GUIDELINES ON TRAVEL ABROAD

You may have an opportunity to travel outside the country while still under the scholarship or while rendering your service obligation.

a. Inform DOST-SEI in writing re-your plan to travel outside the country including information on your destination, dates and purpose of travel.

b. You will be advised on how much bond you are to post, the amount of which is equivalent to the total financial assistance you have received as of the date just prior to your travel plus 12% interest.

1. For travel outside the country for a period of less than a year, you may either post a cash bond with the DOST-SEI Cashier, surety bond with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or execute a Deed of Undertaking.
2. For travel of a year or longer, you are to post a surety bond with GSIS.
   • If you will post a surety bond, you and your parent shall execute a Supplemental Agreement with DOST-SEI.
3. If you will be sent by your employer outside the Philippines for training or short term job related activity/ies or to represent the country in a competition, you may submit a letter of guarantee from the sponsoring company or recognized organization provided that said letter states "Should the scholar fails to return in the country after the declared dates of travel, the guarantees the refund to DOST-SEI the amount equivalent to the period left unserved of the said scholar."

c. Submit a photocopy of the Official Receipt (OR) (for cash bond/refund of scholarship), the original copy of the surety bond or Deed of Under taking to DOST-SEI and you will be issued a clearance letter addressed to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

d. Securing Order to Travel Outside the Country from the BI

• Present the DOST-SEI letter bearing the SEI dry seal at the Legal Division of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila.
• Secure an Order issued by the BI Commissioner. The BI charges a fee for the issuance of the Order.
• Present this Order at the BI Desk at the international airport when you check in for your flight.

e. Retrieval of Bond Upon Return to the Philippines

• For those who post cash bond: Together with the travel reports, surrender the original Official Receipt (OR) of the bond for processing of the reimbursement of the amount you posted. Processing period may take about ten (10) working days.
• For those who post surety bond: Upon submission of the travel reports, you will be issued a DOST-SEI endorsement for the cancellation of the bond that will enable you to retrieve the cash or any collateral you posted.

Should you decide to surrender the bond as refund for the financial assistance you received as a scholar to secure a final clearance from the scholarship program, you must signify this intention in writing and DOST-SEI will issue you a final clearance.

f. Submission of Travel Reports

Within a month after return to the country, you must report to SEI in writing or in person and submit the following documents:

• Clear copies of the pages of the passport bearing your picture and identity and BI markings of departure from and arrival in the country. Present original passport for verification of these pages.
• Certificate of Return to be issued by your guarantor, if scholar/scholar-graduate traveled on company/recognized organization guarantee.