To : Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Regional Directors
Bureau/Service/Center Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents

1. For the information and guidance of all concerned, attached is a copy of Administrative Order No. 103 dated August 31, 2004 from the Office of the President entitled “Directing the Continued Adoption of Austerity Measures in the Government”.
2. In pursuance thereof and as part of the Department’s prudent fiscal management, heads of offices, officials and employees in DepED shall be guided by the following principles as the basis for making local decisions in compliance with the said order:
   2.1 Austerity measures shall be levied principally on the general overheads related to the administration of regional and division offices.
   2.2 Austerity measures shall not compromise student programs, academic events, school events in support of academic objectives, or teacher/non-teaching staff training.
   2.3 Austerity measures should not compromise the safety or health of students, teachers, or the general public in our schools or offices.
3. Heads of offices, officials and employees of DepED shall follow strictly the following limitations specified in A.O. 103 in the pursuit/conduct of the following activities:
   3.1 Suspension of all local travels outside the region for purposes of meetings, conferences, trainings, etc., unless urgently necessary and allowed by the Secretary.
   3.2 Suspension of purchase of any type of motor vehicles using Department funds.
4. Training, seminars and workshops are to be prioritized and must generate savings by limiting the number of secretariat staff to only those deemed most essential to the successful implementation of the training:
   4.1 NEAP and SDS are to prioritize staff training and development training and to submit to the Undersecretary (Programs) for approval the trainings, seminars, workshops to be included and funded.
   4.2 TEEP, SEDIP, BEAM and all foreign-assisted projects are to likewise prioritize training and seminars and endeavor to generate 10% savings in the conduct of these trainings.
   4.3 Training organizers are to limit secretariat staff (i.e. registration clerks, disbursing officer) to no more than three central office staff per 100 participants.
5. Expansion of organizational units and/or the creation of positions shall be allowed only under the “scrap and build” mode. No additional positions shall be created for 2004.
6. Anniversary celebrations and other such events shall be allowed but with a minimum of expenditure. Sports competitions shall be allowed at the school, district, division and regional levels to be drawn against the school sports budget item.
7. Concerned offices shall generate 10% reduction in the services of consultants, technical assistants, contractuals and casual employees.
   7.1 TEEP and SEDIP are to generate at least 10% savings in operating expenses and costs borne by consultants.
8. Each office is to generate at least 10% savings in the consumption of fuel, water, office supplies, electricity and other utilities.
   8.1 In the central office, each unit/division/office is to strictly adhere to the following energy and utility conservation measures:
   8.1.1 No air conditioning before 8:30 am or after 5:00 p.m. Air conditioners are to be shut down during the lunch break (12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)
   8.1.2 Lights are to be shut off whenever offices are vacant and during lunch hours. ’
   8.1.3 General Services Division is to move around daily and check all bathrooms for running water and/or leaks which are to be repaired immediately.
   8.1.4 Inter-office m emos a nd papers o f a n on-confidential n ature s hall use recycled paper (i.e. used paper) provided that the used paper shall also be of non-confidential content.
9. Overtime for non-teaching staff is to be reduced to no more than 5% per month. In the central office, each office is to submit to the Undersecretary (Finance & Administration) the projected overtime to be rendered with specific purposes, time periods, etc.
   9.1 DepED officers shall submit projected overtime for assigned drivers.
   9.2 The Payroll Services Division shall submit the projected overtime schedule of payroll services clerks.
   9.3 There shall be no overtime on Saturday except with written approval of the undersecretary in charge of the unit. The authority to render overtime on Saturday shall be date and task-specific. Guards in the DepED Complex shall be authorized to close offices without a written authority for overtime on that specific Saturday. (For approved overtime on Saturday, airconditioners shall be limited to 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.)
   9.4 No office will be open to working staff on Sundays.
10. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Order is desired.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
DepED Memorandum No. 390, s. 2004
Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
FUNDS
LEGISLATIONS
POLICY