LTO draws most public complaints in Q1

THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) is the most complained agency in the Philippines for the first quarter of 2026, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said on Tuesday.

Following LTO is the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The LTO received 120 complaints as of March 2026, while the BIR received 89 and the FDA with 62.

ARTA Director General Ernesto V. Perez told a news briefing LTO complaints are usually on delays in acting on filed applications, imposing additional requirements and violating Citizen’s Charter.

LTO Chief Markus V. Lacanilao said the agency takes the reports seriously.

In a separate statement, he said LTO has a heavy volume of transactions, which prompted them to launch “iReport Mo Kay LTO Chief” to streamline channels for reporting delays, fixers and other concerns.

“Rest assured that under our 7-Point Priority Agenda, we are taking concrete steps to improve frontline services and ensure that LTO processes comply with the Ease of Doing Business standards,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Perez said the agency is working on easing the entry of foreign investors.

Citing his meetings with Ambassadors and various Chambers of Commerce, he said foreign businesses are upbeat about the Philippines.

“We are really in continuous improvement of our government’s services,” he said, noting the development of “Tala,” an artificial intelligence set to be developed into an ARTA portal for citizens to have real time access to government projects and progress.

“This is how serious the government is towards implementing the policy on transparency and accountability of government personnel or officials,” he added. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana