A-1 Driving School Review 2020: Rates, Branches, Lessons, Pros & Cons

Jul 04, 2019 | Same topic: Let's drive smart!

A-1 Driving School Review will explain how this school is a very strong contender for the title of
the best driving schools in the Philippines
Here on Philkotse.com, we recognize the need of knowing how to drive because it not only is a
practical everyday life skill, but we also acknowledge that driving in itself can give you the
freedom to go where you want to every time you need to.
So for this article, we will introduce to you another driving school that’s easily accessible to you.
Now we’ve already reviewed another driving school before, but there are a lot of excellent
choices here in the country as such, this particular driving school might be another alternative
option for you.
So let’s get our driving face on with the A1 Driving School!
I. A-1 Driving School Review
1. A1 Driving School Philippines: Overview
Founded in March of 1977, A-1 Driving Co, Inc. is one of the oldest driving schools here in the
Philippines with more than 80 branches nationwide.
They also have three training centers located here at Metro Manila: one in Las Pinas, one in
Quezon City, and another in Mandaluyong where you can learn in a secure, and controlled
environment away from regular traffic.
Aside from being a regular driving school, A-1 can also provide fleet drivers training and
assessment, defensive driving seminars for interested parties and car maintenance 101.

A-1 Driving instructors are experienced and certified professionals

2. A-1 Driving School Review: Pros & Cons
Pros:
 Student can choose from a range of more than 150 training vehicles from the latest car
models
 Training vehicles are at proper condition
 Professional instructors with competent driving and teaching experiences
  Defensive driving lessons including driving skills courses, traffic rules & regulation, car
maintenance
 Licensing assistance service
 Lectures are operated on weekends.
 Applying modern technology in lectures (Starmobile)
 Informative manual course book
 A-1 Driving school Philippines accepts the payment via credit cards
 Good customer service
Aside from driving skills and traffic laws, A-1 will also teach you the basics of maintaining your
car.
Cons
 The trainees are not possible to choose the instructors at the beginning
 Some training vehicles have a bad smell
 Conflict schedule during Holiday Season
3. Things to keep in mind for the trainees of A1 Driving School Philippines
#1: Getting the LTO Student permit is required to enroll in the course at A-1 Driving School
#2: Make sure to schedule your slots before heading to the A-1 Driving School branches.
According to my personal experience, it is not a good idea to arrange the training time in the
Holiday season because it's a chance that you have to reschedule 2-3 times.
#3: It is recommended to attend the Orientation session to obtain all necessary information and
benefits you get for your driving course.
#4: If you are not satisfied with your instructors, you can claim to replace another one.
#5: Bring along your A-1 ID and the receipt to prove that you already paid for the course.

A1 driving school optimizes Star mobile app in their course

II. Top reasons to consider A-1 Driving School
1. Variety of Driving courses and competent instructors
Like most driving schools in the Philippines, the A-1 driving school has several choices of driving
courses you can choose from. Their courses have a larger vehicle choice for you to train on. In
addition, A-1 Driving’s trainers are TESDA and LTO accredited instructors and as such is the real
deal in terms of preparing you for real-life driving situations.
A-1 even has an Executive course which includes a very convenient and free pick-up and drop-
off for their students. Also, if you want to have a quicker learning experience, A-1 also has a
Rush Course.
And finally, they have a very safe and excellently simulated Training Center Course where you
can safely experience your A1 driving lessons away from the dangers of a regular public road.

A-1's facilities are top notch and are completely safe for the beginner driver
Here is a list of their training courses:

A-1 Training Courses Description

Drive any of A-1’s latest training Vehicles at

Premium Course
schedules time slots
 Choice of training vehicle and instructor. Free
Executive Course
pick-up and drop-off for their students.

Drive any of A-1’s latest training Vehicles at

Rush Course
schedules time slots

Learn and improve your driving skills under

Training Center Course
simulated road conditions.

Fleet Driver’s Training For training company fleet drivers or professional

and Assessment drivers. Also includes assessment

To prepare youth and young adults to become

Driver’s Education 101
safer drivers

To arm the new or would-be car owner the skills

Car Maintenance 101
needed to maintain and troubleshoot a vehicle

2. Accessibility: Variety of A-1 Driving School Branches

Another strong point of A-1 is its accessibility. With over 80 branches spread around the
Philippines, including over 20 which are equipped with very modern and comfortable lecture
rooms, A-1 is definitely easy to get to or to find.
Adding to that value of accessibility, A-1 can even assist its customers in getting their own
driver’s license
Apart from widespread all over the country, A-1's branches are neat and very modern
In order to assist you, here is a list of all their branches including A1 Driving School’s contact
numbers:
A1 driving school manila
A1 driving school Makati

