WHEREAS, the DOE, in particular, has professional, technical and official ties and obligations with certain international agencies, entities or organizations such that certain DOE officials and employees are assigned to said agencies, entities or organizations on a secondment basis;

WHEREAS, in the process of complying with the commitments or obligations of the DOE with such parties, the DOE officials and employees have also gained professional, technical and educational growth and development;

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to Section 7, Chapter 2, Book IV of the 1987 Administrative Code, the following guidelines are hereby issued with respect to the assignment of DOE officials and employees to certain international agencies, entities or organizations on secondment basis:

SECTION 1. Henceforth, all DOE officials and employees who are assigned to any international agency, entity or organization on secondment basis shall perform the following service obligations with the DOE after the expiration of the term of their secondment, based on the length of the term of such secondment, as follows:

Duration of Study Leave Service Obligation Less than 2 months 6 months 2 months but less than 6 months 1 year 6 months to one (1) year 2 years

Any period of secondment in excess of one (1) year will be subjected anew to service obligations in accordance with the above-mentioned schedule, in addition to the original service obligation of two (2) years.

SECTION 2. The grantee on secondment is obligated to pay to the DOE an amount equivalent to the salaries of the DOE official or employee covering the period that he/she was on secondment in the event that he/she fails to perform his/her above-mentioned obligation. In case, however, that he/she had served at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the period of his/her service obligation, he/she shall pay or refund to the DOE an amount equivalent to his/her salaries which correspond to the part of the period of service obligation which was not served.

SECTION 3. Condonation of the grantee ™s obligations under this Order shall be allowed under the following cases:

a. Involuntary phase-out of the grantee in case of DOE ™s reorganization; and

b. Death or permanent disability of the grantee.

SECTION 4. Any Department Order, Circular or Memorandum which is inconsistent with this Order is hereby superseded, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Department Order shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 30 Sept. 1998

(SGD.) MARIO V. TIAOQUI
Secretary