Published: 15 July 2022
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Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc presented COA’s audit case during the audit examples session on “Resilience and Adaptation in Government Sectors” on the first day of the XXI International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Auditing Assembly in Ukulhas, Maldives. |
Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc represented the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of the Philippines during the XXI International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA) Assembly with the theme, “Raising Resilience” held in Ukulhas, Maldives from 4 to 6 July 2022.
The Assembly focused on climate resilience and climate change adaptation in the auditing context as well as important environmental auditing topics such as climate finance, plastic waste, and sustainable transport. It also marked WGEA’s 30th anniversary.
On the first day of the assembly, Commissioner Pondoc participated in the audit examples session on “Resilience and Adaptation in Government Sectors” where he presented the performance audit on Region II and Tuguegarao City for 2016 when the province was devastated by super typhoon “Haima” (locally known as Lawin). The typhoon, which hit the country on 19 October 2016, was the strongest typhoon to hit Cagayan in recent years, causing widespread damage to agriculture, infrastructure, government facilities, and private properties.
Commissioner Pondoc explained that the Philippine Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2012 was enacted to institutionalize the country’s Risk Reduction Management System and not less than five percent of the estimated revenue from regular sources should be set aside as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) to support disaster risk management activities including purchasing life-saving rescue equipment supplies and medicines, and for the payment of premiums on calamity insurance. He said that as a result of COA’s performance audit, the local government of Tuguegarao City implemented the audit recommendations to rectify those unfavorable findings and observations in relation to the use of the LDRRMF.
“Our work brought about a significant audit impact. Because of implementing our audit recommendations, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Tuguegarao became more improved and efficient in its disaster risk responses, provided more evacuation centers, became more systematic in their preventive evacuations, more efficient in relief goods distributions, provided water supply facilities such as deep well pumps, financial assistance for reconstruction of houses, debriefings of affected citizens from calamities, and other risk response conducted by the city,” Commissioner Pondoc said.
The audit example session was moderated by Dr. Vivi Niemenmaa. Audit cases were also presented by the SAIs of Kuwait, Zambia, Costa Rica, Canada, and Estonia. The commentary was provided by senior specialist on climate change adaptation Dr. Karoliina Pilli-Sihvola from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. #