A publication of the Philippine Commission on Audit January- March 2013
By Gary Ramos
Rome, Italy - The Philippine
Commission on Audit (COA)
was appointed External
Auditor of the United
Nation’s
Food
and
Agriculture Organization
(FAO) for another six-year
term from 2014-2019 during
the 148th Session of the FAO
Finance Committee held in
Rome, Italy on March 19,
2013.
COA
Chairperson
Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan
said that the FAO Finance
Committee chose COA over
Germany and the United
Kingdom. The Committee
will
submit
its
recommendation
for
adoption by the Assembly
in June 2013.
“Our triumph in the
Food and Agriculture bid is
a recognition of our
expertise and excellence as
an external auditor of the
United Nations system. This
is also a proof that we are
truly credible, outstanding
auditors
worldwide,”
Chairperson Tan said.
“This is for COA, thank
you for your support,” she
added.
In voting, the FAO
Finance
Committee
considered
the
oral
presentations of the three
shortlisted candidates and
various aspects of the
proposal,
including
COA is FAO External/3
Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza
By Liza Cabalfin
It was only two years ago when
the century-old glass ceiling at
the Commission on Audit
(COA) was finally shattered
with the appointment of the
first woman Chairperson. The
breakthrough for women
continues when another
woman
became
Commissioner. For the first
time, the Commission Proper
(CP), COA’s highest policymaking body, is composed of all
women.
Newly
appointed
Commissioner Rowena V.
Guanzon
joins
COA
Chairperson Maria Gracia M.
Pulido
Tan
and
Commissioner Heidi L.
Mendoza at the helm of the
Commission.
Fittingly, Commissioner
Guanzon’s appointment was
signed by President Benigno
Chairperson Maria Gracia M.
Pulido Tan
Commissioner Rowena V.
Guanzon
S. Aquino on March 8, the day
the world marks every year
as International Women’s
Day.
“I thank God that I was
appointed in March which is
Women’s Month. I am sure
that it was no coincidence,”
Commissioner Guanzon told
the COA audience at her first
flag ceremony on March 25,
2013.
A staunch advocate of
women’s human rights,
Commissioner Guanzon
related her experiences in
handling cases of violence
against women to illustrate
that women’s advocacy is
serious work.
Commissioner Guanzon
also handled cases of indigent
battered women and victims
of rape for the Gender Justice
Network of which she is a
founding member. She is one
of the founders of the Asia
Cause Lawyers Network.
The Commissioner was
given a warm welcome by
COAns who gathered at the
lobby on her first visit to COA
shortly after taking her oath
on March 18, 2013. Noting
that there were more women
than men, the Commissioner
jokingly said, “In theory,
women are more honest than
men. But that has yet to be
tested in COA.”
Commissioner Guanzon
cautioned COAns on her
strict work ethic saying “to
expect
less
of
our
Commissioners would be
doing us a disfavor. “ She also
expressed confidence that the
new CP will be able to work
together harmoniously. “We
are independent, highly
intelligent. We can disagree
independently and yet arrive
at decisions judiciously,” she
added.
New Commissioner/8
CP Diaries
IN THIS ISSUE
COVER: COA is FAO
External Auditor anew
New Commissioner
completes all-women CP
CP Diaries ...........................2
COA appoints new senior
officials .................................3
46th ASOSAI GB Meeting
a success...............................4
Tagaytay: Unwinding
after ASOSAI.......................6
Insights from the 46th
ASOSAI GB Meeting.........7
COA trains Bangladeshi
auditors................................7
Region VI officials
welcome Commissioner
Guanzon in Bacolod.........8
COA officials attend
budget survey forum.......9
COA fleshes out unified
audit strategy...................10
Send issues and concerns to:
COA CITIZENS’
DESK
Text line:
+639155391957
[email protected]
www.coa.gov.ph
(This line is under the direct
supervision of the Chairperson.
