Streamlining the Procedure in Disposition of Requests of Government Officials/Employees for Authority to Travel Abroad

September 1, 2005

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 459

STREAMLINING THE PROCEDURE IN THE DISPOSITION OF REQUESTS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES FOR AUTHORITY TO TRAVEL ABROAD

WHEREAS, Executive Order (EO) No. 6 dated March 12, 1986, as amended by Memorandum Order (MO) No. 26 dated July 31, 1986, provided for procedures in the disposition of requests of government officials and employees for authority to travel abroad; HIAESC

WHEREAS, Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 18 dated October 27, 1992 clarified existing rules and regulations on travel abroad of government officials and employees;

WHEREAS, there is a need to streamline procedures in the disposition of requests of government officials and employees for authority to travel abroad in order to promote administrative efficiency and to enable the Office of the President to attend to governance matters;

WHEREAS, EO 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, recognizes, in Section 31(2), Chapter 10, Title III, Book III, the President's continuing authority to reorganize her office by transferring any function under the Office of the President to any other Department or Agency as well as transfer functions to the Office of the President from other Departments and Agencies;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The following officials shall seek approval from the Office of the President for authority to travel abroad.

a) Members of the Cabinet and officials of equivalent rank;

b) Heads of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financing institutions (GFIs) under or attached to the Office of the President; and

c) Heads of agencies under or attached to the Office of the President.

SECTION 2. Subject to Section 5 hereof, all other government officials and employees seeking authority to travel abroad shall henceforth seek approval from their respective heads of agencies, regardless of the length of their travel and the number of delegates concerned. For the purpose of this paragraph, heads of agencies refer to the Department Secretaries or their equivalents.

In the case of GOCCs and GFIs attached to the Office of the President, their officials and employees shall seek approval from the heads of these GOCCs and GFIs. Official and employees of GOCCs and GFIs not attached to Office of the President shall seek approval from the department head to which they are attached.

Provincial governors and Mayors of highly urbanized cities or independent component cities shall seek approval from the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.

Heads of state universities and colleges shall seek approval from the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, while all the other officials or employees of state universities and colleges shall seek approval from their respective heads. Heads of technical and vocational schools shall seek approval from the Chairman of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, while all the other officials and employees of technical and vocational schools shall seek approval from their respective heads. aDHCEA

Officials and employees of agencies under or attached to the Office of the President shall seek approval from the head of these agencies.

The foregoing authority shall not preclude the Office of the President from requiring any official and employee to secure authority to travel abroad from the Office of the President.

SECTION 3. Administrative Order No. 103, dated August 31, 2004, directing the continued adoption of austerity measures in the government shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 4. All those empowered to approve travels abroad shall submit a quarterly report to the Office of the President of all approved and authorized travels abroad of their officials and employees, indicating therein the names of the travelers, their destinations, the duration, the nature and purpose of the travel, and the costs of travel.

SECTION 5. All those empowered to approve travels abroad are hereby authorized to approve up to seventy-five percent (75%) of their allocated travel budget, in excess of which, they are required to secure from the Office of the President authorization to utilize the balance.

SECTION 6. Except as otherwise modified under this Executive Order (EO), EO No. 248 dated May 29, 1995, as amended by EO 248-A dated August 14, 1995, and EO 298 dated March 23, 2004, prescribing rules and regulations and new rates of allowances for official local and foreign travels of government personnel, as well as other guidelines related to travel abroad, shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 7. All issuances, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 8. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Five.