Class picture of the 2019 SEDP graduates with (seated from right to the left) Assistant Commissioner Alexander B. Juliano, Commissioner Jose A. Fabia, Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo, Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc, and Assistant Commissioners Elizabeth S. Zosa, Winnie Rose H. Encallado, and Luz L. Tolentino taken at the COA Professional Development Center Auditorium on 29 August 2019.

The Commission on Audit held its 28th Senior Executive Development Program (SEDP) graduation ceremony for 49 COA senior executives coming from different batches/classes who had successfully defended their policy papers from 2017 to August 2019. Attended by the COA officials and families of the candidates for SEDP graduation, the simple ceremony was held at the COA Professional Development Center Auditorium on 29 August 2019.

Members of the Commission Proper (CP) headed by Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo, together with Commissioners Jose A. Fabia and Roland C. Pondoc, graced the event to congratulate and give their inspirational messages to the graduates. The members of the CP said the wealth of ideas that could be harnessed from the pool of policy papers will be very useful for COA as it can be used to craft new policies and kick-start further studies.

Chairperson Aguinaldo thanked and congratulated the graduates. He said, "Part of the graduates' pledge is to be a change agent as you have seen areas that really needs change. Rest assured that your proposed policy papers will be acted on sooner or later."

Participants of the seminar on Financial Audit held at the Professional Development Center, COA, Commonwealth Ave., QC on 11-15 February 2019.

Quezon City – To improve its audit services and to enhance the degree of confidence of intended users in public financial statements, the Commission on Audit (COA) recently developed the Financial Audit Manual (FAM) that is compliant with International Standards in auditing. The FAM was subsequently adopted through COA Resolution No. 2019-004 in March 22, 2019. The manual will be launched in the Commission’s website this month of August and shall be included among the regular training courses of the COA Professional and Institutional Development Sector (PIDS) starting this year.

The Commission developed the FAM in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Regional Capacity Development Technical Assistance entitled: Enhancing the Roles of Supreme Audit Institutions in Selected Association of South East Asian Nations. The project was funded by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.

The Commission worked with consultants from the ADB to develop the FAM which contains tailor-made templates for e-auditing. The partnership ensured that the FAM would be customized and adapted to guide COA auditors and audit teams in the conduct of financial audit of all agencies of the government.

Compliant with the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs), the FAM ensures the Commission meets the expectations of stakeholders through quality audits and strengthen accountability and transparency of government. With the adoption of FAM, COA has put in place policies and procedures for its auditors which interpret and implement the standards in the context of COA.

One hundred thirty nine (139) officials and employees of the Commission on Audit Regional Satellite Auditing Office - Negros Island and Siquijor (COA RSAO-NIS) led by Atty. Chito C. Janaban, Director-in-Charge, renewed their commitment to uphold integrity during the recital of the Integrity Pledge in a ceremony administered by COA Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc on 10 July 2019 at the Acacia Hotel, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

Officials and employees of COA RSAO NIS take the Integrity Pledge oath before COA Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc on 10 July 2019 at the Acacia Hotel, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

The Integrity Pledge is an oath of commitment and dedication to public service by employees of the Commission as part of COA’s Integrity Management Program aimed at strengthening the moral uprightness of COA employees.

Commissioner Pondoc emphasized that “integrity” is manifested in how a person lives his life daily under difficult circumstances yet chooses the hard decision to do what is right. “Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching,” he quoted from Amy Rees Anderson’s Forbes article citing further that “success will come and go, but integrity is forever.” Commissioner Pondoc also challenged everyone to embrace the tenets of the Commission’s leadership that integrity, transparency and the fight against corruption must be reinforced as part of the culture in COA being among COA’s fundamental values.