Concerns forwarded to the
Citizens’ Desk will be treated
with utmost confidentiality.)
Call me to life
Love me not unto death
but love me unto life.
For to love is to call to life.
Love me unto life
by loving me as a person
-as someone who has
a story to tell.
-from Shafts of Light
by Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ+
2
The
COA Chronicle
CHAIRPERSON TAN ON THE
MOOE AT THE ROTARY.
Chairperson Maria Gracia M.
Pulido Tan shed light on the
issue
of
the
Senate’s
Maintenance and Other
Operating Expenses (MOOE) on
January 24, 2013 at the Rotary
Club of Manila.
The Chairperson also cited
the
provision
of
the
Government Appropriations
Act of 2012 allowing the
President of the Senate, among
other officials, to augment any
item in the general appropriations law for their respective offices from savings in other items
of their respective appropriations. She later revealed that COA is reviewing its rules and
regulations on cash advances . After the question and answer, the Chair was presented with a
token of appreciation by Rotary Club Presiding Officer Frank Evaristo.
- Karen Recio
C O M M I S S I O N E R
MENDOZA TALKS ABOUT
GOOD GOVERNANCE.
Commissioner Heidi L.
Mendoza spoke before
students of Banking and
Finance of the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines
– Sta. Mesa on January 25,
2013. Commissioner Mendoza
talked
about
“Good
Governance: A Key to Effective
Public Finance.”
A jampacked crowd at the
Bulwagang Balagtas composed
of students, teachers, administrators, alumni and guests listened with much attention and
gusto as Commissioner Mendoza discussed the road to sound governance in the public
sector.
- Gary Ramos
NEW
COMMISSIONER
GUANZON TAKES OATH.
New COA Commissioner
Rowena V. Guanzon took her
oath of office before Chief Justice
Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno (right)
on March 18, 2013.
Chief Justice Sereno, who
was the Commissioner ’s
classmate in the University of
the Philippines College of Law,
said
that
the
new
Commissioner’s term will be
historic and meaningful
knowing that Commissioner
Guanzon only has the purest intentions in serving the country, and that her term would
be characterized by “malinis at wagas na paglilingkod.”Also in picture is Atty. Teresa Ira
Mariz Guanzon, the Commissioner’s niece.
- Liza Cabalfin
Milestones
COA appoints two new Assistant
Commissioners, promotes 15 directors
By Gary Ramos
The Commission Proper
appointed two new Assistant
Commissioners on January
11, 2013: former Regional
Coordination
Director
Rosemarie L. Lerio and Local
Government Director Divinia
M. Alagon.
Assistant Commissioner
Rosemarie L. Lerio is a
Certified Public Accountant
(CPA), having passed the
Board on May 1980. A
Bachelor of Science in
Commerce cum laude graduate
from the University of San
Agustin in Iloilo City,
Assistant Commissioner
Lerio also holds a Master in
Management degree from the
Philippine
Christian
University. Prior to her
appointment as Assistant
Commissioner,
she
concurrently headed the
Internal Audit Office and the
Regional Coordination Office.
Assistant Commissioner
Lerio served as Director for
the Human Resource
Management Office from
2002-2004,
Corporate
Government Sector (CGS)
Clusters 2, 4 and 6 from 20042008, and Regional Director
for
the
Cordillera
Administrative Region from
2008-2011. She later went
back to the Central Office to
head the Risk Management
and Budget Office of the
Planning, Finance and
Management Sector.
She is presently the
Assistant Commissioner for
the Local Government Sector.
Meanwhile, Assistant
Commissioner Divinia M.
Alagon had a degree in
Assistant Commissioner
Divinia M. Alagon
Assistant Commissioner
Rosemarie L. Lerio
Banking and Finance from the
University of Sto. Tomas
before she decided to pursue
Accounting at the National
College of Business and the
Arts. She passed the CPA
Board Exam and eventually
took up Bachelor of Laws in
Jose Rizal College where she
graduated cum laude. She then
took the Bar and passed with
an impressive rating of
83.51%.
