In an effort to keep up with the changing times, the Commission on Audit (COA) had long been clamoring for lawmakers to update the 45-year old Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1445 or the “Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.” This initiative has taken a big step forward as the House of Representatives, voting 258-0-0, approved House Bill No. 9674 or the “Revised Government Auditing Act” on the Third and Final Reading on 12 December 2023. It is one of the priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
In his sponsorship speech, Committee on Revision of Laws Chair Edward Vera Perez Maceda noted the outdated processes of accounting and auditing and emphasized the need to update the government auditing code due to the changing times, emerging technologies and digitization.
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Representative Edward Vera Perez Maceda (6th from left), 4th District of Manila, Chair of the Committee on Revision of Laws; Representative Mark O. Go (7th from left), Lone District of Baguio City and Member of the Committee on Appropriations; and Atty. Jean Celzo-Dapula, Secretary of the Committee on Revision of Laws join COA officials (left to right) Atty. Ana Lee T. Sianoya, Director Daryl H. Tonolete, Atty. Al Baljon, Assistant Commissioners Alexander B. Juliano, Winnie Rose H. Encallado, Fortunata M. Rubico and Nilda B. Plaras, Atty. Erwin E. Lapitan, and HOR Auditor Isaiash Reynoso at the House of Representatives Plenary Session Hall after the 2nd reading of the Revised Government Auditing Act on 6 December 2023. |