COA IX Celebrates COA’s 124^th Anniversary

Date Published: July 24, 2023   ||   Contributor: Atty. Faith Suzzette N. Delos Reyes-Kong

The Commission on Audit commemorated its 124^th founding anniversary with the theme “COA @ 124: Institusyong Maasahan, Dangal at Tiwala ay Pangalagaan.”

In  Region IX, festivities were held on May 3, beginning with a Holy Mass at the St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish and Islamic Duwa’a at the Zamboanga City Coliseum.  Thereafter, Regional Director Marisol D. Legaspi, OIC Director IV,  formally welcomed the different  contingents  from Zamboanga City/Regional Center and  Provincial Satellite Auditing Offices of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay to a  day of sports, fun games, and camaraderie at the Coliseum. After the taking of Oath of Sportsmanship led by OIC-Regional Supervising Auditor Marvin Andrew C. Lee and a lively zumba session, participants competed in chess, basketball, table tennis, darts, badminton, volleyball, and several fun games.

The celebration continued into the evening with a “COAchella” themed Fellowship Night. It highlighted the musical talents of COA employees in an Acoustic Battle as well as recognized the dedicated service of personnel who were declared Regional Winner and shortlisted for the category of  Gawad Kahusayan in the COA Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Nationwide Search for Outstanding COA Officials and Employees.    Team R9-1, State Universities and Colleges, auditing Western Mindanao State University, composed of Supervising Auditor Lourdes T. Lirio, concurrent Audit Team Leader and  Mr. Kevin Webster B. Cinchez  and Ms. Hanna Vanessa S. Maglasang, Team Members, was presented with a Plaque of Recognition by the Regional Director.  After a night of singing and dancing, Supervising Auditor Gudelia Q. Patangan  closed  the  occasion.

This year’s  commemoration is special as it is the first  completely face-to-face celebration after the onset of pandemic  in 2020. It may be recalled that for the 123^rd anniversary last year, the Regional Office held a combined face-to-face and virtual activities on May 5 and 6, 2022.

          The Commission observes its founding anniversary  based on a Memorandum signed on May 8, 1899 by then United States President William McKinley creating the Office of the Auditor for the Philippine Islands.