Assistant Commissioner
Alagon was assigned at the
CGS from 2002 to 2011. Prior
to her appointment as
Assistant Commissioner, she
was the Director for the
National Capital Region.
Melanie R. Añonuevo,
Professional and Institutional
Development Sector
Elwin Gregorio A. Torre,
COA Regional Office No. V
PROMOTIONS
The Commission appointed
three officials as senior
directors on March 7, 2013
and promoted 12 auditors to
assistant directors in two
batches, nine on January 23,
2013 and three on March 7,
2013.
DIRECTOR IV
Lita E. Diez, Cluster 1
Corporate
Government
Sector
DIRECTOR III
(January 23, 2013)
Helen M. Cailing, COA
Regional Office No. XII
Dolores T. Barraza,
Cluster
B,
National
Government Sector (NGS)
Carmelita T. Sanchez,
Office of the Chairperson
Villa D. Bernaldo, Cluster
D, NGS
Edna E. Lerit, Cluster B,
NGS
Adela L. Dondonilla,
Cluster D, NGS
Fatima V. Bermudez,
Cluster D, NGS
Lorna D. Cabochan,
Information Technology
Office
Elsielyn C. Masangcay,
Special Audits Office
(March 7, 2013)
Ma. Lisa P. Inguillo, Local
Government Sector
Arlene Z. Reyes, COA
Regional Office No. XII
Sofia C. Gemora, Cluster
6, NGS
COA is FAO
External... from page 1
experience, audit approach
and strategy and cost.
Ambassador Virgilio A.
Reyes,
Jr.
reported
Chairperson
Tan’s
presentation at the FAO in
which COA’s independence,
good track record in auditing
international organizations
and understanding of the
priorities of the FAO coming
from the perspective of a
developing country were
emphasized. Chairperson
Tan also highlighted COA’s
familiarity with the auditing
techniques
used
in
international audit, and the
skill and experience of its pool
of competent auditors.
Accompanying
the
Chairperson during her
presentation at the FAO were
International Audit and
Relations Office Director Lito
Q. Martin, Office of the
Chairperson Director Ma.
Milagros A. Lapus, Philippine
Embassy Minister Grace
Cruz-Fabella
and
Agriculture Attaché Lupino
Lazaro, Jr.
COA was first appointed
FAO External Auditor in 2007
for a three-year term starting
2008. COA’s term was
extended until 2012 during
the 141st Session of the FAO
Finance Committee in March
2011.
The Commission is on a
“winning streak” under
Chairperson
Tan’s
administration after being
elected External Auditor of
the
World
Health
Organization in 2011. In
March 2012, COA was elected
to a three-year term as
member of the Governing
Board of the Asian
Organization of Supreme
Audit Institutions.
The
COA Chronicle
3
Achievement
46th ASOSAI GB Meeting a success!
Participants to the 46th ASOSAI GB Meeting pose for a souvenir photo on the last day of the Meeting on February 20, 2013.
By Liza Cabalfin
The 46th Governing Board
Meeting of the Asian
Organization of Supreme
Audit Institutions (ASOSAI)
hosted by the Philippine
Commission on Audit (COA)
from February 17 to 21, 2013
began and ended on a high
note.
From the welcome
reception
hosted
by
President Benigno S. Aquino
III at the Malacañan Palace, on
to the flawless conduct of the
two-day meeting at the Asian
Development Bank, until the
closing party at Tagaytay
Highlands, COA added the
details that made the event a
success.
ASOSAI
delegates
immediately felt the famous
Filipino
warmth
and
hospitality when they were
welcomed at the airport by
designated COA officials and
staff. They were further
welcomed by Chairperson
Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan
and Commissioner Heidi L.
Mendoza at their respective
hotels.
