PPRI MEMORANDUM 99-61

: The memorandum aims to encourage the use of travel agents to obtain, prepare, and revalidate passports and travel visas, thereby reducing the cost and inconvenience of personally following up on these documents in Manila.
: The office allocates an amount of P1,500 as the source of payments for the services of a travel agent.
: No, personal appearance is only required if the country where the visa is applied for mandates it before issuing a visa.
: Yes, the memorandum states that the office could send requests for travel authority and necessary documents to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to initiate the process.
: Those whose travel is sponsored by IRRI, in which case IRRI takes care of the passport and visa leg-work with coordination from UPLB office.
: Using travel agents reduces the employees' leave, transportation costs, and administrative work involved in personally following up travel documents, allowing them to focus on their work at PhilRice.
: The memorandum encourages employees to help each other locate reliable travel agents and to consolidate their services to maximize efficiency.
: The process is seen as costly and time-consuming, affecting employees' work due to taking leaves and using transport services for follow-ups.
: Employees must personally appear in such cases as an exception to the general use of travel agents.