How I Got My Student Driver's License from LTO

I finally started my “driving journey” last month when I started the process of obtaining a Student Driver’s License from the Land Transportation Office.

Starting my journey was never easy since I am not that motivated to buy my own vehicle. That is until I gave in to Mrs. Ahab’s persistent pestering, and also after seeing her and the kids being exhausted after a long commute to my parents’ home.

I was able to obtain the Student Driver’s License (a.k.a. student permit) around one month after I applied for classes in a driving school.

So how was I able to do it? Here is my step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Apply for a Driving Class (Theoretical)

The very first step is searching for a good driving school in our area. The first driving school that I talked with is not OK as their fees are quite expensive. Even their practical driving course is priced over 15 thousand pesos for a 7-seater automatic vehicle.

Good thing that I found a better driving school that offers a theoretical driving course (TDC) for 1 thousand pesos. Their practical driving course is more affordable at around 6 thousand pesos for a 7-seater automatic vehicle.

What’s better is that this driving school offers online classes, which is perfect for busy people like me.

So for this step, I suggest that you check out more than one driving school to see which has a better offer or package.

Step 2: Finish the Online Theoretical Driving Class

The LTO requires all driver’s license applicants to attend a 15-hour theoretical driving class. The driving lessons can be face-to-face or online through SafeRoads.PH.

I opted for the online driving class since I cannot afford being absent from work. Also, the online class is flexible enough that I can finish each module at my own pace as long as I finish the whole class within 30 days after I applied for a theoretical driving course in the Driving School.

The topics covered in the online class include traffic laws and regulations, safe driving principles, road signs, and more. The class is just composed of videos for every topic. There was no live or recorded lecture. I had to answer a quiz at the end of each module to prove that I understood the lesson. Also, SafeRoads.PH asks for webcam photos from time-to-time to ensure that I am actually present during the online class.

I took and passed the final exam at the end of the SafeRoads.PH online class before I was given the Certificate of Completion by SafeRoads.PH.

Step 3: Pass the Theoretical Driving Exam

Next, I went to the Driving School to take the Theoretical Driving Exam.

The exam is relatively easy because most of the questions have answers that are just common sense or practical. The exam is also multiple choices, so I just guessed if I really did not know the answer.

The total number of items is 120 and the passing grade is 80% or 96 correct answers. I think “aced” the test by getting 102 correct answers ;-)

The Driving School awarded me the certificate of completion of the theoretical part of the driving course, which finally made me eligible to apply for the Student Driver’s License.

Step 4: Register in LTO’s LTMS Portal

The Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) Portal is the online system developed by LTO to make its service modern and digital.

All Driver’s License applicants are required to register to the LTMS Portal. Make sure that you have a working email address before registering.

The importance of having an LTMS account is the client ID, which is a requirement for application for Student Driver’s License.

The Driving School assisted me in registering to the LTMS Portal.

Step 5: Apply for Student Driver’s License at LTO

This is the final step!

To get your Student Driver’s License you must have the following:

1. Duly accomplished Application for Permits and Licensing (APL) Form, which can be downloaded from the LTO website.
2. Electronically transmitted medical certificate issued by LTO-accredited medical clinic
3. LTO client ID, which can be seen in your LTMS account
4. Original and photocopy of any government issued ID - in my case my passport is sufficient for this requirement.
5. Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN) for employed applicants - this info will be written in the APL form.
6. Original and photocopy of any of the following:

Birth certificate issued by the PSA or local civil registry (for areas without PSA)

Philippine ID

Philippine passport

Marriage certificate issued by PSA

My application for a Student Driver’s License was very easy and fast. I went to a satellite LTO office in a shopping mall in our area. The LTO-accredited medical clinic is just beside the LTO-satellite office, so it was very convenient.

So, the very thing that I do is go to the LTO-accredited medical clinic for a medical exam which just consists of an interview and then an eye check-up to see if I have good eyesight and is not color blind. The clinic then electronically transmitted my medical certificate to LTO.

The next step is I went to the LTO satellite office to submit all the requirements, read the Filipino Driver’s Oath loudly, and take my photo and biometrics. I then paid 250 pesos for the Student Driver’s License.

Finally, I got my Student Driver’s License printed on paper just within one hour from the time I took my medical exam. It is so surprisingly fast because I expected government services to be slow. 

So that’s the story on how I got my Student Driver’s License! I will now move to the next phase of my Driving Journey, which is the practical driving lessons.

Well, see you in the next post where I will talk about how my practical driving lessons go.

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If you want more details on the process and requirements on getting a Driver’s License, I suggest that you visit the LTO website.

