Nature of Official Travel
- Covers only urgent and necessary travels.
- Travel must involve minimum expenditure.
- Travels should benefit the concerned agency or the country.
Categories of Travel and Governing Rules
- Official local travel governed under TITLE I.
- Official travel abroad governed under TITLE II.
- Miscellaneous provisions covered under TITLE III.
Definition of Key Terms
- Permanent Official Station: the regular office or workplace.
- Travel Allowance: authorized amount covering daily subsistence and incidental expenses.
- Hotel Room/Lodging Rate: daily hotel rate including taxes and service charges.
Approval of Official Travel
- Local travel up to 7 days approved by office/bureau head.
- More than 7 days up to 1 month approved by Department Secretary or equivalent.
- Over 1 month travel requires President's approval or authorized official.
- Government-owned corporations and local government units follow respective governing board or DILG rules.
Allowable Travel Expenses
- Government personnel entitled to Php 300 per day for local travel.
- Php 200 for travel allowance covering meals, transport, incidentals.
- Php 100 for hotel/lodging.
- Reimbursement beyond Php 300 allowed with certification and receipts.
- Full allowance for absence of one full day; fractional rates apply based on departure and return times.
- Expenses of accompanying staff not covered.
- Mode/class of transportation and lodging determined by agency head, with cost-efficiency priority.
- Ordinary public transportation to be used unless exceptions justified.
- No travel expenses for travels within the same metropolitan area or within city/municipality of official station.
- Travel expense claims allowed for travel beyond specified radius with proper proof of stay.
Official Foreign Travel: Nature and Scope
- Covers urgent, necessary trips under categories like conferences, special missions, seminars, investigations, or short training courses.
- Includes trips sponsored by foreign governments, international organizations, or private bodies with government invitation.
Approval for Official Foreign Travel
- Travel of high-ranking officials requires President's prior approval.
- Other officials require Department Secretary or equivalent approval.
- Travel beyond one month always needs President's approval.
- Group delegations need prior clearance from the Office of the President.
Pre-departure Expenses
- Entitled pre-departure allowance of Php 1,500 to cover miscellaneous expenses (taxi fares, visas, immunizations, etc.).
Transportation for Foreign Travel
- Economy class transportation allowed unless otherwise specified and approved.
- Transportation not provided by host is government responsibility.
Clothing Allowance
- Officials on foreign travel get a clothing allowance of US$400.
- Granted once every 24 months with certification.
Travel Allowance and Hotel Rates Abroad
- Daily travel allowance: US$100; hotel rate: US$200.
- Claims for lodging require official bills/receipts; affidavits invalid.
- Allowance includes subsistence, local transport, incidentals, non-divisible except as per DFA guidelines.
- Full allowance granted consistent with local travel absence rules.
- Travel time calculated via most direct air route.
Representation Expenses
- Up to US$1,000 allowed for necessary official representation with President’s approval.
- For expenses such as entertainment, contributions, flowers, consistent with customs and properly documented.
Applicability to Personnel Stationed Abroad
- Allowances apply for official travels outside post or accredited countries.
- Funded from post allotments without supplemental budgets.
- Prior authority required from Department Secretaries.
- Lodging allowance granted upon arrival or during cross-posting, subject to existing laws and classification ceilings.
- No allowances granted for travel within 100-mile radius of official station.
Payment of Allowance Differential
- Travelers receiving per diems or allowances lower than prescribed shall be paid the difference.
Rendition of Account on Cash Advances
- Travelers must submit account of cash advances within 60 days for foreign travel, 30 days for local travel.
- Failure results in suspension of salary until compliance.
Automatic Adjustment of Allowances
- Allowance rates may be adjusted upward automatically after five years based on Travel Rates Committee computations.
Submission of Travel Reports
- Reports on official travel activities and recommendations must be submitted within one month of return.
- Delegation reports to the President submitted via Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
- Noncompliance may lead to disciplinary action.
Insurance Allowance
- Reimbursement of insurance premium allowed, capped at Php 200,000 for official travel duration.
- Personal or household insurance premiums not chargeable to government.
Chargeability of Travel Expenses
- Expenses charged to appropriations of the office/agency concerned unless otherwise specified.
Saving Clause
- Uncovered cases referred to Office of the President for final resolution.
Funding Source
- Regular government agencies fund travel from General Appropriations Act items.
- Government-owned corporations and LGUs use their corporate/local funds.
Repealing Clause
- Prior related executive orders and inconsistent administrative authorizations are repealed or modified accordingly.
Effectivity
- The Executive Order takes effect immediately upon issuance.