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The
COA Chronicle
Heading the list of
participants were ASOSAI
Chairman Mr. Vinod Rai of
India and ASOSAI Secretary
General Dr. Kung Yang of
Korea. The participating
Governing Board Members
were Mr. Tan Sri Dato’ Setia
Ambrin Bin Buang of
Malaysia, Mr. Muhammad
Akhtar Buland Rana of
Pakistan,
Mr.
Sergey
Vadimovich Stepashin of the
Russian Federation, HE
Osama J.I. Faquih of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ms.
Prapee Angkinandana of
Thailand, Mr. Mohammad
Abul Kashem of Bangladesh,
Mr. Hou Kai of China, and Mr.
Seishi Tashiro of Japan,
ASOSAI’s
Training
Administrator. Mr. Hasan
Fehmi Ezber of Turkey
attended the Meet as member
of the Audit Committee.
International Organization of
Supreme Audit Institutions
(INTOSAI) Development
Initiative Director General
Mr. Magnus Borge of Norway
and Mr. Pengiran Haji Abdul
Rahman Mat Salleh of Brunei
Darussalam were also in the
Meet as observers.
At the Malacañan
reception which formally
opened the event, President
Aquino noted that the
ASOSAI “symbolizes the
solidarity of government
agencies from over 45
countries in fostering
accountability
and
transparency.” Rarely are
ASOSAI events graced by the
Head of State of the host
country and delegates felt the
honor accorded to them by
President Aquino. As an
added bonus, former COA
Chairman and the founding
father of the ASOSAI, Mr.
Francisco S. Tantuico, was
also at the reception to
exchange ideas with today’s
generation of ASOSAI leaders.
The Malacañan reception
easily became one of the
highlights of the Meet.
The actual meetings held
at the Asian Development
Bank on February 19 and 20,
2013 were seamless affairs.
Among the issues discussed
were the establishment of
ASOSAI Financial Rules and
Accounting
Policies,
cooperation
with
the
European Organization of
Supreme Audit Institutions,
strategic planning, and
training related matters
especially the need to focus
more on ASOSAI sponsored
training and less reliance on
outside funding.
Mr. Rai reported that
the 10th Research Project on
“Audit to Detect Fraud and
Corruption: Evaluation of
the
Fight
Against
Corruption and Money
Laundering” recorded the
largest participation in a
research project.
The group also elected
the ASOSAI representative
to the INTOSAI Governing
Board. Evidence of the high
regard given the Philippines
was when COA tied with
Pakistan and Malaysia for
one of the slots. Pakistan
eventually won through
lottery draw with Japan as
the
other
elected
representative.
After days of hard work,
delegates and coordinators
alike let their hair down at a
farewell party punctuated by
an improptu videoke session
at Tagaytay Highlands on
February 21, 2013.
Achievement
ASOSAI delegates visit COA, February 20, 2013
The
COA Chronicle
5
Achievement
Tagaytay:
Unwinding
after
ASOSAI
By Karen Recio
It was an overcast day and we were
praying that the rain will not fall
because of the scheduled tour for the
ASOSAI delegates who opted to
stay after the meeting.
First stop was the Puzzle
Museum at Nasugbu, Batangas. The
museum is recognized by Guinness
World Records with the most
assortment of jigsaw puzzles in the world. The owner related how
she and her family were able to finish the puzzles, some of which
feature scenic places around the world. Ms. Megumi Ino of Japan
was heard saying “The owner of the place is very interesting.”
After the tour in Nasugbu, the group went to Sonya’s Garden in
Tagaytay for lunch. The guests enjoyed salad, pasta, salmon, roasted
chicken and organic tea. Later, they toured the gardens and the spa area
soaking in the wonderful sights.