A1 driving school Davao

>>> Worth to note: Driving Schools in Davao: Overview, list of courses, fees & more
A1 driving school Cebu
>>> More options: Driving Schools in Cebu: List of popular schools, respective courses & fee
Above is the list of A1 Driving school branches in the big cities. Look for other branches
strategically located nationwide with the complete contact details in the following
link: https://a-1driving.com/about/branches/
II. A1 Driving School Rates & Courses
While being also accessible and versatile, A-1 driving school price for their courses are also very
affordable and will be pliable in terms of training vehicle choice or the number of hours of
driving lessons.
To further assist you, here is a list of A-1 Driving School’s rates for all of their courses. Also
included is information on which branches these courses are available.
A-1 is one of the view driving schools where a truck is available as a training vehicle.
1. A-1 Driving School Rate: Premium Course

Training
Course 5Hours 7Hours 10Hours 15Hours 20Hours 30Hours
Vehicle

Manual
SEDAN
Training P3,200 P4,400 P6,200 P9,200 P12,000 P17,700
(MT)
Vehicle

SEDAN Toyota
P6,000 P8,300 P11,800 P17,600 P23,200 P34,500
(AT) Altis

A-1 Choice of
Course instructor P4,000 P5,500 P7,800 P11,600 P15,200 P22,500
(MT) or sedan
 A-1 Choice of
Course instructor P6,600 P9,200 P13,000 P19,400 P25,600 P38,100
(AT) or sedan

Toyota
MPV/
Innova /
Pickup P5,400 P7,500 P10,600 P15,800 P20,800 P30,900
Toyota
(MT)
Hilux

MPV Toyota
P7,200 P10,000 P14,200 P21,200 P28,000 P41,700
(AT)* Innova

LIGHT Isuzu
P5,400 P7,500 P10,600 P15,800 P20,800 P30,900
TRUCK* NHR

Honda
MIDSIZE
CR-V /
SUV P8,000 P11,100 P15,800 P23,600 P31,200 P46,500
Toyota
(AT)*
Fortuner

VAN Hyundai
P8,000 P11,100 P15,800 P23,600 P31,200 P46,500
(AT)* Starex

*Only in NCR, Calabarzon, and Bulacan

2. A-1 Driving School Rate: Executive Course

SEDAN Toyota Vios or

P6,400 P8,900 P12,600 P18,800 P24,800
(MT) Altis

SEDAN
Toyota Altis P9,000 P12,500 P17,800 P26,600 P35,200
(AT)

A-1 Choice of
COURSE Instructor or P7,200 P10,000 P14,200 P21,200 P28,000
(MT) Sedan
 Manual
Training
Vehicle

Choice of
Instructor or
A-1 Sedan
COURSE P9,600 P13,400 P19,000 P28,400 P37,600
(AT) Automatic
Training
Vehicle

MPV /
Toyota Innova
PICKUP P8,400 P11,700 P16,600 P24,800 P32,800
/ Toyota Hilux
(MT)*

MPV (AT)* Toyota Innova P10,200 P14,200 P20,200 P30,200 P40,000

LIGHT
TRUCK Isuzu NHR P8,400 P11,700 P16,600 P24,800 P32,800
(MT)*

*Only in NCR, Calabarzon, and Bulacan

3. A-1 Driving School Rate: Rush Course

Toyota
SEDAN
Altis or P4,200 P5,800 P8,200 P12,200 P16,000 P23,700
(MT)
Vios

SEDAN Toyota
P7,000 P9,700 P13,800 P20,600 P27,200 P40,500
(AT) Altis

A-1 Choice of
COURSE Instructor P5,000 P6,900 P9,800 P14,600 P19,200 P28,500
(MT) or Sedan
 Manual
Training
Vehicle

Choice of
Instructor
A-1 or Sedan
COURSE P7,600 P10,600 P15,000 P22,400 P29,600 P44,100
(AT) Automatic
Training
Vehicle

Toyota
MPV /
Innova /
PICKUP P6,600 P9,200 P13,000 P19,400 P25,600 P38,100
Toyota
(MT)*
Hilux

MPV Toyota
P8,200 P11,400 P16,200 P24,200 P32,000 P47,700
(AT)* Innova

LIGHT
TRUCK Isuzu NHR P6,600 P9,200 P13,000 P19,400 P25,600 P38,100
(MT)*

*Only in NCR, Calabarzon, and Bulacan

All in all, A-1 driving school looks like it’s a very large and well established judging from all those
branches spread nationwide and their variety of very affordable driving courses.
So if you’re still undecided on a good driving school, you might want to consider A-1 Driving
School, one of the oldest and most reliable driving schools here in the Philippines.
International Drivers License in the Philippines: Facts
You NEED to Know
Oct 10, 2018 | Same topic: Let's drive smart!
We’ll guide you how to acquire an international drivers license in the Philippines and give the
most important details about it.
Being able to drive in another country, whether you are working there or on a business
trip/vacation is something that is convenient and helpful. That is because you can travel to and
from one place to another without having to deal with the hassles of commuting. You would
also be able to enjoy the sites as well as find better jobs.
That said, having an international drivers license in the Philippines would be an advantage. It is
a kind of driver’s license that would allow you to drive a private car as well as a car for rent in
another country. However, it has its limitations, and Philkotse.com will discuss all in this post,
together with how you would go about in acquiring one.

