COA pushes for more effective use of disaster funds

Published: 15 August 2014

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES– The Commission on Audit (COA), together with the Australian Government, launched the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Accounting and Reporting Guidelines on August 15, 2014 at the COA-PIDS Auditorium. These guidelines aim to further improve transparency and accountability in the use of disaster funds. “Benchmarked against the International Standards for Supreme Audit Institutions, these will ensure that all disaster-related funds and donations are properly accounted for and efficiently utilized. They will fill in the gaps on disaster aid audit,” said COA Chairperson Maria Gracia Pulido Tan.

With the recent typhoons and other calamities, the Philippine government was faced with the challenge of protecting disaster aid funds without impeding response time and recovery assistance. In the case of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the public clamored for transparency on the use of government funds and other contributions from local and international donors.

“The use of the Disaster Accounting Guidelines will make the Filipino people confident on how disaster funds are allocated, utilized, and accounted for,” said Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell. “This initiative aligns well with Australia’s new performance framework that aims to enhance accountability and effectiveness of development aid.”

Over 100 participants were present at the launch, including other development partners and key officials of national government agencies involved in disaster risk reduction and management. An Executive Briefing followed in the afternoon showcasing an overview of the DRRM accounting guidelines.