Experiencing Laguna (Part 4): The Story of the Iconic Arch of Santa Rosa

“Bandits infested the roads and rivers, ravaged fields and farms, pillaged churches and set light to houses in an orgy of murder, robbery and rapine in which there was ‘hardly and evil deed that their rash boldness [did] not perform”

This was how the late 19th Century Philippines was described by many commentators and historians. Filipinos at that time lived in constant danger and with great fear against lawless elements that prowl the areas outside of the town centers. Aside from the threat of tulisanes or bandits, the Philippines was in turmoil that time due to the looming revolt of the Katipuneros. 

La Laguna is not exempted to that state of affairs since some of the villages around Laguna de Bay were considered as “ladrone towns” or villages inhabited by ladrones or tulisanes. The neighboring province of Cavite is known as a bandit refuge that’s why the colonial government established the Cuartel de Santo Domingo in the area that is now occupied by the training compound of the PNP Special Action Force. The cuartel served as the barracks of the guardia civil and forward base against the bandits from Cavite.

I’ve been harping on the lawlessness of 19th Century Philippines when I discovered that the Santa Rosa Arch is not just a simple welcome arch but was originally called as “Bantayang Bato”. It was a structure that was meant to protect Santa Rosa from lawless elements. 

The Arch of Santa Rosa City.

The Santa Rosa Arch is my favorite spot in the poblacion of Santa Rosa, Laguna. The arch gives the Parisian “Arc de Triomphe” vibe that are contrasted by Philippine jeepneys passing through it.

The arch is simply adorned with images of angels blowing their trumpets. At its base are lions, which announce Santa Rosa’s moniker as the “Lion City of the South”. The current form of the arch is a far cry from its old form as seen in old photos.

Evolution of Sta. Rosa Arch as displayed in the Sta. Rosa City Museum.

According to Arch. Mario C. Zavalla and Ms. Gemalin Batino-Diaz, the original structure of Bantayang Bato was built in 1817 or 5 years after the Santa Rosa de Lima Church was constructed. It was placed beside the river to serve as a lookout and a garita or checkpoint against tulisanes navigating through the Silang - Santa Rosa River. The Cavite town of Silang was a notorious haven of bandits during the Spanish Period. Bandits who wished to attack Santa Rosa possibly used the river to travel from Silang. This is the reason why Cuartel de Santo Domingo is at the Santa Rosa - Silang boundary and beside the Silang - Santa Rosa River. 

The arch was reconstructed in 1860 to make it wider for easy page. A "small treble bell" was placed in the next year to make it easier to raise alarm when tulisanes were sighted from the watch tower. The original arch was a simple one tier-masonry style, very much like the current form of Santa Rosa Arch.

The Santa Rosa Arch was refurbished in 1925. It was then dismantled and reconstructed on its current location in 1931 due to the increasing vehicular traffic. Yep, you read that right! A 71-year-old historical structure that protected the town from bandits were demolished and relocated just to make way for cars and jeeps. 

Good thing that the current Santa Rosa Arch was not demolished since it is in the way of vehicular traffic. The city government just made additional lanes around it. I guess they should have done that with Bantayang Bato.

The lion at the foot of Santa Rosa Arch.

I thought that Santa Rosa City just recently used the lion as its symbol. However, Zavalla and Batino-Diaz claimed that the lion as a symbol was already in use by Santa Rosa since the Spanish times. They said that the lion statues were already present at the foot of the Bantayang Bato. The lion statues were also displayed at government buildings such as the casa tribunal and the hacienda of the city mayor. Thus, the symbol of the lion is very apt for Santa Rosa City.

I will never see the Arch of Santa Rosa the same way again. Instead of being awed by it, the arch reminds of the destruction wrought in the name of progress. Laguna has plenty of historical sites and heritage buildings that were demolished for the sake of economy and business to the point that the towns of Laguna transformed into modern cities that lost their soul. By discarding their past, these Laguna towns just became poor copies of Makati CBD or BGC.

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Read my other blog posts for the Experiencing Laguna series:

Experiencing Laguna (Part 1): Rizal Monument and a Peek at the History of Biñan

Experiencing Laguna (Part 2): Our Overnight Stay in La Vista Pansol Resort

Experiencing Laguna (Part 3): A Healthy and Relaxing Dip in Laguna Hot Spring Resort (Pansol, Calamba)

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References:

1. "Ang Bantayan" and the Four Lions by Mario C. Zavalla and Gemalin Batino-Diaz in Santa Rosa Heritage magazine (January 202 edition) retrieved from Santa Rosa Memoirs FB Page

2. Gemalin Batino FB page

3. LaChambre's Preparation for the Silang Offensive from Cuartel de Santo Domingo during the 1897 Philippine Revolution by Shine Relle Nuñez retrieved from Research Gate

4. Bandits, Banditry and Landscapes of Crime in the Nineteenth-Century Philippines by Greg Bankoff retrieved from Cambridge University Press

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