26/05/2026
๐น๐ท๐ฎ๐ฐ๐จ๐ด ๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
Under DBM Circular Letter No. 2023-14, the Internal Audit Unit of a SUC functionally and operationally reports to the Board of Regents/Trustees, which may organize an Audit Committee from among its members to whom the IAU may directly report. For administrative purposes, the IAU reports to the SUC President.
The President's position as Vice Chairperson of the Board of Regents should not be construed as placing the Internal Audit Unit under management oversight.
The President provides administrative supervision, while governance oversight of the Internal Audit Unit is exercised by the Board of Regents in accordance with its functional and operational reporting line.
At the national level, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) exercises oversight over the internal audit function by prescribing policies, standards, organizational structures, staffing requirements, and professional frameworks governing internal auditing in government agencies, including SUCs.
This governance arrangement preserves the independence of internal auditing while ensuring accountability.
Simply stated:
โ๏ธ DBM establishes the policies, standards, and professional frameworks that define how internal auditing should be organized and conducted in government.
โ๏ธ The Board of Regents (BOR) provides governance oversight of the Internal Audit Unit and evaluates whether it is effectively fulfilling its mandate, responsibilities, and approved audit plans.
โ๏ธ The SUC President provides administrative supervision and support by facilitating the resources, personnel, budget, and operational requirements necessary for the Internal Audit Unit to perform its functions effectively.
This distinction is important because internal auditors are entrusted to evaluate governance, risk management, internal controls, and institutional performance. To maintain public trust, the Internal Audit Unit itself must operate within a framework of accountability, oversight, and supervision.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, nor does it operate independently without accountability. ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค, while the Board of Regents provides institutional oversight and supervision ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ.
Good governance means accountability at every levelโincluding those entrusted to provide assurance.