Next on the itinerary was Tagaytay Highlands where guests rode the
funicular to get to the Midlands, the location of the dinner sponsored by
COA. The fellowship night had a lot of singing and dancing. Delegates
from Thailand sang a song in their native tongue, while delegates from
Turkey performed their national dance. I particularly enjoyed the dancing
lessons on the sidelines particualrly when Sharon Contaciergo taught Ms.
Rachel Han of Korea square dancing.
All in all it was a tiring yet enjoyable day. The auditors not only let
their hair down for the party but also flipped their hair back and forth as well.
6
The
COA Chronicle
Achievement
Insights from the 46th ASOSAI GB Meeting
By Merlyn Feliciano
SCENARIO: At the Bilateral
Meeting between the Asian
Organization of Supreme Audit
Institutions (ASOSAI) Secretariat,
Supreme Audit Institution (SAl) of
Korea and ASOSAI Training
Administrator, SAI Japan,
discussions centered on more
training chances/activities for
ASOSAI member SAls. The
Secretariat and Training
Administrator looked at the Japan
International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) as one source tapped to
answer ASOSAI training needs.
However, based on the survey
results conducted by JICA, the
percentage of requests for audit
training assistance by ASOSAI
members from the Japanese Board
of Audit was very low. It did not
reach the minimum criteria set by
JICA, which is at least 14 SAls.
Hence, JICA-sponsored audit
trainings were not conducted for
the ASOSAI starting 2012. Mr.
Seywoo Lee, of the ASOSAI
Secretariat, likened/compared the
available JICA funds to a pie. He
commented that SAI-member
countries are free to partake of the
pie but the chance of being able to
enjoy the pie depends on the SAI’s
efforts to get a part of it. SAls that
expressed their needs tenaciously
got much larger part of the pie. He
further made an analogy about
how a baby makes known its
needs. “If you don’t cry like a baby,
and cry loud enough and
persistently, then other babies, who
do just that, will take the whole
pie away. It is very important to
best express your needs, your
training needs,” he said.
INSIGHTS: Applying good
discernment, there is
greatness in smallness; big
things come from small
things.
Some people are born to
a privileged life while some
The author (third
from left) with
Director Melanie
R. Añonuevo, Ms.
Gina Erandio and
Mr. Wilfred
Angeles at the
welcome reception
for ASOSAI
delegates held at
Malacañan on
February 18,
2013.
to less-privileged situations.
While this disparity exists, it
is comforting to know that
there are people born to a life
of privilege who are generous
in sharing their blessings to
those who manifest their
intentions to be helped.
Indeed, there are people who
are willing to assist or even
whose advocacy is to support
others to fulfill their dreams
but those in need were not
helped just because of
inaction or inability to
properly express their needs.
In this world, people
cannot choose the situations
and the circumstances that
they are born into. But
everyone has a dream, it may
either be small or big; the
good thing is – it is free. That
dream moves us to action that
consequently causes us to
realize that we do not have
all that it takes to fulfill a
dream. Hence, some will just
remain in quiet desperation
because of lack of resources.
Some pursue their dream for
a time and when a greater
difficulty hits them, they
would retire from dreaming.
On the other hand, some
would do everything they
could to make it come true,
holding to a belief that life is
like a lottery. Conversely,
Jesse Owens, an Olympic
Athlete
(1913-1980),
affirmed that “We all have
dreams. But in order to
make dreams come into
reality, it takes an awful lot
of
determination,
dedication, self-discipline,
and effort.” In life, it takes a
lot of humility to accept that
there are things that we do
not possess and we need a
humble spirit to reach out to
others and ask for help.
It takes humility,
determination, dedication,
self-discipline and effort. All
anchored on faith in God,
these will lead us to the door
to success. Then we have all
the reasons to dream big!
Finally, it is written “Ask,
and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you.”
We have to have faith in our
dreams. But faith must have
action. We have to keep on
asking, keep on seeking and
keep on knocking not just at
doors of kindhearted
individuals but most
importantly, at the heart of
the ONE whose task is to give
us what is good for all of us.
