MANILA, Philippines 鈥撎� President Rodrigo Duterte has released an executive order banning government officials and employees from going on junkets and team-building activities abroad.
The President signed Executive Order No. 77 on March 15 but it was only released to media on Friday.
鈥淎ll forms of travel junkets shall be strictly prohibited. The conduct of strategic planning workshops or team building activities abroad shall not be allowed,鈥澨齋ection 19 of the EO stated.
鈥淭he taking of a personal leave immediately before or after the official activity is highly discouraged,鈥� the EO added.
鈥淚f travel circumstances, such as the nature of activity, purpose and itinerary, indicate that the trip is mainly intended for personal purposes,鈥� the EO stated that 鈥渘o part thereof shall be considered official.鈥�
The President under the EO also required听his Cabinet secretaries, chairpersons and board members of Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC), and heads of national government agencies to get his approval for their official foreign trips.
In January 2018, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum, saying official foreign travel should only be allowed if the trip is 鈥渟trictly within the mandate鈥� of the official; projected trip expenses 鈥渁re not expensive,鈥� and the travel is 鈥渆xpected to bring substantial benefit鈥� to the country.
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READ: Palace issues guidelines for gov鈥檛 officials鈥� trips abroad
The EO has formalized the guidelines and added more specific rules.
Under EO 77, the President said only certain officials are allowed to take business class for air travel and are allowed only for long-haul flights.
The EO defined a long-haul flight as a travel lasting more than four hours, excluding the time spent in lay-overs.
Only allowed to take business class flights are department secretaries, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries.
These officials, however, still need the approval of the Office of the President (OP).
All government employees taking long-haul flights will have to take the economy class.
For flights less than four hours, all government employees, including Cabinet secretaries, will have to take economy class, which 鈥渄oes not include premium economy class.鈥�
The EO also ordered government officials to fully disclose official foreign trips that are 鈥減artially of fully sponsored or funded by private corporations or private individuals.鈥�
The EO also stated that no official or personal travel of government officials and employees should be funded 鈥渄irectly or indirectly, fully or partially,鈥� by private individuals, including suppliers or contractors, with pending requests or applications or future dealing with any branch, department, bureau, or office of the national government. /muf