Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1495)
The main purpose of Presidential Decree No. 1495 is to entitle officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to accumulate and commute their leave credits, subject to certain conditions, to recognize their continuous service and the forfeiture of leave privileges due to military exigencies.
The beneficiaries are the officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Military personnel can accumulate vacation and sick leave credits in excess of ten (10) months; however, those already in service with more than ten (10) months on the decree's effectivity date are entitled only to ten (10) months' leave credits.
Military personnel prevented from going on leave due to military service exigencies can commute their leave credits into cash if they have at least five (5) months leave credits which they cannot commute, and they may only commute up to two (2) months worth of leave credits per year.
They are entitled to the commutation of all their accumulated vacation and sick leave credits, but the total commuted vacation and sick leave cannot exceed ten (10) months.
The Secretary of National Defense is tasked to formulate and adopt a systematic and integrated leave program that ensures military personnel can actually enjoy their leave or receive commutation for unused leave credits, in accordance with the law.
Yes, funds are appropriated from the National Treasury as necessary, and the Secretary of National Defense is authorized to use savings from the Armed Forces of the Philippines for this purpose, with future appropriations included in yearly budgets.
Yes, any provision of law, rules, or regulations inconsistent with this decree is modified accordingly.
The decree took effect immediately upon its approval on June 11, 1978.
Because they had to forfeit leave privileges due to the continuous nature of their service in maintaining peace and order and supporting government programs, which justified this special consideration.