1.0 Purpose

This Circular is being issued to provide the rules and regulations to implement the pertinent provision under the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) on the grant of U/CA to all government personnel in NGAs, SUCs, GOCCs, GFIs and LGUs for FY 2004 and years thereafter.

2.0 COVERAGE AND EXEMPTIONS

This Circular shall apply to all government personnel, whether appointive or elective on full-time or part-time basis, under permanent, temporary or casual status, and contractual personnel whose employment is in the nature of a regular employee.

It shall not apply, however, to the following: 

2.1. Uniformed personnel of the Department of national Defense, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Transportation and communications; 

2.2. Foreign service personnel of the Department of Foreign Affairs and of other departments and agencies who are stationed abroad; 

2.3. Government personnel who are on leave without pay or on training/study/scholarship grant and other similar activities for more than six (6) consecutive months in a particular year. 

2.4. Government personnel whose U/CA rates are specifically provided for special laws, charters or enabling acts. 

2.5. Those who are hired on job order basis as consultants, experts, student, laborers, apprentices, laborers of contracted projects (pakiao), mail contractors including those paid on piecework basis, and others similarly situated; and

3.0 Rules and Regulations 

3.1 The U/CA, which shall be prescribed in the pertinent general provision of the annual GAA, may be given in cash or in kind subject to the discretion of the agency head. 

3.2 Government personnel who are expected to render at least six (6) consecutive months in a particular year including leaves of absence with pay shall be entitled to U/CA. 

3.3 Newly hired government personnel shall be entitled to U/CA after they have rendered six (6) consecutive months of service or in the next grant thereof whichever comes later. 

3.4 Part-time government personnel shall not be entitled to U/CA except for medical personnel who shall be entitled to U/CA equivalent to one-half (1/2) of the amount authorized in the GAA. 

3.5 The U/CA for special police, security guards, prison guards, firefighters and other similar positions shall be inclusive of other articles of clothing like regulations caps, belts, and coats. 

3.6 The U/CA of government personnel who are on detail with other government agencies shall be borne by the mother agency. 

3.7 Government personnel who transferred to other agencies during the first six (6) months of a particular year and were not granted U/CA, whether in cash or in kind, by their former agencies, shall be granted U/CA by their new agencies. If they shall no longer be granted U/CA by their new agencies as by then they are deemed to have been granted U/CA by their former agencies. 

3.8 Government personnel who are required to wear uniform at all times in the performance of their functions such as security guards, prison guards, firefighters, teachers, those which are in direct contact with patients and other similar positions shall be granted U/CA whether or not they met the service requirement. 

3.9 Government personnel who transferred to other agencies/positions which are required to wear uniforms at all times like the positions cited under 3.8 hereof may be granted U/CA by their new agencies even if they have received U/CA from their former agencies subject to the discretion of the agency head concerned. 

3.10 Guidelines on the wearing of the uniform, e.g. for those mourning, on maternity leave, during wash days, etc. shall be at the discretion of the agency head concerned. 

3.11 LGUs whose available local funds are not sufficient to implement fully the U/CA authorized in the GAA may grant it partially and uniformly to all qualified personnel.

4.0 Funding Source 

4.1 For NGAs, the amount required shall be charged against the appropriations for the purpose under the annual GAA and any deficiency thereof shall be charged against available savings in the appropriation of each department, bureau, office or agency; 

4.2 For GOCCs/GFIs, the amount required shall be charged against their respective corporate funds; 

4.3 For LGUs, the amount required shall be charged against their respective local funds; and 

4.4 The U/CA of casual or contractual personnel shall be charged against the lump-sum appropriation where their salaries are drawn.

5.0 Responsibility of the Head of Agency

The head of agency concerned shall be held personally responsible and liable for any grant of the U/CA not in accordance with the provisions of this Circular, without prejudice, however, to the refund of any excess payment thereof by the personnel concerned.

6.0 Resolution of Issues

Cases not covered by the provisions of this Circular shall be submitted to the Secretary of Budget and Management for resolution.

7.0 Effectivity

This Circular shall take effect on FY 2004.

Adopted: 08 Dec. 2003

(SGD.) EMILIA T. BONCODIN
  Secretary