2025 Late Car Registration Renewal at LTO Binalonan (We were power tripped!)

 The car's registration renewal was due in the second week of July, but we were busy with the Japan visa application back then so we were only able to look into it now.

We went to the nearest LTO branch today, August 13.

We left the house at 1:15PM.

It was about a 20-minute drive from home.

When we arrived, we were advised by the guard to go straight to the inspection center, which is just beside the LTO office, to ask for the requirements because the queue to the assistance desk is so long it will just take us more time.

We did so, and at the inspection center we were advised to go to the emission testing center, which is also near them.

We obliged.

We queued at the emission testing center and we were third on the line.

They took the photocopies of the car's OR and CR, but because the CR copy is kind of illegible, they also took the original which also didn't help so I had to scroll through my phone's gallery to look for any photo of the car's info which has the chassis # and motor #. 

Fortunately I found one.

It was already 2:30PM when our turn came.

It's alright with us though since the queue is moving and there wasn't any delay.

After the emission test (P550) where they gave us the Certificate of Emission Compliance (CEC), we went next to the office beside them to get an insurance policy (P1,100 for SUV).

It was just fast.

We handed them the papers and they just copied the car information from the CEC for the insurance policy.

We just waited for a few minutes as they typed in the info, printed the policy and attached the insurance certificate of cover to the documents.

Then we headed back to the inspection center.

We lined up again, but it didn't take too long for our turn for the inspection.

What took a while was getting our documents back.

They have so many papers to fill in and there's just the two of them so it's understandable.

It was already 3:20PM-ish when we got our documents back with the MVIR attached to it, and went inside the LTO office to line up to the PACD to submit our documents.

We were able to submit the documents and was given a number at 3:40PM.

We were told to just wait for our number to be called at Window 4, which is the Cashier.

Quick summary of the documents we submitted:

1. Photocopies of OR and CR, 1x each

2. CEC

3. Insurance certificate of cover

4. MVIR

Here's when the process turned sour.

You can see at the monitor what number each of the windows are serving, and window 4 hasn't changed for a looong time.

It was at number RRR087, and when it did change, the numbers getting served are RRMxxx or something.

We also need to go to the grocery store after this so since we were already waiting for 45 minutes (it was already 4:25PM!), my husband decided to ask Window 4 for our number's status and she redirected him to Window 2 which is for Evaluation.

He went there and asked how long will it take for our turn and if we can just come back later.

The lady then attempted to hand over back our documents to my husband which he refused and sat back to where I was to wait again.

Then finally, RRR088 was called. 

It was already 4:30PM-ish I think.

Our number was next, I thought.

It took just a minute for the man to pay then left immediately.

Then number RRR090 was called next. 😳

I thought, oh maybe ours will be next.

But number RRR091 went next.

Then RRR092!

There I got up and went to Window 4, and told the lady that she skipped our number, and showed it to her.

She redirected me to Window 2.

I went there and said the same, that she skipped our number.

My husband got worked up and he kind of raised his voice and told her we were waiting this long already.

I locked my eyes on her as she gave me back the number and asked me to write at the back of it the car's plate #.

As I was writing the plate #, she said something, but I can't remember exactly, maybe it's like "okay na" or something because I was stopped and she started looking at her monitor.

I stretched my head to her window to see what she's doing at her computer because I get the feeling she's doing crap.

I looked at her name and ID number and took note of it.

My husband also took a photo of it right in front of her.

I heard her tell us to wait for our number to be called from Window 4, and I answered "What?" and locked my eyes on her.

My husband repeated what she said, but I didn't move an inch and I didn't take my eyes off her.

She then signaled her hand to like follow her to Window 4.

So we went to Window 4 while I'm still looking at her.

She smiled at me, and I smirked at her. 😏

There, finally, we were able to pay the renewal fee plus penalty for late renewal, for a total of P3,460.

She didn't even say sorry or give an excuse for what happened.

So it gave us the understanding that she purposefully skipped ours when my husband first approached her.

Given that she's very slow (it took so loooong, as I said, for her to forward, not just ours but also the other people's docs ahead of us, to Window 4 for payment), she is the bottleneck of this LTO branch.

And with what she did to us, she's not just an inefficient staff but also a POWER TRIPPER, taking advantage of her position to make us waste more time than we should have had.

Because of that, we wasted more time writing a report in a piece of paper and dropped it in their box.

I wonder though if it makes any difference or if LTO really takes people's voices and takes action.

I really do hope so.

I was looking where I can make a complaint, but because there's just so much whatknot pasted on every corner and on every wall of the office, I couldn't really find it.

I really hope someone higher reads the feedback we gave and actions this.

I can give her complete name and I.D. number to the proper authority, if need be.

Nonetheless, we continued with our errand after and I had to work overtime to make up for the time lost. Haist.

~~~~

Update: The lady from Window 2 came to our house on August 17, Sunday, to apologize and explained her side.