Recognizing the importance of establishing and maintaining an effective internal control structure at the Department of Agrarian Reform, DAR Secretary Brother John R. Castriciones recently signed Memorandum Circular No. 5, series of 2021, creating a Policy Statement which strengthens the agency’s internal control system.

DAR Internal Audit Director Alexander Alimmudin J. Ali said the newly-signed Internal Control Policy Statement articulates the DAR’s top management policy towards internal control.

The policy particularly stipulates its commitment to continuously improve the DAR’s internal control systems taking into considerations the specific responsibilities and accountabilities of DAR officials and employees.

“The internal control standards for the Philippine public sector provides that the head of the agency is directly responsible for all its activities, which include designing, implementing, maintaining, and evolving a system of evaluation of an internal control system, as well as implementing corrective actions,” Ali said.

Ali said the DAR internal policy statement is essential in complying with Malacanang’s Administrative Order No. 119, series of 1989, which provides that each and every office, agency, corporation and local government unit is mandated to strengthen its internal control system and organize systems and procedures to improve the government’s overall control of the environment.

“In coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, the policy statement would be the anchor from which subsequent activities on the strengthening of the internal control system of the Department will be based,” Ali emphasized.

Bilang pagkilala sa kahalagahan ng pagtatatag at pagpapanatili ng epektibong istraktura ng internal control sa Department of Agrarian Reform, pinirmahan kamakailan ni DAR Secretary Brother John R. Castriciones ang Memorandum Circular No. 5, serye ng 2021, na nagbuo ng isang Policy Statement upang palakasin ang internal control system ng ahensya.

Sinabi ni DAR Internal Audit Director Alexander Alimmudin J. Ali na ang bagong lagda na Internal Control Policy Statement ng DAR ay nagpapahayag ng mga patakaran ng DAR top management tungkol sa internal control. Ang nasabing patakaran ay nagtatakda ng pangako nitong patuloy na pagbubutihin ang internal control systems ng DAR, kung saan isinasa-alang-alang ang bawat responsibilidad at pananagutan ng mga opisyales at mga kawani.

"Ang Internal Control Standards para sa pang-publikong sektor sa Pilipinas ay nagsasaad na ang pinuno ng ahensya ay ang direktang responsable para sa lahat ng mga aktibidad ng ahensya kasama ang pagdidisenyo, pagpapatupad, pagpapanatili, at pagbubuo ng isang sistema ng pagsusuri ng internal control system pati na rin ang pagpapatupad ng pagwawasto nito,” ani Ali.

Sinabi ni Ali na ang DAR internal policy statement ay mahalaga bilang pagsunod sa kautusan ng Malakanyang sa ilalim ng Administrative Order No. 119, serye ng 1989, kung saan inatasan nito ang bawat opisina, ahensya, korporasyon at lokal na pamahalaan na palakasin ang kanilang internal control system at mga proseso upang maging maayos ang sistema at pamamaraan ng pangkalahatang kontrol ng pamahalaan sa kapaligiran.

"Sa pakikipagtulungan sa Department of Budget and Management, ang policy statement na ito ang magiging angkla kung saan ibabatay ang mga kasunod pang aktibidad ng DAR alinsunod sa pagpapalakas ng internal control system ng Kagawaran," pagdidiin ni Ali.