Commission on Audit

COA’s Citizen Participatory Audit program recognized by international transparency group

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Published: 18 September 2017

The SAI Philippines’ Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) program was conferred a Special Mention Award from the Jury of Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT), a multi-stakeholder action network to advance fiscal transparency, public participation, and accountability around the world on September 2017.

GIFT has already featured the COA’s CPA program in its Guide on Public Participation Principles and Mechanisms, and has published a case study on the CPA as part of efforts to share with practitioners success experience in public participation in fiscal policies.

The Project Management Office of the Commission spearheaded the implementation of the CPA as a reform strategy and audit technique to engage civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizens in the public audit process to improve transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public resources. The COA implements the CPA with its civil society partner, Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific (ANSA-EAP) with funding support from the Australian Government-Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The World Bank, and Making All Voices Count (MAVC).

Taking home the top prizes for the GIFT Award were the Cascais Participatory Budgeting implemented by the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal; the Farm Subsidies: Public participation to improve the situation of small farmers in Mexico that was executed by the CSO Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research; and Georgia’s Budget Monitor which was implemented by the State Audit Office.

It can be recalled that the CPA project was the recipient of the first Open Government Partnership (OGP) Bright Spots Award during the 2013 Global Summit in London. It is also one of the twelve commitments under the PH-OGP National Action Plan for 2017-2019.

COA job fair during the oath-taking ceremony of new Certified Public Accountants

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Published: 25 July 2017

As the Champion/Lead Office in pursuing Operational Plan Goal E – COA Strategic Plan 2016-2022, the HRMO, in its aim to intensify partnership agreements with external sources drove another campaign activity alongside the Oath Taking Ceremony of new Certified Public Accountants (CPA) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on June 29, 2017.

More than 3,389 high-spirited CPAs seized the Plenary Hall as they sanguinely took oath in the presence of representative from high-esteemed government agencies such as Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Budget and Management and giant private accounting firms ready to attract fresh licensed professionals.

During the activity, a CPA who has committed a contract with a private firm expressed interest in submitting application to COA after the termination of said contract. In another instance, a parent, who was a former government employee, encouraged his daughter to consider a career in COA as he knows the significant role of State Auditors in the country’s development.

Meanwhile, the partnership agreement called “Academe-Industry Linkage” between the Commission on Audit (COA) thru the HRMO and the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) Career Center took the HRMO team to TIP Career Center Mock Interview Activity. It however revealed that about 80% percent of over a hundred participants labeled as future specialists in the fields of Civil Engineering and Architecture are not aware of possible opportunities for Engineers and Architects in the Commission. With an average of more than two thousand graduates it produces every year, TIP appears to be a good potential source of competitive recruits for the Commission in the coming years.

The COA-HRMO team who conducted the said activities was composed of Ms. Ana Maria P. Santiago, Ms. Albe Victoria B. Alimurung, Mr. Joseph S. Del Rosario Jr., Ms. Ma. Dea Vernice A. Estomo and Mr. Melvin P. Lacsie, under the supervision of Ms. Imelda V. Clave, Officer-in-Charge, Human Resource Policy Studies and Standard Services and Directors Marie Macel O. Tejada and Noel B. Clemente, HRMO, in coordination with the Public Information Office, Office of the Chairperson, represented by Ms. Gaerly Amparo L. Sison.

With the increase in campaign activities, the HRMO believes that young talents from various specializations will be informed of a promising career path and the institution’s noble mandate, and kindle in them a desire to become a part of the country’s supreme audit institution.