COA trains
Bangladeshi
auditors on
risk-based audit
By Karen Recio
In testament to the
Commission on Audit’s
(COA) expertise in the field
of audit, 14 officials from the
Supreme Audit Institution
of Bangladesh participated
in the training on Integrated
Results and Risk-based
Audit (IRRBA) conducted
by COA on January 7 to 18,
2013.
The participants were:
Mr. Mohammed Amir
Khasru, Deputy Comptroller
and Auditor General; Ms.
Kazi Tasmin Ara Ajmery,
Director; Mr. Tanveer Akhter
Hossain Khan, Deputy
Director; Mr. A.K.M. Jubaer,
Deputy Director; Ms. Fatema
Yasmin, Deputy Director; Mr.
Muhammad
Khademul
Basher, Deputy Director; Mr.
MD Monir Hossain Mollah,
Audit and Accounts Officer;
Mr. MD Shamsur Rahman,
Audit and Accounts Officer;
Mr. Mohammad Anwar
Hossain, Audit and Accounts
Officer; Mr. Proshon Kanti
Paul, Audit and Accounts
Officer; Mr. MD Abdul Haque
Howlader, Audit and
Accounts Officer; Mr. Azharul
Islam Khandaker, Audit and
Accounts Officer; Mr.
Mohammad
Hassan
Mahamud, System Analyst;
and Mr. Shushanto Kumer
Shill, Research Officer.
IRRBA is a seminar
aimed to guide auditors in
the integration of Financial
and Compliance Audit,
Value-for-Money Audit,
Performance Audit and
Fraud Audit approaches.
Auditor Merlyn G. Feliciano of the
Professional and Institutional
Development Sector was one of the
coordinators for the ASOSAI
event.
The
COA Chronicle
7
From the Regions
Region VI officials welcome new
Commissioner Guanzon in Bacolod City
Women
power
at COA
by: Ma. Josefina V. Rivas
The recent appointment of
Atty. Rowena V. Guanzon as
Commissioner is a fitting
recognition of women in good
governance and a timely gift to
women as the nation celebrates
International Women’s Month.
Commissioner Rowena V. Guanzon on her first visit to the Provincial Satellite Audit Office in Bacolod City
with Director Eden T. Rafanan, the Supervising Auditors and Audit Team Leaders in Negros Occidental.
By: Ma. Josefina V. Rivas (as
told by Joni T. Meñez)
Bacolod City- Newly
appointed Commission on
Audit (COA) Commissioner
Atty. Rowena V. Guanzon
was pleasantly surprised to
find COA Region VI officials
led by Regional Director
Eden T. Rafanan with
Airport Manager Mercine
Reyes giving her a warm
welcome at the Silay City
Airport on March 19, 2013.
Commissioner
Guanzon, who was on a
private visit to see her
mother, arrived from Manila
a day after her oath taking
and first visit to the COA
Central Office.
The following day,
Commissioner Guanzon
was invited by Director
Rafanan to a meeting with
auditors assigned in Negros
Occidental at the Provincial
Satellite Audit Office in
Bacolod City. In her message,
the new Commissioner
emphasized zero tolerance
against
corruption.
Auditors, she counselled,
should be fully aware of
their responsibilities, see to
it that appropriate action be
New COA Commissioner
... from page 1
Another warning she gave was that corruption will
not be tolerated in support of the President’s call for zero
corruption. “I have a keen eye for monkey business. I can
tell which one has probable cause,” she said. “We owe it to
the people to completely, seriously guard public funds,” she
added.
Commissioner Guanzon graduated from the University
of the Philippines College of Law (Class ’84; Dean’s Medal) and
the U.P. School of Economics (’79). She has a degree of Master in
Public Administration from Harvard University (’95) where
she was an Edward Mason Fellow and Class Marshal.
