[ Memorandum Circular No. 1238, April 1, 1982 ]
PROVIDING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 1237 DATED MARCH 10, 1982.
The following guidelines and procedures hereby proscribed for the effective implementation of Memorandum Circular No. 1237 requiring officials and employees of the Government to travel via Philippine Airlines or through its connecting airlines.
I. Responsibility of Heads of Government Offices and PAL
1. Heads of government offices, both national and local; government-owned or controlled corporations, their subsidiaries and acquired assets, shall require their officials and employees traveling on official business or official time, including foreign consultants and official foreign guests whose air fares are shouldered by the Philippine government or its instrumentalities, to travel via PAL or its connections. Heads of corporate subsidiaries and acquired assets shall furnish the PAL GTTO and the Commission on Immigration and deportation with the names and itineraries of their traveling officials and employees.
2. The Philippine Airlines shall expeditiously service by the most economical and efficient means the foreign air travel requirements of government officials and employees and foreign consultants and official foreign guess whose air fares are shouldered by the government. Regardless of the airline to be used PAL tickets and traffic documents shall be issued to cover all such travels.
II. Officials and Employees on Leave
1. Officials and employees who travel abroad while on leave of absence shall be prevailed upon to travel by PAL or avail of its reservation and ticketing services. It shall be impressed upon them that they are in fact co-owners of PAL, the GSIS of which they are members being the owner of a substantial majority of stockholdings of PAL.
III. Scholars and Trainees
1. Scholars, trainees and others traveling at the expense of their sponsors shall be required to travel on or avail of the reservation and ticketing services of PAL whenever the air fare is remitted or advanced without specifying a particular carrier.
IV. The PAL Government Travel and Ticketing Office (GTTO)
1. Ticketing and related documentation of all official travels abroad shall be done by PAL through its GTTO. In foreign countries, however, the nearest PAL establishment or agent, shall be the servicing office. Enclosed for ready reference (Annex “A”) is a list of PAL’s worldwide offices with their addresses.
2. The GTTO is located at the second floor of the Building at 1500 Roxas Boulevard, Manila. It shall be open seven days a week from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
V. Reservation and Itinerary Planning
1. Requests for bookings of foreign air travel shall be mode with GTTO, either in person, by telephone or in writing. The request shall include among other things the points of departure and destination, the earliest and latest estimated dates of departure, and shall be submitted in proper time to enable the GTTO to provide and/or arrange for timely and adequate travel facilities. Enclosed (Annexes “B—1” and “B—2”) are GTTO’s forms for the purpose.
2. In consultation with the traveler, the GTTO shall prepare the complete and final itinerary of travel, whether or not the point of destination is served by PAL, with the view of attaining the most economical means of travel. The itinerary shall include the estimated cost of air transportation.
3. When any point in the itinerary is not served by PAL, it shall nevertheless provide for travel on PAL to a point nearest thereto on condition that this will not result in higher transportation cost or delay in the official itinerary.
4. Only government approved tariffs and fares shall be the basis for computing the cost of air travel.
5. Any request for alteration of the original itinerary shall be submitted to the nearest PAL establishment which shall promptly seek approval thereof from the GTOO. The GTTO may, if it deems necessary, refer the request for alteration to the traveler’s home office. However, when the alteration entails additional expense to the government, the GTOO shall at all times refer the request to the traveler’s home of ice even if the traveler should volunteer to advance the added cost.
6. Travel instructions from the home office for the traveler to deviate from the original itinerary may be arranged with and transmitted through the GTTO. PAL shall make available its telex facilities to the traveler when d-consulting with his home office regarding official alterations in the original itinerary.
VI. Ticketing Procedure
1. The traveler shall obtain the plane ticket from the GTTO upon presentation of the following documents:
a) Approved Travel Order
b) Valid Passport
c) Travel Tax Exemption Certificate (if applicable)
2. Upon receipt of the authority to issue ticket (Annex “C”) GTTO shall prepare the plane ticket in accordance with the approved itinerary and shall issue the same to the traveler or the authorized agent or representative upon full payment thereof, unless a previous credit arrangement has been made.
VII. Air Cargo
1. Air freight paid for out of government funds or in connection with government-funded or sponsored Projects shall be shipped via PAL.
VIII. Forms of Payment
1. Henceforth, cash advances for the payment of air fare shall no longer be allowed: instead, payment for air fare and air freight shall be made by treasury warrant or check drawn in favor of PAL.
2. Application for credit from any government agency or entity shall be evaluated by PAL according to normal and accepted commercial credit standards.
3. If for reasons of urgency the traveler pays the air fare in advance from his own personal funds, the GTTO shall indicate in the travel order the plane ticket number, the amount of air fare and the payor. This completed document shall be required in support of all claims of the traveler for repayment of all such advance payments.
IX. Refunds
1. Any refund for air fare or air freight paid out of government funds shall be made by check to the government office concerned and not to the traveling office or employee or any other individual.
X. Travel Agencies
1. The services of a travel agency may be availed of by the traveler provided that the agency is duly licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and the availment thereof does not result in any additional expenditure to the Government.
2. Compensation of travel agencies shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Civil Aeronautics Board.
XI. Auditors, Administrative Officers and Exit Officers
1. Auditors of the Commission on Audit or internal auditors and accountants of government offices and entities shall process payments for or allow liquidation of travel expenses only if the travel is made in accordance with the provisions of M.C. No. 1237 and these guidelines.
2. Immigration or exit officers at the Manila International Airport shall check the plane tickets and traffic documents of official travelers to insure that the same were secured in accordance with the provisions of M.C. No. 1237 and these guidelines.
3. Administrative Officers shall, on the basis of documents relative to the sponsored travel or any other proof that may be submitted in connection therewith, certify to the effect that the traveler has been provided pre-paid ticket via a particular carrier by the sponsoring organization which will be presented to immigration or other exit officers.
XII. Disagreements over Rates and Schedule
1. The Civil Aeronautics Board shall may be called upon to resolve all disagreements between PAL and a passenger/shipper as regards passenger fares, freight rates and/or schedules.
All government officials and employees. concerned with the enforcement of the said Memorandum Circular No. 1237 and those authorized to travel abroad shall be guided accordingly.1aшphi1
