TACLOBAN CITY — Transport operators, drivers, and other stakeholders in southern and western Leyte may soon save hours of travel to access government services following the signing of an agreement to establish a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) extension office in Baybay City.
The LTFRB regional office and the Baybay city government signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Friday, July 17, for the establishment of the extension office, which is expected to serve clients from Baybay City, nearby municipalities, and neighboring areas in Southern Leyte.
LTFRB Regional Director Gualberto Gualberto and Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos “Boying” Cari signed the agreement during a ceremonial signing.
The proposed office is expected to provide basic frontline LTFRB services closer to transport stakeholders who currently need to travel to the agency’s regional office in Palo, Leyte.
Officials said clients from some areas covered by the proposed extension office currently have to travel more than 100 kilometers to reach the LTFRB regional office in Palo town, resulting in additional transportation costs and time away from work.
Under the agreement, the Baybay city government will provide temporary office space and personnel to support the operations of the extension office.
Mayor Cari also committed a parcel of land within the Baybay City Government Center as the future site of a permanent LTFRB Extension Office.
The initiative is intended to decentralize frontline government services and make transactions more accessible to transport operators, drivers, and other stakeholders in areas located far from the regional office.
The establishment of the extension office was made possible through the cooperation of the LTFRB, the Baybay City Government, and the Office of Leyte Fifth District Representative Carl Cari.
The LTFRB is responsible for regulating land-based public transportation franchises and services, including the processing of applications and other transactions involving public utility vehicles.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