Leaked Photo of the International License Philippines

I. How to Get an International Driver’s License in the Philippines: Where & Who Can Get One?
Contrary to popular beliefs, the international license or Philippines International Driving
Permit (PIDP) is not acquired from the Land Transportation Office but from the Automobile
Association Philippines (AAP). They have offices in the following areas plus the corresponding
processing time:
 NCR:
 Alabang: 2 to 3 working days
 Makati 2 to 3 working days
 Quezon City: 1 hour
 Luzon: Batangas and Pampanga (two to three working days)
 Visayas: Cebu (four to five working days)
 Mindanao: Davao (four to five working days)
As for those who are qualified to apply for a PIDP, they are individuals who have a valid non-
professional and professional driver’s licenses. That means those who have a student driving
permit are NOT qualified to get a PDIP.

The Student Driver Permit Does Not Qualify You for a PDIP
II. What Are the Requirements for international drivers license in the Philippines?
When getting an international drivers license in the Philippines, you would pay, as of writing,
approximately 3,920 pesos. A 20% discount is given to those who have an Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFW) ID and OWWA or Overseas Employment Certificate receipt from POEA.
You are also required to pay the AAP membership fee since this covers the FIA-affiliated
emergency road assistance service benefit.
Below are the different requirements for both new application and renewal:
1. New Applicants:
For first-applicants, you need to prepare a photocopy of your driver’s license, as well as present
the original one. You must also be ready with two pieces of 2x2 colored ID picture that is taken
on a white background. If you are a foreigner or have dual citizenship, you must carry your
passport and a photocopy of the date-of-last-arrival page.
On the other hand, if you have acquired permanent residency in the Philippines, you must also
have with you your passport and Alien Certificate or ID plus a photocopy of each. Individuals
who are not able to process the application can authorize someone to do it for them. The
person should carry a letter of authorization and a valid ID.

A Sample of the Alien Certificate of Registration ID

2. Renewal
As similar to any ID or document, the requirements for the renewal of an AAP international
license is not that much. However, there are two kinds:
 Expiring in a Month
Fortunately, you can renew your PDIP a month before it even expires. What you must do is
issue an authorization letter to renew and collect the ID. The authorized person must also carry
a valid ID to validate his or her identity. Lastly, he or she should prepare the PDIP and annual
membership fees.
 Expired or Renewing on the Same Day of Expiration
The authorized person should have the original temporary LTO driver’s license, but if it was
brought abroad, he or she can bring a photocopy of the said license plus the original LTO OR
and certificate.
>>> Read more: Driver license renewal in the Philippines: An easy to follow FAQ
III. What Is the Process for Applying for an International Drivers License in the Philippines?
The process for getting a PDIP is not as complicated as it may seem, as it only involves a few
steps and they are the following:
1. Proceed to the customer service counter and ask for an application form, which is
yellow.
2. Fill out the form completely, honestly, and legibly.
3. After filling out, submit it together with the requirements. The personnel will then
provide you with a number.
4. Once your number is called or flashed on the screen, proceed to Window 2 or cashier.
5. Pay the necessary fees.
6. Get the receipt and once the ID is issued, check the information and sign it.
7. If you are renewing in other areas or office branch, the personnel will instruct you when
you can get the ID.
IV. What Is the Validity Period of the PDIP & Where Can You Use It?
For your guidance, the validity period of the international license is not standard or fixed
because it will follow the validity period of your local driver’s license. This means that if upon
application for a PDIP your pro or non-pro license expires within six months, then, the PDIP will
be valid for six months only.
When it comes to the countries where you can drive, the PDIP is recognized in most countries
that signed the 1949 and 1968 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic. Nonetheless, these
are listed at the back of the license. One thing to remember though is that in Japan, the PDIP
can only be used for three months and you must leave the country before you can use the
license again for three months.

The PDIP Lists the Countries Where It Can Be Used

V. Driving Abroad Is Possible with Just a Few Steps!
The AAP had made it possible for Filipinos to drive private and rental vehicles in most countries
around the world, and that is through the international drivers license in the Philippines. What
is more convenient is that anyone from Luzon to Mindanao can acquire one as long as they
have either a non-pro or pro LTO driver’s license as well as the other documentary
requirements.
Renewing it is also not as difficult even if you are abroad since you can do it online or with the
help of an authorized representative.