A new House Bill 7796 recently filed by CIBAC Rep. Eddie Villanueva aims to exempt Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers from driver’s license renewal fees in the PH. This is to alleviate additional costs to PUV drivers and provide further incentives for a marginalized sector. This comes a huge step in terms of recent efforts by the gov’t agency to make things easier for Filipinos.

Currently, applying for a driver’s license or renewing one’s expired license will cost around PHP 700, give or take. That doesn’t include paying off violations and late renewal fees which range from PHP 75 (1 day to 1 year) up to PHP 225 (2 years onward).

That fee will now be waived for PUV drivers, making a professional license more accessible in the PH. While it’s a step in the right direction, procurement of other requirements still requires funding. That includes medical examinations, ID pictures, birth certificates, and the like that will still need payment. Despite this, reducing the price by PHP 700 or whereabouts is still a considerable help.

“CIBAC recognizes that PUV drivers who are key players of our public transport sector are mostly minimum-wage earners. Thus, exempting them from paying application or renewal fees in securing professional driver’s license will greatly help in cushioning their meager income from the unabated price surge of fuel and from the adverse effects of the pandemic,” Mr. Villanueva states.

To prevent abuse of this PUV license exemption in the Philippines, the House Bill lays out severe punishments for those who fake their documents: up to PHP 100,000 in penalties and up to six months in prison.

Once this is implemented, the DOTr and other related gov’t agencies will be tasked to oversee it. What do you think of this news?