Ikinabahala ni transport development professional Rene S. Santiago ang mga isinusulong na legal actions ng ilang grupo upang pigilin ang pagpapatupad ng P3.19-billion Land Transportation Management System (LTMS), ang IT system ng Land Transportation Office (LTO) na kasalukuyang pinapatakbo ng isang consortium na pinangungunahan ng German company Dermalog.
“The organization (LTO) is unprepared for such a setback and cannot revert to Stradcom, whose contract has expired. It is perplexing why the LTO has not fully phased out Stradcom’s involvement in over 200 sites,” ayon kay Santiago.
“Hopefully, the LTO won’t drop the ball on LTMS and PMVIS. Otherwise, its current head would merit the fate that befell the Bureau of Immigration that mishandled the Alice Guo case,” nakasaad sa Open Letter ni Santiago na ipinamahagi sa media.
Kung papaboran ng korte ang petisyon laban sa Dermalog, nagbabala si Santiago sa matinding epekto na idudulot ng pagpapatigil sa operasyon ng LTMS na maaaring magparalisa sa mahahalagang transaksiyon ng LTO tulad ng pagiisyu ng mga driver’s license, vehicle registration renewal at pagbayad ng multa sa mga traffic violations.
Kamakailan, tiniyak ng mga miyembro ng Transportation District Officers Association of the Philippines (TDOAP) na walang mangyayaring total IT shutdown sa mga tanggapan ng LTO sakaling maglabas ang desisyon ang Korte Suprema na magpapatigil sa operasyon ng Land Transportation Management Office (TLMO) na pinangangasiwaan ng Dermalog Joint Venture.
“By August 2024, LTMS has reached 100% and is now in system maintenance mode as LTO assumes full responsibility. And yet, sometime July 2024, the OSG – with the tacit support of LTO management – filed an urgent motion for a TRO on the LTMS contract,” paliwanag niya. “This attempt to reverse progress is baffling.”
Aniya, mas malaki ang benepisyo ng Dermalog IT system kumpara sa Stradcom.
“The Stradcom-provided IT system was designed for backroom support, essentially a manual procedure assisted by computers. Shuffling papers from one window to another. The public had to interact with multiple LTO employees, and the system relied on a large mainframe housed in air-conditioned rooms. In contrast, the Dermalog-provided system is web-based, eliminating the need for a large mainframe within LTO premises. It is designed for front-line operational services, reducing the need for intermediaries, and almost paperless,” dagdag pa ni Santiago.
“The LTO must embrace the LTMS and its benefits rather than attempting to revert to outdated systems. The future of efficient and effective transport management depends on it. To borrow a phrase from the next President of the USA, LTO must ‘turn the page’” anang transport development professional.