Duterte scraps foreign travel restrictions

President Rodrigo Duterte has scrapped restrictions on foreign and local travels for state workers, saying the government is in better fiscal state now and no longer has to scrimp.

Duterte issued Administrative Order (AO) 6 that repeals Administrative Order 103 that mandated all government agencies, including state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned and-controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), and other government corporate entities, their subsidiaries and other instrumentalities to suspend foreign and local travels except for ministerial meetings and scholarship/trainings that are grant-funded or undertaken at no cost to the government. The repealed order also stopped the purchase of vehicles and required agencies to reduce the hiring of consultants, technical assistants, contractual and casual employees.