The service is tasked to provide efficient cashiering services to the members of the Senate and their respective staff, to the personnel of the Secretariat and to various clientele of the Senate.

FUNCTIONS

Handles the processing of checks as well as its release and disbursement to the respective payees.

Handles the processing and releasing of salaries and other payroll payments to the Senate officers, employees and consultants.

Monitors and maintains the fund balances and provides information of its status on a daily basis.

Undertakes the collection of revenues, refunds and other receipts payable to the Senate.

Coordinates with the depository bank and Bureau of Treasury and other government agencies for the transactions pertaining to payroll, check disbursements and collections and other related matters.

Maintains records and generates reports of all cash and check transactions.

Performs other related functions as maybe assigned from time to time.

The Check Disbursement Section handles the processing of checks and its releases to the respective payees like the Senate officers and employees, consultants and creditors/suppliers. It monitors the cash position and maintains the fund balance and provides information of its status on a daily basis.

CHECK PROCESSING AND DISBURSEMENT

Receives processed vouchers

Prepares checks, verify as to correctness of entries i.e. amount, payee and date

Records disbursements in the Cash Book, Warrant Register and LCMS Tracking System

Prepares Bank Advice for Issued and cancelled Checks (daily) & Daily Cash Position Report

Releases checks to payees/creditors

CHECK SIGNATORIES

All prepared checks regardless of amount are ​signed by the Service Chief of Leg. Cash ​Management Service (Policy Order No. 2024-008 ​(OSP))***. The checks are countersigned by the ​signing authorities as follows:

₱ 50,000.00 and below

Above ₱ 50,000.00 up ​to ₱ 100,000.00

Above ₱ 100,000.00 ​up to ₱ 250,000.00

Above ₱ 250,000.00 ​up to ₱ 500,000.00

Above ₱ 500,000.00

Bureau Director, FMB or in ​his/her absence, Executive ​Director, AFS

Executive Director, AFS or on ​his/her absence, the Bureau ​Director, FMB

Deputy Secretary, AFS or in ​his/her absence, the Executive ​Director, AFS or designated ​Officer-in-charge

Senate Secretary or in his/her ​absence, the designated officer-​in-charge

Senate President or designated ​Authorized Representative (Chief ​of Staff, OSP or Senate ​Secretary) or in his/her absence, ​the designated Officer-in-Charge ​of the Office of the Senate ​President

*** Approval System and Signatories for Financial Transactions ​dated July 19, 2024 - Page 64

RELEASING OF CHECKS

To Senate officers, employees and consultants

Check is released to claimant by presenting their Senate ID or any other valid ID. However, if authority to collect the check is given to another person, a duly notarized Special Power of Attorney (SPA) is required. Person authorized should be an immediate member of the family of the employee concerned or is the liaison officer duly designated by the Chief or Head of unit or office. (COA Cir. 86-298A)

To Creditors/Suppliers

Check is released to creditors/suppliers who in turn issues an official receipt (OR) in the name of Senate. Claimants should present the following:

Company ID or other acceptable IDs like driver’s license, school ID with picture and signature of the holder

Letter of authority with company logo

RECORDING AND REPORTING

Accomplishes the Report of Check Issued based on information on the paid vouchers and submits the same to the Accounting Service.

Prepares Report of Cancelled Checks, Reports of Accountability (inventory of checks)

Stamps all paid vouchers with “PAID”, check number, date paid and amount paid

Sorts, arranges, compiles and labels all paid vouchers and submit the same to the Accounting Service (monthly).

As per bank policy, a check has to be presented to the depository bank within three (3) months from the date of issue, otherwise the same will be staled. All staled checks together with DV is reported and returned to Accounting Service.

As a service to our clientele, the LCMS exerts effort to constantly remind Senate suppliers/creditors and other claimants/payees of the checks through electronic mails and telephone calls to claim their checks before they become stale.

PAID DISBURSEMENT VOUCHERS

All paid DVs and its supporting documents are stamped “paid”. They are sorted, arranged, compiled, labeled and submitted to the Accounting Service on a monthly basis.

REPORTS PREPARED

Advice of Checks Issued and Cancelled (ACIC)

Daily Cash Position Report

Reports of Checks Issued (RCI)

Monthly Summary List of Checks Issued and Cancelled

Monthly Disbursement of Checks

Report of Accountability (Inventory of Checks)

Unutilized Fund Reverted to National Treasury

The Payroll Disbursement Section handles the payment of salaries and other payroll payments to the Senate officers, employees and consultants. Payroll transactions are paid through the Land Bank Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for Senate Secretariat officers and employees, and over-the-counter or cash payment for the staff of the Senators.

Payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits are released through the counter on a weekly basis (7th, 15th, 22nd & 30th day of the month) or as it falls due. There are three paymasters in charge of the task.

PAYROLL PROCESSING AND DISBURSEMENT

CASH OR OVER-THE-COUNTER PAYMENT

Prepares and reconcile pay envelopes from the processed payrolls

Prepares/computes denominations of payroll money per office

Requests delivery of cash from bank

Prepares and packages payroll money to the pay envelopes

Releases pay envelopes to officers and employees

Checks/ reconciles daily unclaimed salaries against the payroll

As per policy, claims should be paid or released to employees/claimants concerned, except when authority to collect the salary or any money due to claimant has been given to another person through a special power of attorney (SPA) and the person so authorized is an immediate member of the family of the employee concerned or is the liaison officer duly designated by the Chief or Head of unit or office (COA Circular No. 86-298A).

Employee/claimant can claim their salaries and allowances as soon as it falls due or until five (5) days after the end of the month, otherwise payroll will be closed and claims will be made through a Disbursement Voucher.

Prepares Report of Disbursement (ROD) for Miscellaneous Expenses incurred.

Prepares Status of Fund and Disbursement Voucher (DV)

Submits to Accounting Service for Processing

Overview

The EXMPDS is a payment system where payments are directly credited to the bank accounts of employees, suppliers, and service providers, eliminating the issuance of physical checks. This ensures efficiency, transparency, and security in financial transactions.

Scope of Transactions Covered

Honoraria of Bids and Awards Committee members

Reimbursements of gasoline expenses for Secretariat Officers

Overtime payments

Local travel allowance reimbursements

Remittances of Senate Employees Fund (SEF) and Senate Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative (SEMCO)

Refunds of overpayments of loans with Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pag-IBIG Fund

Other payments to Senate officials and employees

Upon preparation of the Disbursement Voucher, the concerned originating office must mark the Advice to Debit Account (ADA) as the mode of payment instead of issuing Modified Direct Scheme (MDS) checks. This change in payment method ensures compliance with the EMPDS guidelines.

The Legislative Cash and Management Service (LCMS) staff will notify the concerned employees or officers once payment has been credited to their respective Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) accounts. This notification ensures timely communication and transparency regarding payment transactions.