A total of 189 driving school (DS) applicants had been issued Provisional Permits or Certificates of Accreditation in 2022 despite submission of incomplete or invalid documentary requirements and deficiencies in the required facilities and equipment, the Commission on Audit (COA) said. In its Annual Audit Report (AAR), COA said that DSs under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regions III, V, IX, and XII made several deficiencies against Memorandum Circular No. 2021-2284 or the Revised Rules and Regulations on the Accreditation, Supervision, and Control of Driving Institutions. It said that Sections 9, 10, and 11 of MC No. 2021-2284 provide for the documentary requirements, facilities and equipment, and motor vehicles of DSs. However, the COA said that out of 285 DS applicants, 189 or 66.2 percent were not fully compliant but were still approved by Regional Accreditation Committees (RACs). "The actual condition of these sites is not only inconsistent with the MC but also with the representations made by the RACs in their Inspection Reports. This means that the Inspection Reports of the RACs cannot be relied upon," it said. "Likewise, the laxity in the review and evaluation of the documentary requirements and on the conduct of site inspections by the RAC defeats the objectives for which these minimum requirements were imposed," it added. In its audit report, COA asked LTO to instruct the DS applicants with issues and deficiencies on the minimum requirements to submit duly authenticated copies of the required documents, submit an updated bank certificate under the name of the corporation for verification of financial capabilities, and comply with the deficiencies noted on maneuvering sites, classroom, library, and motor vehicles used for driving lessons. It also asked LTO to conduct an extensive review on DS applicants to ensure compliance with the minimum requirements set forth in the MC. "Ensure the conduct of site inspection of maneuvering sites, classrooms and motor vehicles of the DS applicant before issuance of Provisional Permit/Certificate of Accreditation so that the objectives of the MC will be attained," the COA said. Should there be any violations, the COA said that the LTO should impose the necessary sanctions and penalties as may be warranted.