Marcos eases bottleneck in LGU foreign travel approvals

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign travel requests from local officials may move faster under a new order allowing the Interior secretary to delegate approval authority to designated representatives.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Administrative Order 47, amending a 1992 directive that placed the approval of such requests solely with the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The change gives the DILG chief, currently Secretary Jonvic Remulla, the option to authorize designated officials to act on travel applications, widening the approval chain as the government contends with a growing volume of requests and regional coordination demands.

Malacañang said in a news release Thursday, August 6 that the measure seeks to shorten processing time while preserving oversight over local governments.

"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 order said.

Under the Local Government Code, local officials must secure permission from the Office of the President when traveling abroad for more than three months, during an emergency or crisis, or when the trip involves public funds.

Administrative Order 267, issued in 1992, delegated the President's authority to approve those requests to the DILG secretary.

The new order allows the secretary to pass that authority to designated representatives to facilitate faster processing.

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