Towards a sound and excellent financial management system, Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) Finance Team both at Central Management Office (CMO) and seven (7) Regional Management Offices (RMOs) from all programs convened for the 1^st time on August 4-7, 2014 at Farmland Resort, Isabela City in Basilan.

Purpose of the activity is to level off on financial concerns that are relevant in the enhancement of the whole financial system of BDA. This includes reconciliation of records and reports, proper documentation of fund flow, policies and procedures and identification of challenges and recommendations towards better system.

During the activity, data on funds downloaded and liquidated were presented and discussed by Gina Sapi, Finance Officer of BDA-CMO.

Topic on fund flow was discussed by Anwar Singsing, Finance Officer for BDP Project.

Sharing good practices observed at CMO was Hafidullah Kasan, Finance Assistant of BDA-CMO. He shared strategies and techniques practiced at CMO that the RMOs can adopt e.g. rules on request for funds for activities or travel and rules on liquidation of funds used.

Download and liquidation updates on United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) funded programs of BDA such as Tahderiyyah Curriculum, Child Protection and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) were given by Almira Danda, Finance Officer of the programs.

Bai Sittie Joharnie Dawi, CMO Cashier shared about the current enhancement on cashiering functions.

The enhanced policies and guidelines for BDA financial system was presented and explained by Hamodi Tiboron, Head of BDA Finance Division.

The activity provided venue for the team to share and discuss challenges at their financial works. Each Region has different concerns and issues.

According to Tiboron, all are serious concerns but the cooperation of the team that is being developed through the current reform in the whole financial system of BDA, all is possible.

“There are different and unending concerns and through this that we can be all better as individual and eventually be effective with our respective works, “Tiboron said.

Recently, reforms at BDA financial system are being introduced as supported by the management of the agency. Significant improvements are already being achieved through these reforms.

Finance staff participated in the activity were coming from major programs currently implemented by BDA such as Mindanao Trust Fund-Reconstruction and Development Program (MTF-RDP), Community Development in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM), Tahderiyyah Curriculum, Child Protection and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Programs, Program for Local Economic Development through Enlightened Governance and Grassroots Empowerment (PLEDGE) and the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) Project. Other program funds of BDA such as Community Empowerment through Food Sufficiency and Environmental Management (CEFSEM), Ramadhan Program and of the General Fund of BDA were also part of discussion during the activity.

Staff of each program is working according to the agreed standard between the donor-partner of the specific program and to the standard of BDA.

The 4-day activity culminated through an exit meeting at RMO Zamboanga-Basilan (Zambas) located also at Isabela City. Regional Manager Tony Sakalahul commended the initiative of the team in conducting such activity. “This mobile meeting is indeed commendable and impressive because the team sees the real situation, the real problem of the Region being visited thus can immediately find the solution to those problems, “Manager Sakalahul said.

Sharing the situation of their Region, he requested for close supervision to their finance staff since the finance staff in the Region is new to the work and the whole BDA.