Teofilo Guadiz III appointed new LTO Chief

After a four-week-long vacancy, President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos, Jr. has finally named a new head for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to succeed former Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante as the agency's top honcho.

Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 1 Director, Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III was named the new Assistant Secretary, together with other key positions of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

As new LTO Assistant Secretary, Guadiz will still have to deal with further improving the reputation of the LTO, the license plate backlog for motor vehicles and motorcycles, and the full implementation of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS).

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista was sworn into office and on separate occasions Kim Robert de Leon as DOTr Undersecretary for Administration; Elmer Francisco Sarmiento as Undersecretary for the Maritime Sector; Atty. Timothy John Batan as Undersecretary for Planning & Project Development; Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III as LTO Assistant Secretary; Carlito Castillo as PPA Assistant General Manager for Engineering; and Francisquiel Mancile as PPA Assistant General Manager for Operations.

Earlier, Atty. Hernani Nieves Fabia also took his oath as Administrator of MARINA.

During their oath-taking, Sec. Bautista urged the newly-appointed officials to fulfill President Marcos’ marching order to go full speed ahead with the modernization of the country’s transport system.

De Leon, who topped the 2016 Environmental Planning Licensure Exam, earlier served as Undersecretary at the Department of Budget and Management. Sarmiento was president & CEO of Royal Cargo, a local specialized logistics solutions provider, where he worked for 37 years.

Batan was DOTr’s Usec for Railways in the previous administration and used to work in the Department’s Planning Office, while Atty. Guadiz III used to be LTO I regional director.

Castillo’s previous stint was PPA manager for Port Construction & Maintenance, while Mancile served as PPA Port manager of PMO Marinduque/Quezon.

Fabia was president of PNTC Colleges, a seafarers training facility based in Cavite and Quezon City. He has 38 years of experience in the maritime industry.