Published: March 23, 2020 | Updated: October 14, 2020 | Posted by: Ricky Publico | Car Insurance
Owning a car entails a lot of financial responsibilities. Aside from the car itself, you’ll be paying for things like registration, maintenance, and insurance. Many Filipinos choose to forgo the latter, thinking that being careful is enough. Newsflash! It’s not, mainly because before you can even drive your car, you need to buy a particular type of insurance called TPL insurance. What is it and why is it necessary for owning a vehicle in the Philippines? Let’s answer that with this guide.
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TPL (or CTPL insurance for others) is a basic car insurance that every car owner in the Philippines should get before registering their vehicles to the Land Transportation Office (LTO). TPL means “third party liability,” but can sometimes be referred to as compulsory third party liability insurance. As the name implies, TPL covers you from liabilities you will receive in the event of an accident that injured or killed a third party. TPL insurance is a requirement for all types of vehicles, from private to commercial vehicles and even trucks and motorcycles.
Yes. Motorists are required to purchase TPL insurance before registering their vehicles with the LTO.
According to a 2017 study by the World Health Organization[1], the number of road crash accidents in the Philippines increased by an alarming rate of 45.67% since 2006. Imagine if all those vehicles didn’t have insurance. In a country where frugality is embedded in the culture, important things like car insurance is easily neglected. Most Filipinos will always choose the least expensive option, consequences be damned. That’s why the government had to make TPL car insurance mandatory: to force Filipinos to be more responsible on the road.
Third party liability refers to your liability to the third party involved in the accident. But who exactly is the third party? Is it anyone who got hit by the car? How about the persons inside the car?
According to Paragraph (c) of Section 386 [2], Chapter VI of the Insurance Code of the Philippines:
“A third party is any person other than a passenger as defined in this section and shall also exclude a member of the household, or a member of the family within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, of a motor vehicle owner or land transportation operator, as likewise defined herein, or his employee in respect of death, bodily injury, or damage to property arising out of and in the course of employment.”
This means that the third party is any unsuspecting person outside the vehicle and is not a member of the family (which includes your spouse and in-laws) or a household member. If you accidentally hit a pedestrian, your TPL insurance will pay for the expenses of the victim. But if you accidentally hit your caretaker, your TPL will not cover your caretaker’s medical expenses, unfortunately. But what about the passengers inside the car? Luckily, the Insurance Code also defined the term passenger in the same section.
“Passenger is any fare paying person being transported and conveyed in and by a motor vehicle for transportation of passengers for compensation, including persons expressly authorized by law or by the vehicle’s operator or his agents to ride without fare.”
This definition can have a lot of implications. Let’s go through some of the usual types of passengers together with their respective TPL coverage.
Your TPL insurance coverage covers the medical or funeral expenses of the third party involved in an accident. CTPL assures that the victim and his or her immediate will receive financial assistance of up to PHP 100,000.
1.) Prepare the following CTPL insurance documents.
2.) Choose a non-life insurance provider and buy your CTPL policy from them.
3.) Upon purchase, you will receive a policy with conditions together with a Confirmation of Cover or COC. Don’t forget to make copies of every document you will receive.
4.) Bring these documents to the LTO upon registration to prove that your vehicle has a third party insurance coverage
Wondering if you can apply for a CTPL policy online? Yes, you definitely can! Various insurance providers, including Allied Bankers and Paramount Life offer CTPL online. As for the process, you would need to accomplish a registration form on their website and pay the premium using your credit card or debit card. You will then receive your policy and Certification of Cover (COC) through the email address provided.
Unlike comprehensive car insurance that can go as high as PHP 15,000, TPL insurance is relatively cheaper and has a fixed rate. It can go from PHP 650 to PHP 1,000 depending on the type of vehicle you have. The Insurance Commission (IC) regulates the prices for all insurance companies to ensure that car owners nationwide can afford to insure their vehicles. Here are the IC-prescribed annual TPL prices in the Philippines.
Vehicle Type |
CTPL Insurance Price |
---|---|
Private Vehicles | PHP 650.40 |
Light and Medium Trucks (not exceeding 3,930 kg.) | PHP 700.40 |
Heavy Trucks (more than 3,930 k.g.) | PHP 1,290.40 |
Motorcycles | PHP 340.40 |
Read More: How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in the Philippines?
If the inevitable happens, it’s always best to stay calm. You have to gather all the important details of the incident before you can file your claim. Contact your car insurance provider immediately and report the damage or loss by providing the following information. The insurance company will walk you through the next steps regarding your insurance claim.
Read More:
Your insurance provider will require you to present certain documents to process your TPL insurance claim. Here are the basic requirements you need to secure.
Aside from the basic documents, you also need to prepare documents depending on the nature of the accident.
So does that mean CTPL insurance is enough to protect you out on the road? Sadly, TPL is too limited in terms of coverage. It only covers the third party or the one you hit. It doesn’t cover you, the damages of your car, and even the car and property damage to the third party. And CTPL has a limited budget of PHP 100,000. You’ll have to shoulder any amount exceeding that limit so you better hope you don’t get into a terrible accident.
But what if something happened to your car? What if your car got wrecked by another car? What if an earthquake splits your car into two? You need an insurance policy that will protect you and your investment. And hey, since you already have a basic car insurance, it won’t hurt to get a more comprehensive one. Find out how by getting a free quote for your car below.
Looking for a better coverage than CTPL? Below is a list of top car insurance companies and their features. Compare your options and get a free quote from Moneymax!
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Ricky is the zaniest Senior Content Writer at Moneymax, with over five years of writing experience in the digital marketing industry. He is a huge fan of pro wrestling, smartphones, and binge-watching. Follow Ricky on LinkedIn.