Legal basis and related issuances
- Executive Order No. 161 is issued by the President by virtue of powers vested in the President by law.
- Executive Order No. 129, as amended, governs that a training contract binds the scholar with his or her country and agency to render service corresponding to the period of training or scholarship grant.
- Executive Order No. 161 implements and aligns standard forms with the concept of a training or scholarship contract and its enforceable effects.
- The Special Committee on Scholarships approved the adoption of a modified scholarship service contract in Resolution No. 4 (June 26, 1992).
Policy, purpose, and intent
- Executive Order No. 161 requires uniform compliance for officials and employees proposed for travel abroad for official missions and for training or scholarships.
- Executive Order No. 161 is intended to enforce a stricter and more binding commitment between the agency and the grantee.
- Executive Order No. 161 addresses non-uniform enforcement of training contract obligations that has resulted in numerous breaches of contracts.
- Executive Order No. 161 requires that standard forms clearly define commitments tied to service corresponding to the training or scholarship period and the consequences of non-compliance.
Coverage and required standard forms
- All agencies and offices of national and local government must adopt the attached scholarship service contract.
- Officials and employees proposed for travel abroad must comply with the requirement to fill up a travel data sheet and, in proper cases, execute a training/scholarship agreement.
- The training contract concept under Executive Order No. 129, as amended must bind the scholar with the country and agency to render service matching the training or scholarship period.
- The scholarship service contract adopted through this Order includes a modification designed to be more strictly enforceable.
Standard contract modification: guarantor
- The modified scholarship service contract includes a guarantor to strengthen enforceability.
- The guarantor must be a close relative of the grantee.
- The guarantor’s role is tied to defraying the total cost of expenditures for the grantee’s training or scholarship.
- The strengthened contract structure is intended to reduce breaches and improve uniform enforcement by government agencies and offices.
Effect on inconsistent requirements and transitory clauses
- All issuances or orders providing additional requirements and prescribing standard forms for travel abroad that are inconsistent with Executive Order No. 161 are modified, amended, or repealed accordingly.
- Executive Order No. 161 applies immediately upon effectivity through mandatory adoption by all national and local government agencies and offices.
- The enforcement of the scholarship service contract is anchored on the binding training contract framework under Executive Order No. 129, as amended.