataya said he also authored a law that will convert the LTO District Office into a Licensing Center for Negros Occidental.
Novero asked Benitez for help in the relocation of about 15 informal settler families on the property donated by the provincial government.
Meanwhile, Tugade said the LTO has created a committee to study and come up with a “reasonable and standard rate” for those wanting to learn how to drive at driving schools.
“We expect that the committee will come out with their study before the end of March,” he said.
Pastor said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023- 13 allowing traditional jeepneys to operate using provisional authorities until June 30 to give them more time to consolidate — either through a cooperative or a corporation — as part of the government’s PUV modernization program.
After June 30, the traditional jeepneys who are part of a consolidated entity will be allowed to have their franchises extended until December 31.*