IRR for EO 77 Prescribing Rules and Regulations and Rates of Expenses and Allowances for Official Local and Foreign Travels of Government Personnel

May 8, 2019

LWUA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 007-19

 

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 77 dated March 15, 2019, please be advised of the new set of policies, rules and regulations governing the official local and foreign travels of Local Water Districts (LWDs) officials and personnel, to wit: HSCATc

1.0 AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL TRAVELS

Official local or foreign travels and assignments shall cover only those which meet the following criteria:

a. Relevant to the water industry;

b. Essential to the effective performance of an official or employee's mandates or functions;

c. Requirement to meet the needs of agency or office, or there is substantial benefit to be derived by the State;

d. The presence of the official or employee is critical to the outcome of the meeting, conference, seminar, consultation or any official activity to be attended;

e. The projected expenses are not excessive or involve minimum expenditure.

2.0 TYPES OF OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVELS

Authorized official foreign travels shall refer only to those under the following categories: EHaASD

a. International conferences or meetings to which the Philippine Government has commitments, or to undertake official missions/assignments which cannot be assigned to government officials posted abroad;

b. Scholarships, fellowships, trainings, and studies abroad which are grant-funded or undertaken at minimal cost to Local Water District (LWD); and

c. Invitations for speaking engagements or receiving of awards from foreign governments/institutions or international agencies/organizations as defined under international law, whether fully or partially funded by the government, upon endorsement of the DFA.

3.0 DEFINITION OF TERMS

a. Permanent Official Station — the place where the office or regular place of business/work of an official or employee is permanently located and where the official or employee is expected to stay most of the time as required by the nature and the duties and responsibilities. IDTSEH

b. Daily Travel Expenses — the amounts authorized to cover expenses for local travel, which consist of (i) costs for hotel accommodation or lodging, including the prescribed taxes and service charges, (ii) meals, and (iii) incidental expenses, including cost for local or inland transportation and reasonable miscellaneous expenses at the place of assignment.

c. Transportation Expenses — the actual fares of the authorized modes of transportation (e.g., land, sea and air) for local and foreign travels from the permanent official station to the destination or place of assignment and back.

d. Daily Subsistence Allowance — the cost to cover expenses for foreign travel which included costs for hotel accommodation or lodging, meals and incidental expenses.

4.0 DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

a. All Requests for Authority to Travel for official trips, shall state:

a.1 How the subject trip complies with the minimum criteria stated in Section 1.0; DaIAcC

a.2 WD has foreign travel budget to support the official travel abroad;

a.3 The travel expenses do not exceed seventy five (75%) the WDs allocated foreign travel budgets, in excess of which, the WDs are required to secure authorization for the Office of the President to utilize the balance.

b. Official invitation from the Organization hosting the international event;

c. WD Board Resolution authorizing the concerned WD official/s or officer(s) to attend the subject international event, together with the official designation of a WD Officer who shall assume the functions of the travelling officer for the duration of the travel;

d. Certificate of Availability of Funds for the purpose.

5.0 APPROVAL OF LOCAL TRAVELS

5.1 Local Travels

a. The Chairs of the WDs' Boards of Directors, in pursuance of the functions of their respective offices, irrespective of the number of days, need not be approved by higher authorities.

b. The official local travels for less than (30) days and payment of corresponding travel expenses:

1. By the Chair of the Board of Directors for members of the Board and General Manager

2. By the General Manger for other WD personnel

c. The official local travels for thirty (30) days or more and payment of corresponding travel expenses shall be approved by the LWUA Administrator.

5.2 Foreign Travels

Regardless of the length of travels abroad and the number of delegates, official foreign travels and payment of travel expenses of the Board of Directors, General Managers, WD officers and employees shall be approved by the LWUA Administrator pursuant to the authority delegated by the Secretary of DPWH.

In case of trips involving delegations, the authorized approving authority shall ensure that the number of participants is kept to the barest minimum and the role of each member in the delegation is clearly specified and justified in the travel application or proposal. TAacHE

6.0 PERIOD OF SUBMISSION

All requests for foreign travel authority and supporting documents must be submitted to the LWUA Administrator at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the scheduled date of departure. Late submission shall not be entertained.

7.0 ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES

7.1 Local Travels

a. Daily Travel Expenses (DTE)

(i) The maximum allowable DTE of WDs' Board of Directors, General Managers, Officers and employees, regardless of rank and position, shall be at the following rates:

 

	Destination	Maximum DTE
Cluster I	Region I Region II Region III Region V Region VIII Region IX Region XII Region XIII ARMM	P1,500
Cluster II	Cordillera Administrative Region Region VI Region VII Region X Region XI	P1,800
Cluster III	National Capital Region Region IV-A Region IV-B	P2,200

 

(ii) Claims for payment of DTE shall not require presentation of bills and receipts. DHIcET

b. Apportioned Travel Expenses

The allowable DTE for travel beyond the 50-kilometer radius from the permanent official station shall be based on the following apportionment:

 

Particulars	Percentage	To Cover
Day of arrival at point of destination (regardless of time) and succeeding day/s thereof on official business	100%	Hotel/lodging (50%) meals (30%), and incidental expenses (20%)
Particulars	Percentage	To Cover
Day of departure for permanent official station (regardless of time) if other than date of arrival	50%	Meals (30%), and incidental expenses (20%)

 

7.2 FOREIGN TRAVELS

a. Clothing Allowance.

