Executive Order No. 55 was signed into law by President Benigno S. Aquino III last September 6, 2011 which gave birth to the Philippine Public Financial Management (PFM) Reform Program composed of the Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Treasury (BTr) authorized to oversee and coordinate the integration and automation of government financial systems, and implementation of PFM roadmap (Sec. 3.b, EO No. 55). This roadmap seeks to clarify, simplify, improve and harmonize the government’s financial management processes and information systems. (Program Brief, PFM, www.pfm.gov.ph)

Government Integrated Financial Management Information System or GIFMIS is a major reform output of the Philippine PFM Reform Roadmap.  GIFMIS is an IT based system for budget preparation, management, execution, accounting and reporting that will be implemented by the Philippine Government to improve public financial management processes and enhance greater accountability and transparency across National Government Agencies.  It is designed to make use of modern information and communication technologies to help the government plan and use its financial resources more efficiently and effectively. (FAQs, www.pfm.gov.ph)

The prerequisites for GIFMIS to be operational are Treasury Single Account (TSA) – a unified structure of government bank accounts that aims to consolidate and optimize the use of Government cash resources; Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS) – considered as the backbone of PFM reform and the heart of GIFMIS, is a government wide harmonized budgetary, treasury and accounting code classification structure to enable timely and accurate financial and performance reporting, UACS has already been adopted on August 6, 2013 (DBM, DOF, and COA Joint Circular 2013-1); Comprehensive Human Resource Information Systems (CHRIS) – an integrated system encompassing the full life cycle of Human Resource Management from recruitment and hiring through retirement.  The National Payroll System (NPS) is included in CHRIS and will be the focus of the initial implementation. (www.pfm.gov.ph)

The GIFMIS is a web-based, central database requiring use of IT and communications infrastructure all throughout the entire Philippine National Government.  The ICT Asset Inventory is a step towards realization of the GIFMIS. Through the ICT Asset Inventory, the top management will be able to decide on matters pertaining to IT requirements and assess IT needs towards GIFMIS readiness.  Through unnumbered memorandum dated August 15, 2013 signed by Usec. Francisco M. Varela, “Strengthening the Financial Management System in the Department of Education (Phase II)” was launched with the aim to enhance and roll out Department’s Asset Management System to facilitate inventory of all DepEd property and equipment specifically IT equipment as part of logistical readiness for GIFMIS.  In compliance to the said memorandum and after four revisions made by the officers of the Property and ICT Unit, Malaybalay City Division is the first office in DepEd to have reached a Level 1 assessment on April 7, 2014.  The level 1 assessment is given by the Accounting and Audit Reform Consultants Limited (Ireland) and DepEd which means that the ICT Register of Malaybalay City Division is in acceptable standard.

Sibyl L. Maputi

Administrative Officer III