The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has an “early” Christmas gift for Metro Manila drivers: The agency said it will start distributing the backlog of plastic driver’s licenses starting on Monday.

LTO chief Edgar Galvante said those who have pending applications from Jan. 1 to Oct. 16 may claim their licenses in their 36 licensing offices in the metro on Dec. 19.

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Galvante, however, warned the public not to deal with fixers who may take advantage of the huge number of claimants who will troop the licensing offices.

“I would like to caution all the claimants that they need not pay a single centavo to claim their driver’s licenses since they already paid for it,” Galvante said.

Those picking up their licenses just need to show the personnel at the claims counter the official receipt issued to them, he added.

The agency earlier claimed that the distribution of the backlog of around 3 million plastic licenses nationwide — 700,000 of which are to be issued in Metro Manila—would start in the second quarter of 2017.

LTO National Capital Region Director Clarence Guinto explained that the agency’s previous provider, Allcard Plastics Philippines Inc., have already delivered 500,000 licenses and will finish the other 3 million backlog between Dec. 16 and Feb. 2, 2017.

To date, t Guinto said 36 printing machines had already been delivered to its 24 district offices. These can print 800 plastic license cards daily. Ten more machines are on standby as backup and may be used to print more cards.

The shortage of license cards stemmed in 2013 when the Commission on Audit disallowed payments to another cards supplier, Amalgamated Motor Philippines Inc., for lack of contract.

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