Magandang Buhay sa ating Lahat! I would like to start by thanking our Almighty Father for this tremendous blessing as I celebrated my 65th Birthday with my family and friends last January 30 and now a Virtual Retirement Party with your presence.

Committed with strong determination and foresight in ensuring that cash and cash accountabilities in the hands of 2,617 Accountable Officers (AOs) in the National, Corporate and Local Agencies are adequately protected and that internal controls are in place insofar as the keeping of government funds is concerned, COA Region XI Auditors have hurdled the greatest challenge of examining the cash and cash accountabilities of these AOs in their respective agencies.

Pandemic crisis has not necessarily hindered the continuity of regular audit activities.  In a virtual conference last 29 June 2020, the City Auditors together with Supervising Auditor Gloria A. Cañete and COA XI Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Ursal discussed audit plans for CY 2020 with eighteen (18) top management officials of the City Government of Davao (CGD) led by Assistant City Administrator for Administration (ACAA), Atty. Tristan Dwight P. Domingo. 

The Commission on Audit is a member of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), and as such, it has adopted the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs) or ISSAI 200:64 requiring the auditors to communicate with the audited agencies: the planned scope, timing of the audit, and significant findings from the audit.

Indeed, learning never stops. The new normal for meetings and conferences is now via online platforms. Thus, in response to the requests from the audit agencies for a comprehensive and customized training on appraisal and disposal of unserviceable properties, an Online Briefing on Appraisal and Disposal of Unserviceable Government Properties was organized by COA Regional Office No. XI, Audit Group of National Government Sector Cluster 5-Education and Employment, State Universities and Colleges and Stand Alone Agencies, and was attended by approximately 1,800 participants from various national agencies, local government units and government owned and controlled corporations all over Region XI and neighboring regions, last October 21, 2020 (Batch 1) and October 30, 2020 (Batch 2), 8:00AM to 1:00PM, via Zoom Online Conference Application.

For CY 2020, there is no bigger government program, project or activity that is so material, huge and pervasive enough that permeates and affects the life of every Filipino other than transactions that involve the use of COVID-19 Funds. At the inception of the government imposed quarantine restrictions in March, 2020 to curb both the rising trend of COVID-19 infections and the fatalities caused by COVID-19, public spending for COVID-19 programs and activities also started to protect people from getting contaminated and treat those infected with COVID-19.