Any license has an expiry date. Its validity may differ from one agency to another. Like for instance, teacher's license expires for three years before but today its validity increases to five years. That sounds good. Same also with the driver's license. Before, its expiration will last only up to three years. Today, you can have five years or more depending on the status of your license. Since my license as a driver was dormant or delinquent, my application for ten years was disapproved.

Speaking of dormant or delinquent license, I am one of them. From 2012 to 2022, that is exactly 10 years when my birthday comes on April 30, I was a law breaker. I was driving anytime and anywhere without license. Thus, making me afraid with fear when I saw some LTO officers on the street to check someone's driver's license. Even only traffic enforcers or policemen, I got alarmed and frightened of them also. I am like a wanted criminal that hides someone who will punish me for violating the rules.

I think and I strongly believe that I am not only the man in this world having a license not for once and not for twice but thrice. Yes! It's true. This is my third time to apply new driver's license. I have lost my two previous driver's license.

In my first job as a development officer, in short loan officer or field collecting officer, I went to many barangays to collect the weekly repayments of my clients' loan and remit the collections to the bank. One time, I got robbed in the field somewhere in the far-flung area. They got my collections and my wallet as well. I kept my first driver's license inside my wallet. I was not able to retrieve my license since the person who did the crime went out of his place after few days of the incidents. But I applied new driver's license again after few months had passed.

Due to the incident happened, I voluntarily resigned my job. That was a traumatic experience that caused me a mental and emotional problem.

A couple of months, I ventured new business that was a partnership type of business in my neighboring town. Sometime on the year 2011, I remembered having placed my wallet inside my pants' pocket while I was entering a comfort room. Unfortunately, upon checking my pants' pocket, I noticed that my wallet including the said driver's license card were already missing as they might have been dropped without me noticing. I exerted all my efforts to search for them but my efforts proved futile as they were nowhere to be found. I lost again my driver's license card for the second time around.

But for the third time of applying my new driver's license, it remarks me an unforgettable experience. For those who have lost their license' card, you need to secure or acquire an affidavit of loss. How I was able to get my third driver's license? These are the requirements of getting a renewal for the driver's license:

• Affidavit of loss for the lost license

• Affidavit of Discrepancy (for some corrections)

• Medical examination

• Theoretical and Practical Examinations

• Payments (examination and license)

Inside the LTO office, there are fixers which are not allowed by our government. I was once advised to pay a certain amount then there's no hazzles anymore to get my license. In my conscience, I changed and refused his offer. But his concern, he doesn't want me to be bothered in applying my renewal of license because according to him I am a government employee. I did not even tolerate that unethical and wrongdoings of them. I told him as my excuse, I will try to experience the practical examination. And he agreed with me and he was also happy for me.

While waiting for my turn for the exam, I have watched more tutorial videos on youtube. By the way, I highly recommend to visit Wander J on YouTube channel as recommended also by my friend. Most of the questions on his videos were appeared on the actual examination.

Before and after the examination, I have so many realizations. First, I've learned that I was really a law breaker not the license per see but to the rules of the traffic signs and different warning signs found on the street or highway. Second, I never regret to my decision to take the examination seriously without depending some fixers inside the office because I learned so many things as to what to do so that I will not be ignorant of the different signs and symbols that convey its meaning. Lastly, my patience was tested for long time. I got inside the LTO office before 1 pm and my name was called at 4:30 in the afternoon for the practical examination. But fortunately, I passed the exam with a minimum passing score of 48 points out of 60 questions.

Finally I have my DL card again.

Final Thoughts

I thanked God for His goodness all the time. For ten years of being law breaker, He was there to protect me against any harm and accidents. He blessed me wherever I go. I owed Him a lot.

What made me encouraged to apply again a new license? Aside from our plan to have a car within this year, I was guilty when one of my churchmates said that someone who has no driver's license is a violator of the law. It touched me so much for I am a leader in our group when we have our weekly bible/prayer meeting. I was challenged to renew it for it is almost 10 years also. Beyond ten years if not renewed, I'll go back to the start.

Thank you for reading until the last word of this article.

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