The Commission on Audit (COA), the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of the Philippines, has completed its participation in the 12th Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) Research Project on “Audit on Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Leveraging Digital or Big Data to Achieve the SDGs.” SAI United Arab Emirates (UAE), Chair of the 12th Research Project, presented two reports and executive summaries during the virtual meeting on 26 July 2021 formally concluding the research project. COA Assistant Commissioner Fortunata M. Rubico and Director Michael L. Racelis, Team Leader and Team Member, respectively, attended the virtual meeting.

The two reports are titled: Audit on Implementation of SDGs: Leveraging Digital or Big Data to Achieve the SDGs; and Evaluation of the importance of reporting frameworks based on providing transparency in situations that have complexities prepared by SAI Thailand. The research project consisted of three pillars: Policy Coherence, Management of Information and Accountability Lines and an in-depth study on promoting transparency within the government as part of strengthening accountability area. The major contributions of SAI Philippines to the research project included performance audit of the National Greening Program conducted by the Performance Audit Office, concepts of citizen participatory audit, application of ISSAI-100 audit model in the policy evaluation of a climate change program, and audit of digital or big data under different maturity levels with the assistance of the Information Technology Audit Office.

The reports have been uploaded at https://www.coa.gov.ph/sdg. SAI UAE will present the executive summaries of the two reports during the next ASOSAI Governing Board Meeting and General Assembly in September 2021.

The research project had its kick-off meeting in February 2019 attended by 35 participants from SAIs Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and Vietnam. For SAI Philippines, Assistant Commissioner Rubico, and Directors Racelis, Susana S. Medez and Maria Realiza R. Ysmael attended the kick-off meeting. The second meeting in October 2019 was attended by Assistant Commissioner Rubico and Director Racelis. # Contributed by Assistant Commissioner Fortunata M. Rubico and Director Michael L. Racelis; edited by the Public Information Office

Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc was inducted and conferred as an “ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountant” at a formal ceremony on 31 July 2021 during the 2nd ASEAN Chartered Public Accountant Conference virtually held in Cebu City.

Commissioner Pondoc, also a lawyer, is one of 96 Filipino CPAs who joined the ranks of ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountants. The members took their oath before Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) Chairman Teofilo S. Pilando, Jr. The new members will be issued an ASEAN PRC identification card and certificate.

Under mutual recognition agreements signed by all ten ASEAN member states, ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountants are legally allowed to provide accountancy services in ASEAN markets without having to undergo extensive re-training or re-qualification procedures.

Mr. Rosanno Luga, president of the Davao City chapter of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), said that there are about 5,300 ASEAN professional accountants to date including the newly conferred Filipino ASEAN CPAs, three of whom are past presidents of the PICPA Davao Chapter and are now holding important positions in the government. They are Commissioner Pondoc, Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Marko Romeo L. Fuentes, and Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy (PRBOA) Vice-Chairperson Thelma S. Ciudadano.

The conferment was held on the second day of the 2nd ASEAN CPA Conference hosted by the PRBOA and PICPA from 30-31 July 2021. With the theme “Forging Alliances. Strengthening Links,” the Conference gathered a vast number of CPAs from all over the ASEAN region to better facilitate mobility of accounting professionals across the ASEAN and promote adoption of best practices and standards.

Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc was recognized for his exemplary leadership as an officer of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) during PICPA’s recently concluded virtual Appreciation and Graduation Ceremony on 29 June 2021.

Commissioner Pondoc received the Presidential Leadership Award, Outstanding Senior Regional Director award, and Outstanding Chair of Geographical Area Office (Mindanao) award. He was also given the Certificate of Perfect Attendance for attending all of the Regular Monthly National Board of Directors Meeting for FY 2020-2021.