Buying guides

What to know before and after you buy: paperwork, insurance, financing and running costs. Each guide lists its sources and review date.

• Add-on rate vs effective interest rate: the differenceAn add-on rate is total interest for the whole term; the effective rate is the true yearly cost. A 31% add-on over 5 years is about 11.2% a year.
• Chattel mortgage: meaning and how it works on a car loanA chattel mortgage makes your financed car or motorcycle the lender's collateral. Fees, the 'encumbered' CR, release after full payment, repossession.
• CTPL vs comprehensive car insurance in the PhilippinesCTPL is the legal minimum: ₱560 a year for a private car and ₱250 for a motorcycle. What it pays, what comprehensive adds, and what lenders require.
• EV charging in the Philippines: home and public costsHow much it costs to charge an EV at home on Meralco and at public DC fast chargers in 2026, charging times, connector types and range planning.
• How do car loans work in the Philippines? (2026)Bank car loans need 15-20% down and run 12-60 months at about 31% add-on over 5 years. Requirements, approval steps, fees and a full cost example.
• How does a motorcycle loan work in the Philippines?Bank loan, financing company or in-house: typical downpayment, terms, add-on rates, requirements, CI, and what a ₱120,000 motorcycle costs on installment.
• How to get a driver's license in the PhilippinesStudent permit, non-pro and pro license steps, LTO fees, 5- and 10-year validity, online renewal, and what DL codes A, A1, B, B1, B2 and C let you drive.
• How to read a car price list and quotation in the PHWhat SRP includes and excludes, how all-in downpayment and cash discount promos work, fees to expect on a casa quote, red flags and a worked example.
• How to register a brand-new motorcycle or car with the LTOThe dealer registers a brand-new car or motorcycle with the LTO for you. What they file, the MVUC set by law, five-year validity and when plates are due.
• Hybrid vs electric cars in the Philippines: which to buy?What a hybrid car is, how HEV, PHEV, EREV and BEV differ, 2026 PH prices, running costs and the EVIDA law perks like coding exemption, explained.
• LTO registration renewal: schedule, requirements and feesWhen to renew by plate ending, what to bring, how online LTMS renewal works, the MVUC by vehicle type and the late penalties, as of November 2026.
• Number coding in Metro Manila: 2026 schedule and hoursMMDA number coding runs 7-10 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. on weekdays. Which plates are coded each day, Makati's rules, EV and hybrid exemptions, fines, holidays.
• OR/CR meaning: what your LTO papers show and whyOR/CR means Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration. What each LTO document shows, how to read it, when originals matter, and what to do if lost.
• Plate numbers in the Philippines: colours, letters, digitsHow Philippine plates work in 2026: car and motorcycle formats, what each plate colour means, the last digit, temporary plates and how to check status.
• Transfer of ownership at the LTO: deed of sale and stepsHow to transfer a car or motorcycle to the buyer at the LTO: what the deed of sale must contain, requirements, LTMS steps, deadlines and encumbered units.