Published on: March 01, 2024 | Written by: Suzette V. Alota

The Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditors, under the direction of its Audit Team Leader, Ms. Mae Razelle S. Mantos, held an exit conference with the key officials of DILG IX regional and field offices on February 29, 2024, at the Molave Hall, Hotel Guillermo, Pagadian City.

Paisal O. Abutazil, CESO III, the Regional Director, expressed his appreciation to the audit team for their thorough review and insightful comments during the audit process. He emphasized that this experience is a learning opportunity for the agency to assess its performance in achieving objectives by cultivating transparency and accountability.

The purpose of this exit conference is to communicate audit results to management and obtain management’s comments on proposed findings and recommendations before issuing the draft audit report.

Mydee Mandin, the Regional Supervising Auditor, emphasized via the Zoom platform that this is the management’s opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations before the draft report is issued. Their input is crucial to ensuring that the audit results are fairly presented and that recommendations are reasonable and free of errors and misrepresentations.

During the conference, auditors presented audit observations and recommendations, discussing the necessary corrective measures to address the raised issues. Additionally, management provided detailed updates on already implemented corrective measures, demonstrating a proactive approach and strong commitment to improving operations and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Both parties shared their perspectives and insights on the various observations and recommendations, leading to the identification of feasible solutions to address the identified deficiencies. The conference proved to be an informative and productive discussion, resulting in a comprehensive review of the audit findings.

Moreover, Assistant Regional Director Carmelo Enrique Libot, CESO V, in his closing remarks, emphasized that the agency is dedicated to addressing all findings brought up in the report and improving its procedures to deliver high-quality public services, while also bolstering accountability and transparency to its stakeholders.

Present also during the conference were the Provincial Directors from the field offices, the Chiefs from the different divisions, the Finance Team from the regional and field offices, as well as the concerned Focal Persons for the audit observations.