The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has restructured its foreign travel approval system for local government officials and employees, delegating several processing functions to regional and local directors.
The update follows Malacañang’s issuance of Administrative Order No. 47, s. 2026, which empowered the DILG Secretary to further delegate foreign travel authorization. Under previous rules, the authority delegated by the President was restricted solely to the cabinet chief.
Under DILG Circular No. 2026-017, which took effect on September 7, 2026, the DILG Secretary maintains direct oversight for key executive roles. Approval from the Secretary remains mandatory for all official and unofficial foreign trips taken by Provincial Governors, Highly Urbanized City (HUC) and Independent Component City (ICC) Mayors, and the Municipal Mayor of Pateros.
The Secretary will also continue to act on travel requests from provincial, city, and municipal elective officials if the trip exceeds three months or coincides with a state of emergency or crisis.
However, for official trips lasting three months or less during non-emergency periods, DILG Regional Directors are now authorized to approve requests for provincial, city, and municipal elective officials. Regional Directors will also oversee official and unofficial requests from appointive personnel within those local government units when the stay exceeds three months or occurs during a crisis.
Further delegation applies at the community level:
Component Cities & Municipalities: DILG Provincial Directors are authorized to approve foreign travel for elective and appointive barangay officials when trips exceed three months or occur during an emergency.
HUCs & ICCs: Corresponding foreign travel requests for barangay personnel will be handled by the DILG City Director.
To handle processing, the agency continues to route submissions electronically through its Foreign Travel Authority Online System (FTA OS). The new mechanism decentralizes standard travel approvals while retaining central executive review over high-ranking officials and emergency scenarios.