The first time I visited this office was in 2013. And I remember that it took me one hour to get my…read morestudent permit. A few days ago, my cousin and I decided that we wanted to learn how to drive. (Yes, my first student permit expired in 2014 and I forgot all about it.) But first, we'd need to get a student permit. First of all, it's a bit of a hassle to go to LTO Makati if you don't have a car or if no one can bring you. The easiest way to commute to this place is to take a jeep from Landmark and get off at Makati City Hall. From there, you take a tricycle to LTO Makati. If you're going there by car, just get a map and you'll be fine. As soon as you get to LTO Makati, there are huge signs that tell you to say no to fixers. Aww. Shucks. But really, this is good to ensure that only those who know how to drive are given a drivers license. When you step inside, there are two information desks and the people manning them will ask you why you're there and then will tell you where to go next. My cousin and I started filling out forms at 2PM and we done by 2:45PM. That was fast! That just goes to show that whatever system LTO Makati is implementing, it works. The people in all the windows you visit to submit forms, sign documents are courteous and friendly. If you've got some free time, get your student permit already and if you have a license, don't forget to renew it.

Every couple of years, I dread having to renew my license mostly because the renewal centers are…read moreusually hot, have long lines and are in the most random places. So when a colleague of mine told me how fast it took her to renew her license, I made sure I headed there when it was time for me to renew mine. Parking: big check. Because it's located along the row of auto shops with several parking areas in front of it, it was so easy to get secure parking. No need to suck-up to the watch-your-car boys and worry if they'll still be there watching out for your car when you go back two hours after. Ventilation: double check. The renewal center is in an enclosed area, so I was hoping there would at least be wall fans inside. Lucky me, there was air-conditioning and it was actually working (not like in other government offices, sad to say). Absence of a line: bold check. Uh, when I entered, it was just me and two more guys in there at 2:30 in the afternoon. Service: golden check. The flow was so efficient, with the windows and steps actually one after the other. The staff were pleasant and courteous. I was out of there in 20 minutes tops. If this is how I'll renew my license every time, well, I wouldn't be dreading it at all.

This place is very helpful. Processed my renewal very efficient. Rare service that you usually…read moredon't find in Government offices in Manila alone. Their customer service is great. More LTO offices and other Government services should follow their ways. Thank you!

I have only been to the LTO on two separate occasions - to buy a student's permit, and to apply for…read moremy driver's license. I honestly hope that I never have to go this particular branch again though, because it was absolutely unbearable. Going to any government office to procure documents is an unpleasant task as it is...blah. I woke up at 6AM (I know some of you are already thinking, "Not early enough!") to get there by 7AM, an hour before opening. The line was already insanely long, making its way outside the government office. For my student's permit, I ended up staying from 8AM - 1PM, which isn't as bad as most of the horror stories I hear from my friends, but for my driver's license, I ended up staying there from 6:30AM - 4PM, and I was part of the 2nd out of only 3 batches of people they were issuing licenses to that day (talk about lucky!). The only things good I have to say are that the staff are very patient with rude patrons, and they try to make things easier for you. There are a bunch of places outside where you can have documents photocopied, and a restaurant across the street too.

We all know that there are necessary evils in this world. There are some things that can't be…read moreescaped, and we have no choice but to be part of the sinister plot. It is beyond our control, and we all have to renew our driver's licenses eventually. Yes, that card that says "I'm allowed to drive" as opposed to "I know how to drive". In a country where the minimum requirement in order to get a license is having a stub to press the gas with, we're still hassled into lining up every three years as a formality. That's why everyone has their favorite LTO office with the belief that their chosen location somehow processes the whole thing faster. My personal choice is the LTO along Aurora Blvd. It's a large one, and this particular office is well manned. Unfortunately, no matter how early you arrive, there's still a lot of lining up to do. Sure, you get to be first in line, but there's still a lot of waiting to do. At the very least there are enough chairs and fans, and you only have to bear through this every 3 years.

Who enjoys going to the LTO, really? Is there someone, somewhere out there in this tiny country…read morethat DOESN'T find it a ginormous chore? Well, however unpleasant waiting might be, it can't be helped. The LTO is something we all have to go through, which probably accounts for why the lines are so darned long. The LTO in Aurora Boulevard is pretty wide and accommodating, and as far as staff go none of them are rude or slow to work, which is something commendable. For shorter lines, the branch in FTI is a little out of the way, but worth it, since most of the time it's a little on the empty side. Also the staff is just downright friendly, which I really appreciate. The man at one of the desks makes conversation with you if you sit near enough to his station, and the lady behind the webcam that takes pictures for your student permit is always quick to hand out a compliment. I find that nice staff makes it all worth the wait, after all, who wants to sit around for four hours with nothing but grumpy faces for company?

