Purpose

This Circular is being issued to prescribe the allowable cost of participation of government officials and employees in conventions, seminars, conferences, symposia and similar gatherings.

2

Coverage

2.1 This Circular shall cover all requests for the payment of registration and related fees pertaining to the participation of government officials/employees in conventions, seminars, conferences, symposia and similar gatherings conducted/sponsored by non-government organizations or private institutions in the Philippines.

2.2 For purposes of this Circular, conventions, seminars and the like shall refer to those conducted basically for purposes of sharing, discussing or disseminating ideas or information on the developments in a particular field or fields of interest and/or for common appreciation and resolution of certain issues. It includes, but it is not limited to, those conducted by professional organizations or groups of common interest where government employees are members. It excludes those conducted for training purposes where participants are expected to gain or strengthen skills and technical or management expertise in their areas of endeavor.

3.0

Guidelines

3.1 Government Officials and Employees may participate in conventions, seminars, conferences, symposia and such other activities conducted by private organizations for a fee, as part of the human resource development program of the government, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Civil Service Commission, chargeable against government funds.

3.2 The registration fee or charge for participation in said convention, seminar, etc. shall not exceed P900 per day per participant. Any amount in excess of the prescribed rate shall be at the expense of the participant.

3.3 In cases where the convention is held out-of-town, authorized participants may be entitled to per diems, travelling, transportation and other expenses as authorized under existing budgeting and accounting rules and regulations.

3.4 Membership and similar fees paid for personal or individual membership in a private organizations shall be for the account of the member concerned and shall not be charged to government funds. However, institutional membership fees, i.e., agency membership may be charged to government funds.

3.5 All expenditures for the purpose shall not exceed the appropriation for training and seminar expenses of agencies concerned and shall be subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

4.0

Effectivity

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 29 Mar. 1995

(SGD.) SALVADOR M. ENRIQUEZ, JR.
Secretary