Philippine government plans to launch electronic driver's license

The Philippine Land Transport Agency (LTO) will work with the Department of Information Technology (DICT) to launch an electronic driver's license or "digital driver's license" as part of the agency's efforts to digitize its services.

Jose Arturo "Jay Art" Tugade, director of the Land Transport Department, said the e-license will serve as an electronic alternative to the physical driver's license and will be integrated into the super application being developed by the Philippine Department of Information Technology.

He explained: "The advantage of a digital driver's license is that as long as you have a mobile phone, the driver can show it to law enforcement officers when you are arrested. It should be equivalent to showing a physical driver's license. We also appreciate that the function of the super application is similar to an electronic wallet, which means that a mobile phone will contain all your government ID."

The electronic driver's license is intended to replace the temporary driver's license that is currently printed on paper.

The public will be able to use the electronic license to conduct various transactions with the agency, including license registration and renewal and online payment.

Regarding security, Tulgarde confirmed that in addition to the security measures of the super application, the existing security functions of the driver's license will also be integrated into the digital version.

The e-governance partnership between Landtransport and the Department of Information Technology demonstrates the agency's commitment to digitizing as many services as possible. In March this year, the Land Transport Agency and the Department of Information Technology of the Philippines formally established an e-governance partnership. This cooperation aims to enhance the digitization of the internal systems and processes of the Land Transport Department, and ultimately improve its overall efficiency and effectiveness.

The head of the Land Transport Department declared: "Simplifying and digitizing more services will ultimately help the agency eradicate corruption."