Seriously, what in the hell is this thing? I have never in my life seen another flying u-turn. Yes,…read morethat's what it is. A flying u-turn. Not a cloverleaf or a junction, but an elevated u-turn. The Philippines is one of few countries in the world so obsessed by adding u-turns everywhere, and it's symptomatic of a culture that prioritizes easy fixes over long term gain. Instead of placing it somewhere logical, they put it right after an intersection, ensuring maximum congestion and swerving. Instead of making the u-turn round, they built a square monstrocity complete with 90 degree angles. Yes, a "u"-turn with corners. This eyesore has to be one of the most abominable in the city, and I have never used it even when it's the most convenient route. Some part of me just refuses to acknowledge I actually needed a u-turn here in the first place, because it looks stupid. I'd rather drive a longer distance to find a less atrocious way, although I may change my mind if I ever get stuck there during rush hour.

Doing any government errand is never fun, and anyone with a drivers' license will know this to be…read moreespecially true. I had to renew my license, came to Farmers Plaza where I knew the renewal center to be, and found out it was closed to my dismay. The government centers at Ali Mall weren't up yet, so I had retreated back home and looked for the nearest place to get the shiznit over and done with. And I found the one at Robinsons Galleria, which wasn't too far off, and I figured there wouldn't be too many people at Galleria on a weekday, so I went. Surprisingly, when I got to the LTO, there were only a couple of people there--I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or afraid. The place was small and narrow and gloomy compared to the one that used to be in Farmers, and that was full the few times I was there. It turned out it was a pretty smooth course of filling out forms, taking eye exams, and a quick wait to get everything processed and receive the license on the same day. The staff were straightforward, but pleasant and were even having a ball during their lunch break! And I didn't even need to piss into a cup for a drug test! Not that I'll be afraid for the results, of course. I'm not sure that I lucked into a good day for a license renewal, but if the Ali Mall center doesn't pan out too well the next time I need to get the errand done, I'll be doing it in the Galleria for sure.

I would like to think that I'm an excellent driver. I follow the law as much as possible and I…read moredon't drive like there's always an emergency for me to get somewhere. However even with all my caution, there's still one place in Metro Manila that gets on my nerves and gets me on a wrap sheet no matter what I do: the u-turn near Santolan along EDSA. And what a dastardly trap it is. The entire system of u-turns in Manila can be infuriatingly inefficient as it is, but combine that with an impossible to see barrier and an ambiguous sign and you have a perfect spot for cops to corral the unsuspecting. The northbound-to-southbound U-turn before hitting Santolan barely has any indications, and the sign itself appears before the turn, leaving no clear distinction between it and the opposite side u-turn. No matter how many times I've passed here I still continue to do a double take to ensure I'm using the right passageway, and sometimes I don't even bother and just take a different roundabout. Boycotting a u-turn slot may sound ridiculous, but this vile puzzle has fooled me a dozen times too many.

They say that for the most part, provincial buses contribute to the worsening traffic situation in…read moreMetro Manila. It used to be the case that buses from the south, i.e. Cavite (plying the routes of Tagaytay, Dasmarinas, Cavite City and Trese Martires) would go all the way to the city center of Lawton in Manila, and cause major traffic especially during the rush hour. A few years ago, MMDA came up with a brilliant plan to prevent buses from clogging up our streets - they set up the South West Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal as a hub for provincial buses. If you need to take a trip to one of the cities mentioned above, you would need to head down to the old Coastal Mall to catch your bus. What's great is that the buses are more organized and systematic here, and you can easily catch a scheduled bus to any of the key points in the route sytem. This is where my friends and I would usually catch a bus on the way to Tagaytay. The bus terminal is still very crowded and it could get busy, but it's a good start.

Sometimes things that make perfect sense can still be really annoying. One perfect example is the…read morelow speed limits on some accident prone roads such as Commonwealth. Right now, there is a cap of 60kph on it, and it remains a baffling ordinance. Yes, cars run slower, but it has not discouraged bus drivers from acting out Twisted Metal fantasies during their day jobs. Without the ability to speed up, cars are forced to concede to the daredevil drivers, even though all the swerving now occurs 20kph slower. The speed of the action may have decreased, but the insanity remains the same. After all, while a 60kph speed limit can keep cars from going forward to fast, it still doesn't stop the brazen from running 60kph sideways. This artificial solution is merely a stopgap, and it's unlikely that much will change until we demand more from our motorists than a slightly lighter lead foot.