A pleasant afternoon to everyone joining us in this celebration of passion and dedication to service.
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
First, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to everyone who has made this event possible—the Systems and Productivity Improvement Bureau led by Assistant Secretary Clarito Alejandro D. Magsino and the entire SPIB staff; National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Alberto A. Bernardo and our recognized Resource Persons; and of course, our future resource persons whom we celebrate this afternoon.
As you may all know, we are gathered here today for the Recognition Ceremony of our Resource Persons (RPs) on the National Guidelines on Internal Control Systems (NGICS) and the Revised Philippine Government Internal Audit Manual (RPGIAM). This entails that the candidates who have completed the first four phases of the Program will be conferred recognition and form part of the roster of our recognized RPs.
But of course, this Ceremony is also a gathering meant to recognize our achievements, and more importantly, the people behind them.
Looking back, we have a long list of accomplishments to be proud of and grateful for in the past year. Please allow me to enumerate some of them.
First, we have empowered a total of 508 internal audit practitioners hailing from 146 national government agencies, including GOCCs and SUCs, through the conduct of nine batches of the RPGIAM Capacity-Building Training.
We have also engaged about 660 department secretaries, heads of agencies, board of directors/audit committee members, and other senior officials through four Executive Briefings on the NGICS and RPGIAM.
Aside from these, we have conducted management briefings and awareness seminars tailored for requesting agencies, including the Cebu Port Authority, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Coconut Authority, and the Department of Finance.
Finally, through the Public Financial Management Competency Program for Local Government Units and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, we have capacitated more than 1,500 PFM practitioners in 2023, providing comprehensive insights into the principles and concepts of internal control and internal audit, among other PFM core areas.
We were able to achieve all of these because we are joined by very able and passionate individuals as our Resource Persons on the NGICS and the RPGIAM.
And so, to our currently recognized RPs, thank you for your service and commitment to establishing a strong and responsive internal control system in the country. May this recognition bring you more inspiration to continue doing the great work that you are already doing.
And, to our newly recognized RPs, you have undergone a rigorous process to get to this point so you should all be proud of yourselves. I know that you have already brought significant changes to your organization, but now, you are bestowed with the opportunity to make an even greater impact on the country.
Sa lahat po ng naririto ngayong araw, taos-puso po akong nagpapasalamat at sumasaludo sa inyo. Kayo po ang dahilan kung bakit tayo ay patuloy na nakapagbibigay ng capacity-building at technical assistance sa ating mga kapwa lingkod-bayan upang mapabuti po natin ang ating mga serbisyo publiko. Sana po ay patuloy ninyo kaming samahan at suportahan na lalo pa nating pagandahin ang ating internal audit and control culture sa bansa.
Let us always keep in mind that while we come from different backgrounds, we are bound by a common purpose: to forward an excellent internal audit and internal control culture in the country that will pave the way for better public service, ultimately uplifting the quality of life of our fellow Filipinos.
To end, allow me to quote former U.S. President John F. Kennedy: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others…he sends forth a ripple of hope.” Relatedly, I believe that each of us in this room is a force that creates ripples of change—one employee, one office, and one institution at a time. And I am confident that, collectively, these ripples will become waves of transformational change for the nation and our fellow Filipinos, tungo po sa Bagong Pilipinas, kung saan ang gobyerno ay tumutugon sa tunay na pangangailangan ng mamamayan.
Maraming salamat po. Mabuhay po tayong lahat! Again, congratulations!
Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