8
The
COA Chronicle
immediately taken in the
event probable cause is
established, and file the
necessary case against
officials concerned. She
reminded auditors that
audit reports and working
papers
should
be
accomplished thoroughly.
Commissioner Guanzon
wants COA to be recognized
by all people as an efficient
and effective government
agency that COAns can be
proud of.
A former mayor of Cadiz
City,
Commissioner
Guanzon strongly advised
auditors against seeking
any form of favors from
local government officials
and
politicians,
particularly
the
employment of their
relatives since this will only
weaken the auditors’
independence and may
adversely
affect
the
performance of their duties.
The Commissioner spiced
up her talk with well-timed
jokes so there was no dull
moment the entire time.
The presence of highly
qualified women in government
offices is especially felt in COA
where the three top officials are
now
all
women.
Thepredominance of women in
the Commission is not only true
in the top bracket but throughout
its central and field offices since
most key officials from assistant
commissioners to regional
directors are women. Women
auditors outnumber their male
counterparts.
The choice of women as top
auditors seems to be a
subconscious decision to appoint
trustworthy women to look after
government resources. And who
make better “gabays” (guides)
than women? The current
leadership is more than qualified
to realize the President’s
envisioned changes towards a
corruption-free government that
will ultimately improve the
quality of life of the Filipino
people.
Indeed, the appointment of
Commissioner Guanzon can only
be interpreted as an affirmation
of more qualified women
administrators in government and
accentuates the President’s
continuing confidence in women
as principal guides towards
“tuwid na daan.”
Ms. Rivas is State Auditor V
assigned at COA Region VI.
Events
COA officials attend open
budget survey forum
Assistant
Commissioner Luz
L. Tolentino and
Director Emmie M.
Mendoza at the
Open Budget
Survey Forum
held at Anabel’s
Restaurant,
Quezon City on
January 24, 2013.
By Gary Ramos
Commission on Audit
(COA)
Assistant
Commissioner Luz L.
Tolentino of the Professional
and
Institutional
Development Sector and
Director Emmie M. Mendoza
of the Risk Management and
Budget Office represented
COA at the discussion on the
results of the Philippine
Open Budget Survey 2012
organized by the Philippine
Center for Investigative
Journalism (PCIJ) at Anabel’s
Restaurant in Quezon City
on January 24, 2013.
The Philippines scored
48 out of a possible 100 in
the survey which measures
budget transparency, public
participation in the budget
process and oversight,
including roles played by
the legislature and the
Supreme Audit Institution.
The score indicates that the
government provides the
public
with
“some”
information on the budget
process. The Philippines’
score remains above the
global average of 43 and the
average of 39 in the East Asia
and the Pacific region.
During the forum, the
COA officials highlighted
major
COA
reforms
including
strategic
partnerships with citizens
and government agencies,
and the adoption of
international standards
and best practices.
EXERCISE
FOR
WOMEN’S
MONTH.
In celebration of the 2013 National Women’s Month, the
Commission on Audit Gender and Development (GAD)
organized a Fun Run in the early morning of March 25,
2013. COAns participated in a warm-up aerobics
exercise before jogging around the COA Compound. GAD
also led the flag raising ceremonies throughout the month
of March. Above is a group photo of the Fun-Run
participants before the exercises.
- Karen Recio
Other members of the
discussion panel were
Aniceta C. Baltar of
Concerned Citizens of Abra
for Good Government,
University of the Philippines
Professor Leonor M. Briones
of Social Watch Philippines,
and Assistant Secretary Gil
Montalbo of the Department
of Budget and Management.
The survey is produced
by U.S.-based International
Budget Partnership in
cooperation with PCIJ, its
country researcher.
