In pursuit of the Commission on Audit’s (COA) goal to have an effective and efficient management of records, the PSAO [Provincial Satellite Auditing Office] Oriental Mindoro Records Building was inaugurated on October 13, 2022 in Calapan City.
“With this records building, our worries about sound records management will now be a thing of the past,” said COA Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) Regional Director Lynflor M. Adolfo in her opening remarks.
“There will no longer be sacks of documents in the vicinity of COA offices. The valuable records and documents will now be properly and systematically stored as we vow to keep them safe and secure in this building,” she added.
Director Adolfo emphasized the importance of good records management and the role that the building plays in keeping with COA’s mandated custodial function and avowed role as guardians of public funds and properties.
COA Oriental Mindoro Supervising Auditor Emmerly Jane D. Masangkay acknowledged the problems encountered by auditors in the field, relevant to the storage of significant documents, and the situations that result in the exposure of these documents to the elements, as well as to pilferage.
“While we are mandated by law to preserve the documents in our possession, we cannot ably do so for utter lack of space. Now, this building will provide great relief from this problem,” said Supervising Auditor Masangkay, adding that sound records management is correlated to the protection and promotion of the constitutional right of the people to information.
“This building symbolizes the Commission’s high regard for the constitutional right of the people to information on matters of public concern, access to official records, and full public disclosure of office transactions involving public interests. This right must be protected to secure the accountability of all public officials and employees in all of their public dealings and transactions,” she said.
COA Acting Chairperson Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc and Director Adolfo led the ceremonial ribbon cutting and unveiling of the building marker, together with Assistant Commissioner Maribeth F. De Jesus, Director Amelia P. Valdez, and Supervising Auditor Masangkay, with the participation of local officials Provincial Governor Humerlito A. Dolor, Calapan City Vice Mayor Rommel Rodolfo A. Ignacio, and Calapan City Administrator Reymund Al F. Ussam.
Commissioner Pondoc congratulated COA Oriental Mindoro for the successful completion of the PSAO Records Building, as he also expressed the Commission’s gratitude towards the people who contributed to the realization of this project, particularly the City Government of Calapan for donating the land on which the PSAO and the Records Building stands, the members of the Project Management Team, and all the officials and personnel of COA Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) and Oriental Mindoro, who made the project possible.
The inauguration was also attended by former COA Public Information Office Director Jonathan B. Beltran, former COA Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) Regional Director Corazon S. Gomez, representatives from the offices of Commissioner Roland C. Pondoc, Systems and Technical Service Sector, General Services Office, and Public Information Office, and officials and personnel of COA Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).
The inauguration of the second PSAO Records Building in the whole country commenced with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist by Reverend Father Cenon V. Garcia and the blessings of the building and its premises.
The PSAO Oriental Mindoro Records Building will be the COA Oriental Mindoro’s official repository of government transaction documents, records, and reports. It will ensure that evidence supporting conclusions and decisions relating to audit of government transactions, as well as evidence pertaining to cases pending before judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, are properly secured and preserved. # Report by Atty. Vanessa Gem P. Cazeñas