The Commission on Audit (COA) conducted an exit conference on Monday, April 21, with officials from the Local Government Unit of Isabela City, marking the conclusion of the audit for the previous fiscal year.
The conference was attended by Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, who was joined by key officials from various departments of the city government to include Acting City Accountant Jaber Tiplani, City Treasurer Mary Jane Abenojar, City General Services Officer represented by SAO Vilmor Pineda, City Assessor represented by Ianne Jane Yusup and CDRRMO represented by Nazis Maulana, CIO and GAD Focal Mendry-Ann Lim, BAC Secretariat Head Robert Arseña and City Engineering Office represented by Engr. Arjim Musahari. Meanwhile the COA team was headed by Supervising Auditor for BARMM, State Auditor V Nona Imlan, and State Auditor IV and Audit Team Leader Joel Ramos.
During the session, the COA team presented their audit findings, observations, and recommendations. The exit conference served as a formal venue for COA to discuss the results of their audit and provide guidance to ensure the city government’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Mayor Turabin-Hataman expressed her appreciation for COA’s diligence and transparency in auditing the city’s finances and operations. She emphasized the city government’s commitment to good governance, fiscal responsibility, and accountability. She also vowed to integrate the “COA lens” into the city’s Management Committee (ManCom) meetings to ensure the LGU’s compliance with COA rules and regulations.
“We speak in ManCom in terms of where we are in the project, what our deliverables are, and what the priority programs are, but we don’t often talk about how COA looks at us and the things we need to comply with and submit to them. I think that’s something we need to improve,” she said.
She also expressed her satisfaction with the city’s affirmation of its consistent performance in governance and appreciated the points raised during the exit conference as helpful guidance for identifying blind spots and challenges faced by the LGU.
The conference also provided an opportunity for city officials to clarify issues raised in the audit report and to discuss the steps being taken to address them. Both parties expressed their intent to work collaboratively to improve public service delivery and financial management.
The COA exit conference is a standard part of the audit process and plays an integral role in fostering transparency and accountability in government institutions.
