OFFICIAL TRAVEL ABROAD OF GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL

SECTION 1. Legal Basis — The President, on 26 April 1990,
signed Executive Order No. 401, which governs the official
travel abroad of officials and employees of the government, both national and
local, including government owned or controlled corporations whose nature of
travel is under the category of Conference, Special Missions, and Other
Non-Study Trips.

SECTION 2. Approval of the President — All official travel
abroad of the Secretary, Undersecretaries, Assistant Secretaries and other
officials of equivalent rank whose nature of travel falls under the category of
Conferences, Special Missions, and Other Non-Study Trips, shall be subject to
the prior approval of the President.

SECTION 3. Nature of Travel — Travels and assignments under
this Order shall include those undertaken for the following purposes:

a. To attend conferences or seminars sponsored by foreign governments or
international government organizations to which the Philippine Government is
committed or invited to send representatives or participants;

b. To attend conferences or seminars sponsored by private organizations,
whether international or not, invitations to which have been sent through their
respective governments to the Philippine Government;

c. To conduct examination or investigation of Philippine Government agencies
or affairs; and

d. To undertake any other official mission which cannot be assigned to any
other Philippine Government official or officials already abroad.

SECTION 4. Transportation — Whenever transportation is not
provided by the host country or sponsoring organization or agency, economy class
plane ticket shall be provided unless otherwise specified in the travel
authority issued by the Office of the President.

SECTION 5. Clothing Allowance — Clothing allowance shall be
granted to Home Office personnel once every twenty-four (24) months, and a
certification shall be submitted to the effect that no clothing allowance had
been received during the next preceding twenty-four (24) months.  In cases where
the clothing allowance previously received was less than the clothing allowance
to which the traveller is entitled for the subsequent trip, the difference shall
be paid.  The prescribed rates shall be as follows:

a.	Secretary and Undersecretary	$400.00
b.	Assistant Secretary,
	Head of Delegation with full powers,
	Chief of Mission, Consul-General,
	Counsellor, and Foreign Service
	Officer	$350.00
c.	All other regular personnel	$300.00

SECTION 6. Clothing Allowance Under the General Appropriations
Act — The clothing allowance provided under this Order shall be in addition
to the uniform and clothing allowance also authorized for Home Office personnel
in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 7. Daily Allowance and Reimbursable Limit for Hotel Room
Rate —

1. A daily allowance shall be paid to cover subsistence, incidental local
   transportation expenses, and other miscellaneous incidental expenses like
   porterage, tips, and road tolls.  It shall be granted only for the duration of
   the official trip, including travel time which shall be computed according to
   the most direct air route not more than three (3) days before and three (3) days
   after the conference or mission unless otherwise specified in the authority for
   the trip.

2. Reimbursement of hotel expenses shall be allowed only when duly supported by
   actual hotel bills.  No affidavit of loss shall be accepted.  In highly
   meritorious cases, reimbursement of actual hotel room rate may be allowed for
   the Secretary or other officials of equivalent rank only when so specified in
   the travel authority issued by the Office of the President.

3. The allowances specified in this section for the Secretary shall be in lieu
   of the $80.00 per day reasonable expenses under Executive Order No.
   367, series of 1989.

4. Where the per diem or allowance provided by the host government or
   sponsoring institution is lower than that prescribed in this Order, the
   difference shall be paid.

5. The prescribed rates shall be as follows:

Category	Daily Allowance	Reimbursable Limit for Hotel Room Rate
Secretary	$100.00	$100.00
Undersecretary	90.00
Assistant Secretary, head of delegation with full powers, Chief of Mission, Consul-General, and Counsellor	80.00	80.00
Foreign Service Officer	70.00	70.00
All other regular personnel	50.00	50.00

SECTION 8. Representation Expenses — Philippine delegations
to international conferences/conventions and special missions may be allowed
such reimbursable representation expenses as shall be absolutely necessary to
enable them to uphold the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines, to
represent the country with dignity and distinction, and to carry out their
functions and objectives more effectively but only upon the prior approval of
the President.

SECTION 9. Insurance — Reimbursement of premiums for
accident insurance not exceeding P200 ,000.00 shall be allowed for the duration
of the official trip abroad.  Under no circumstances, however, shall premiums on
insurance of personal effects and household goods belonging to any personnel on
official travel be charged to government funds.

SECTION 10. Applicability to Foreign Service Personnel —
Personnel already posted abroad who are authorized to travel outside of their
post of assignment or those on official travel to countries to which they are
duly accredited on a non-resident basis or to countries to which the post has
concurrent jurisdiction shall be automatically entitled to the rates set forth
in Section 7 hereof for daily allowance and reimbursable limit for hotel room
rate.

SECTION 11. Per diems in Lieu of LQA — Pursuant to
Ministry Order No. 21-85, dated 25 August 1985, per diem paid
to personnel in lieu of the living quarters allowance upon arrival at their new
post of assignment shall, until revised with the approval of the President,
continue as follows:

a.	Chief of Mission	$50.00
b.	Counsellor, Foreign Service	40.00
	Officer and Foreign Service
	Staff Officer designated
	officer-in-charge of any Foreign
	Service establishment
c.	Foreign Service Officer	35.00
d.	All other regular personnel	30.00

SECTION 12. Submission of Report — Home Office personnel
authorized to travel abroad to participate in an international conference,
convention, seminar, etc., shall, within thirty (30) days after their return to
the country, submit a report thereon with appropriate recommendations, if any,
to the head of the office, furnishing the Secretary and the Office of the
President with a copy thereof. Violation of the provisions of this Section shall
subject the personnel concerned to disciplinary action.