In the spirit of genuine collaboration towards better public service, OIC-Dir. Merne T. Peñaranda met with the local chief executives of the two prominent local governments of Iloilo, the Province of Iloilo and the City of Iloilo.

On January 25, 2021, OIC-Dir. Peñaranda, together with Assistant Regional Director Daisylyn T. Tavarro, OIC Supervising Auditor Enrique A. Junco Jr. and Audit Team Leader Mary Grace E. Sevilla, met with Honorable Governor Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. The meeting served as a courtesy call of OIC-Dir. Peñaranda who has just assumed office as OIC Director of Commission on Audit, Regional Office VI. During the meeting she took the opportunity of sharing with the Honorable Governor the plan of the Commission to build a Provincial Satellite Auditing Office (PSAO) in every provinces in the region. The Honorable Governor expressed his full support to this initiative. He shared the plan of the Province to develop another government center at Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo where COA can build its planned PSAO for its personnel in the Province.

Likewise, on February 3, 2021, OIC-Dir. Peñaranda had her courtesy visit with Honorable Mayor Jerry P. Treñas at the Iloilo City Hall. She was accompanied by Assistant Regional Director Daisylyn T. Tavarro, OIC Supervising Auditor Julie Rose E. Alerta and Audit Team Leader Wenceslao P. Valaquio. After exchanging warm words of welcome and their views about the Covid 19 situation in Iloilo, OIC-Dir. Peñaranda mentioned the plan of the Commission to build a satellite office for its auditors in the City. The Honorable Mayor expressed his support to the said initiative and agreed that it will help bring COA’s services nearer to its stakeholders. The Honorable Mayor committed to share with COA a portion of its lot located within the City to be used as the site for the said satellite Office.

It is indeed heartwarming to observe how our local chief executives support the initiatives of the Commission in providing improved working space to its auditors and to make its services more accessible to all its stakeholders here in the Province and City of Iloilo.