The Land Transportation Office Central Visayas (LTO 7) is ramping up efforts to release unclaimed license plates across Central Visayas, aiming to clear at least half of the motorcycle plate backlog by mid-year.
LTO 7 Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Francisco “Franz” Ranches Jr. urged vehicle owners to claim their plates at the Visayas Courier Hub in Barangay Isidro, Talisay City, Cebu, or at any nearby LTO office.
“We have license plates ready for owners dating back to 2017 and earlier. We ask the public to visit their nearest LTO office or our Visayas Courier Hub and claim their plates now,” Ranches said.
For plates issued on or before 2017:
Vehicles with seven-character plates can claim or replace them at any LTO office in the region in black-and-white format.
Vehicles with six-character plates may claim their license plates either at the Visayas Courier Hub or any LTO office in Region 7.
Owners of for-hire and private vehicles with replacement plates ending in numbers one to six may have their plates verified at the Visayas Courier Hub or any LTO office.
Replacement plates paid for in 2015 can be claimed at the office where the payment was processed or any LTO branch.
Ranches reported that of the total 487,624 backlog motorcycle plates in the region, only 167,352 have been claimed as of February 27, 2026. These unclaimed plates date back to 2017 and earlier.
“As of February, we have released only 34.32 percent of nearly half a million motorcycle plates. I have instructed all district chiefs to ensure we reach at least 50% by the end of June 2026,” Ranches said.
The agency also launched its “Friendly Flag-Down” program, where LTO 7 personnel will stop vehicles and motorcycles with temporary plates to advise owners on how and where to claim their permanent license plates.
Recently, LTO 7 turned over roughly 44,000 motorcycle cascading and produced plates, along with 91,000 pairs of motor vehicle replacement plates, to LTO 6 (Western Visayas) and the Negros Island Region (NIR).