(For WDs' General Managers, Officers and Employees):

(i) Clothing allowance shall be granted to personnel on foreign travel in tropical countries or temperate countries for the period coinciding with the summer and spring seasons, regardless of the nature of travel, if the travel will last for more than one (1) month. The clothing allowance shall be granted on pro-rated basis, as follows: HDICSa

 

More than one (1) month but less than three (3) months	US$200.00
Three (3) months and more but less than six (6) months	US$300.00
Six (6) months and more	US$400.00

 

 Provided, however that the clothing allowance in connection with study trips to tropical countries shall not exceed US$300.00.

(ii) When the travel to temperate countries, regardless of the nature of travel, coincides with the autumn or winter seasons, the clothing allowance shall be granted as follows:

 

Two (2) weeks or less	US$200.00
More than two (2) weeks but less than one (1) month	US$300.00
One (1) month and more	US$400.00

 

(iii) The clothing allowance may be granted more than once in every twenty-four (24) months. In no instance, however, shall the total clothing allowance exceed US$400.00 within a twenty four (24)-month period. IDaEHC

b. Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA)

(For WDs' Board of Directors, General Managers, Officers and Employees):

(i) Those who travel abroad shall be granted the DSA based on the daily rates established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) of the United Nations which may be accessed at www.undp.org.ph or at www.dfa.gov.ph of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

 When the country of destination is not listed therein, the DSA for the nearest country shall be adopted. When the city of destination is not listed therein, the "elsewhere" rate established for the country shall be adopted.

(ii) The DSA shall only start upon arrival at the country of destination and shall cease upon departure therefrom, at the following percentages:

 

Particulars	Percentage	To Cover
Day of arrival at point of destination (regardless of time) succeeding day/s thereof on official business	100%	Hotel/lodging (50%), meals (30%) and incidental expenses (20%)
Day of departure for permanent official station (regardless of time) of other than date of arrival	50%	Meals (30%) and incidental expenses (20%)

 

(iii) If hotel/lodging, meals and incidental expenses are provided by the host country or donor institution, the DSA shall not be allowed. ASTcaE

(iv) Claims for payment of DSA shall not require presentation of bills and receipts.

8.0 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

a. Prohibition Against Junkets:

a.1 All forms of travel junkets shall be strictly prohibited.

a.2 The conduct of strategic planning workshops or team building activities abroad shall not be allowed.

a.3 The taking of a personal leave immediately before or after the official foreign travel shall not be allowed.

a.4 If travel circumstances, such as the nature of activity, purpose and itinerary, indicate that the trip is mainly intended for personal purposes, no part thereof shall be considered as official.

b. Travels in Connection with Official Duties Paid for by a Private Source:

b.1 Official foreign trips partially or fully sponsored or funded by private corporations or private individuals shall be fully disclosed. DTCSHA

b.2 No official or personal travel of government officials and employees shall be funded directly or indirectly, fully or partially, by private individuals, including suppliers or contractors, with pending request/s or application/s or future dealings with the WDs. This prohibition applies to invitations to travel purportedly to undertake study or assessment of the proponents' capabilities as such contractors or suppliers.

c. No authority shall be issued to Water Districts in arrears on its LWUA Loans and for Water Districts under full or partial LWUA Take over.

d. Foreign Travel of LWUA 6th Members using WD funds shall not be allowed.

e. Request for Authority to Travel Abroad for any official or officers shall not exceed once per year.

f. No foreign travel shall be allowed for Water Districts officials/officers who are scheduled to retire or whose appointments shall expire within one (1) year from the completion of the trip.

9.0 REPORTORIAL REQUIREMENTS

a. Within one (1) calendar month after returning to the permanent official station, every personnel authorized to travel shall submit to the head of the agency and LWUA, a report with recommendations, if any, on the conference or seminar attended, examination or investigation conducted, or mission undertaken.

b. In case of participation in an international conference or convention in which the Philippines is represented by a delegation, a report of the delegation shall be submitted to the OP through the Department Secretary or those of equivalent rank from whose department the head of delegation belongs, copy furnished the Secretary of the DFA, not later than one (1) calendar month after the closing of the conference or convention. Any member of the delegation may also submit a supplementary report.

10.0 FUND SOURCES

Funds for local and foreign travels shall be sourced solely from the WDs' respective corporate funds.

11.0 REPEALING CLAUSE

MC 009.12 (Foreign Travel of Water District Officials and Officers) and other issuances on travel rules and regulations on official local and foreign travels or parts thereof inconsistent with this IRR are hereby superseded. CScTED

12.0 EFFECTIVITY

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect upon approval.

For compliance.

(SGD.) JECI A. LAPUS

Acting Administrator