The COA Chronicle
Editor: Robert M. Baldago
Editorial Group: Patti A. Lapus, Penny R. Quesada
Associate Editor & Lay-out artist: Liza C. Cabalfin
Writers: Gary L. Ramos, Karen R. Recio
Contributors: Merlyn G. Feliciano, Ma. Josefina V. Rivas
Photographers: Jimmy Adanza, Rod Reyes, Jun Patacsil,
Dondi S. De Luna
Production and Circulation:
Helen Grace Dela Cruz,
Miles Pacheco, Ramon Caro,
Edgar Desumala, Juan Asne
Supplies and Materials:
Property Management
Division, Administration
Sector
The COA Chronicle is published
by the Public Information
OfficeOffice
of
the
Chairperson Commission on
Audit,
Commonwealth
Avenue, Quezon City. Telefax
No. 9510934. Send your
comments, suggestions, and
articles to [email protected]
and [email protected]
The
COA Chronicle
9
COA fleshes out unified audit strategy
By Liza Cabalfin
Top officials of the
Commission on Audit (COA)
fleshed out concerns in the
implementation of the unified
audit strategy at the
Command Conference held at
the SAADO Auditorium on
March 6 to 8, 2013.
COA
Assistant
Commissioners, Cluster and
Regional Directors discussed
proposed guidelines in the
implementation of the unified
audit policy, delineation of
technical and administrative
duties and responsibilities as
well as audit, legal, and other
issues arising from the
implementation of the unified
audit.
“We have to standardize
our procedures and be
consistent. This will be our
quality control. We are going
to be more efficient if we are
going to do our work this
Chairperson Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan updates officials on the
new organizational structure at the opening of the Command
Conference held at the new CP Boardroom on March 6, 2013.
way,” Chairperson Maria
Gracia M. Pulido Tan said.
Unified audit seeks to
achieve consistency in audit
procedures, observations
and recommendations,
notices of disallowances,
suspensions and charges,
and audit reports. In this
scheme, technical oversight
on audit of agencies under
THE NEW FACE OF THE CP BOARDROOM. The renovated
Commission Proper (CP) Boardroom was inaugurated on
February 1, 2013.
“The way the boardroom is equipped, we can get in touch
and have meetings with the regional directors. We should
maximize information technology so we could be properly
connected as a team no matter the distance or barrier,”
Chairperson Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan said.
The new CP Boardroom boasts of state-of-the art
technology to facilitate interaction and smoother flow of
10
The
COA Chronicle
national and corporate
government remains with
the respective sectors
including their audit teams in
the regions while regional
directors
take
over
administrative supervision
of these offices. The same
approach holds for technical
service, special audit, and
fraud audit offices in the
regions. Local government
units are under the technical
and
administrative
supervision of the regions.
Discussions at the
conference include: ways to
facilitate communication
between the cluster and the
regions through the use of
information technology, and
complete and updated
regional directory and
definition of protocol; the
need to update guidelines on
daily time records, locator
slips, leave application, and
other
administrative
matters; and the effect of
unified audit on COA’s
compliance
with
the
International Standards for
Supreme Audit Institutions.
Aside from unified audit,
officials were also briefed on
COA’s Communication Plan
and Performance-Based
Bonus by Public Information
Office Director Robert M.
Baldago.
O U T S TA N D I N G
CITIZEN. Chairperson
Maria Gracia M. Pulido
Tan was one of the
awardees of the Ulirang
Mandaleño,
a
prestigious award
bestowed by the City
of Mandaluyong to its
outstanding citizens
who have shown
e x e m p l a r y
performance
and
excellence in their respective field.
On the Chairperson’s behalf, Atty. Gilbert G. Kintanar,
Chief Executive Staff, accepted the award from Mayor Benhur
Abalos at the awards rites held on February 8, 2013 at the
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.
-Gary Ramos
discussions during meetings. These include a JTS Conference
system with delegate console/mic switch/built-in speaker, 70”
Sharp LCDINT, and touch application for Sharp Interactive
Display. The BOSE freespace ceiling flush mount speakers
ensure high quality sound system. Architect Edwin M. Gumila
designed the boardroom pro bono.
- Karen Recio