DFA Holds First Joint Retooling Seminar for Finance and Property Officers of Foreign Service Posts in the Americas and the Asia Pacific

OFMS Assistant Secretary Domingo P. Nolasco (front row, seated, 5th from left), Hong Kong PCG Consul General Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan (front row, seated, center), and OAMSS Assistant Secretary Patrick John U. Hilado (front row, seated, 5th from right) with the resource persons and the Finance Officers and Property Officers of the Foreign Service Posts in the Americas and the Asia and the Pacific region. (Photo courtesy by Hong Kong PCG)

HONG KONG SAR 09 September 2024 - The Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Office of Financial Management Services (OFMS) and Office of Assets Management and Support Services (OAMSS), in coordination with the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong SAR, held the Joint Retooling Seminar for forty-six (46) Finance Officers (FO) and forty-eight (48) Property Officers (PO) of Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) in the Americas and the Asia Pacific region from 06 to 08 September 2024 at Hotel Alexandra, Hong Kong SAR.

The Retooling Seminar is part of the Department’s continuing learning and development program for Department personnel. In addition to serving as a refresher course for the FOs and POs, the Seminar also aims to provide relevant updates to enable the FOs and POs to effectively carry out their functions as guardians of Philippine government funds and properties overseas. The inaugural Retooling Seminar is also undertaken to professionalize and standardize assets management in the Department.

Topics for the inaugural PO Retooling included property maintenance and preservation, property disposal, and the Department’s Car Refleeting Program and the Building Fund. The FOs were apprised of public financial management, accountability over public funds, accounting standards and principles, internal controls, changes and updates on budgeting and Department financial rules and regulations. 

A joint session was undertaken on the last day for the discussion of concerns common to both finance and property management, such as on government procurement, inventory cleansing and tagging, and fraud detection. END