Drivers holding licenses with five-year and 10-year validity no longer have to undergo periodic medical examinations, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced on Sunday, April 16.
LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said the mandatory medical examination shall only take place before applying for and during the renewal of a driver’s license.
“For motorists who will be issued driver’s licenses with 5 or 10 years [of] validity, the medical examination shall only be required sixty (60) days prior to or on the specified renewal date,” he said in a statement.
Prior to this development, five-year license holders must secure medical clearances during their third birthday from license issuance.
Those with 10-year licenses must undergo medical examinations on their fourth and seventh birthdays following the issuance of their license.
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Tugade said failure to undergo periodic medical examinations is not a proven cause of road accidents according to studies, collected data, and consultations.
“There’s no empirical data showing that periodic medical examinations could prevent road crashes,” he said.
“Bukod sa menos-gastos sa paulit-ulit na medical exam, bawas-abala din lalo na sa mga taong mahalaga ang oras para sa trabaho. Nasa pagkukusa na lang ngayon ng bawat indibidwal kung gusto nilang sumalang sa medical exam.”
Meanwhile, Filipino driver’s license holders who are working or living abroad are required to undergo a medical exam within 30 days of their arrival in the Philippines before they can drive in the country, the LTO said.
