{"id":19745,"date":"2017-08-03T08:59:08","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T00:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/?p=19745"},"modified":"2017-08-06T00:43:50","modified_gmt":"2017-08-05T16:43:51","slug":"duterte-signs-10-year-passports-and-5-year-drivers-licenses-into-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/blog\/2017\/08\/03\/duterte-signs-10-year-passports-and-5-year-drivers-licenses-into-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Duterte signs 10-year passports and 5-year driver\u2019s licenses into law"},"content":{"rendered":"

New applicants for a Philippine passport or driver\u2019s license will not need to worry about renewing it so soon as President Rodrigo Duterte has approved extending their validity for 10 and five years respectively.<\/p>\n

5-year validity for driver\u2019s license<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"FROM THREE TO FIVE, and even to 10 years. If you hold one of these, you won’t need to think about renewing for at least five more years (10 if you have a clean driving record).<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

He also signed into law R.A. 10930, which extends the validity of driver\u2019s licenses to five years from the current three and applies to both professional and non-professional license. It amends Section 23 of R.A. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>R.A. 10930. Click on the image to view the full document<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

If someone has a clean record, i.e. no violations under R.A. 4136, then they can have their licenses extended for another 10 years, subject to any restrictions imposed by the LTO.<\/p>\n

Apart from extending the validity of driver\u2019s licenses, R.A. 10930 also mandates the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to implement stricter rules and more stringent tests before issuing a driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

Both laws will take effect 15 days after it is published in the Official Gazette or a general circulation newspaper like the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, or the Philippine Star.<\/p>\n

10-year validity for Philippine passports<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"10-YEAR VALIDITY for Philippine passports.\/IMAGE Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/p>\n

Last Wednesday, August 2, Duterte signed Republic Act (R.A.) 10928, which extends the validity of Philippine passports issued under Section 10 of R.A. 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 to 10 years. Current passports are only valid for five years.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>R.A. 10928. Click on the image to view the full document<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This, however, only applies to passports held by those above the age of 18. Anyone under the age of 18 holding a passport will still have passports valid for five years.<\/p>\n

Free internet in public places<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"MORE PLACES TO BROWSE. A year after R.A. 10929 takes effect, the DICT should have every public place outfitted with internet access.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

On the same day, Duterte also signed R.A. 10929 or the Free Internet in Public Places Act. This effectively gives anyone in the Philippines free internet access as long as they are in one of the following places:<\/p>\n