The nomination of Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Roland Café Pondoc passed the scrutiny of the Committee on Constitutional Commissions and Offices and was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments during its plenary session on 14 March 2018.

New COA Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc (3rd from left) is joined by (from left) Rep. Sandy Ocampo, Rep. Roy M. Loyola, COA Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, COA Commissioner Jose A. Fabia and Senate Auditor Olympia Balugay.

Commissioner Pondoc was nominated by President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the Commission on 6 February 2018 for a seven-year term expiring 2 February 2025 vice Atty. Isabel B. Dasalla-Agito. His nomination breezed through the confirmation process without any opposition from the Committee members.

Committee Chairperson Senator Cynthia A. Villar’s speech for the confirmation of Commissioner Pondoc’s nomination, delivered by Congressman Rodolfo T. Albano III, said that “it is our solemn duty to confirm all those persons who shall guard the peoples’ fund with vigilance, competence and integrity and that is the reason that the Committee on Constitutional Commissions and Offices is convinced that Atty. Roland Café Pondoc, with his intelligence, experience and passion, is worthy to be appointed as Commissioner of the Commission on Audit.”

The Commission on Audit (COA) enhanced its Strategic Goals under the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan to highlight its bodies of work in direct relation to the Commission’s mandate.

To emphasize the higher level outcomes that the Commission seeks to pursue, two previous goals: Create Positive Impact and Enable and Empower Agencies, became part of COA’s Strategic Pillars together with Enhancing Independence. These Pillars support all of the strategic goals.

 The six enhanced strategic goals under the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan and their respective Goal Champions are:

A. Improve the Quality and Timeliness of Audits- Assistant Commissioner Rizalina Q. Mutia

B. Enhance the Discharge of Adjudication and Investigatory Functions- Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth S. Zosa

C. Improve government Accountancy Services - Assistant Commissioner Lourdes M. Castillo

D. Strengthen Support to Operations - Assistant Commissioner Luz L. Tolentino

E. Improve General Administration and Support Services - Assistant Commissioner Rufina S. Laquindanum

F. Enhance Engagement and Cooperation with Stakeholders - Assistant Commissioner Carmela S. Perez

“Our strategic plan is not cast in stone. It is a work in progress,” observed COA Chairperson Michael G. Aguinaldo. The Chairperson emphasized the importance of making adjustments and reminded everyone that what translates in the field does not always correlate to what was planned and discussed. He said the Commission’s long-term target is to improve government operations.

The Commission on Audit (COA) held three Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) Dialogues with civil society organizations (CSOs), state universities and colleges, higher education institutions, development partners, and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA).

The CPA Dialogues are conducted for the purpose of fostering an open space for the COA, citizens, and other external stakeholders to share visions and aspirations, goals and objectives; information on risks and areas to be focused on in audit, and knowledge, talents, expertise and resources that they have and can share; to provide information on their respective needs to enable them to better work together as partners; and, to present their concerns and together identify possible ways to address them.

These were held at the SAADO Auditorium on 12 December 2017, at the COA Regional Training Center in San Fernando, Pampanga on 10 January 2018, and at the COA Professional Development Center (PDC) in Quezon City on 18 January 2018.