MANILA, Philippines -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued Administrative Order (AO) 47, authorizing the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary to delegate the approval of foreign travel requests of local government officials to designated representatives.
By the authority of the President, acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto signed AO 47, which amended AO 267 (1992), aimed at expediting the processing of travel applications among local government officials.
AO 267 had previously delegated the President's authority to approve such travel requests to the DILG secretary.
The latest amendment allows the DILG chief to pass on that authority to designated representatives to facilitate faster processing, Malacanang said on Thursday.
"Considering the volume of travel requests and the increasing demands of regional coordination, there is a need to refine approval processes to ensure responsiveness amid contemporary government realities, strengthen government systems and improve bureaucratic efficiency, while also maintaining sufficient oversight and supervision over local governments," the AO read.
Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code provides that local government officials traveling abroad are required to secure permission from the Office of the President when the period of travel extends to more than three months, during periods of emergency or crisis, or when the travel involves the use of public funds.
The order also cited the rules governing official local and foreign travel of government personnel under Executive Order 77 (2019), emphasizing the need to make government systems more responsive while preserving accountability and oversight over local government units.