The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) of the Philippines successfully hosted the prestigious Asian Confederation of the Institutes of Internal Auditors (ACIIA) Regional Conference 2023 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, from October 11 to 13, 2023, at the Dusi Thani Mactan.
The three-day event brought together nearly 700 delegates (both onsite and online) to join distinguished speakers from over 20 countries in a remarkable demonstration of international cooperation and knowledge exchange among internal audit professionals all over the Asia Pacific region and even beyond.
As early as February 2023, IIA Philippines initiated preparations for the conference by forming the Convention Committee, tasked with envisioning and planning the event.
Cebu was selected as the venue due to its historical significance and modern ambiance, which inspired the choice of the conference theme, #OneIIA in Sustaining Relevance and Elevating Impact. What began as monthly meetings soon escalated to weekly gatherings, numerous calls across various platforms, and frequent site visits, all driven by the common goal of promoting unity under #OneIIA.
Before the official start of the conference, two concurrent forums were held at separate venues within Dusit Thani Mactan.
The three-day event brought together nearly 700 delegates (both onsite and online) to join distinguished speakers from over 20 countries in a remarkable demonstration of international cooperation and knowledge exchange among internal audit professionals all over the Asia Pacific region and even beyond.
As early as February 2023, IIA Philippines initiated preparations for the conference by forming the Convention Committee, tasked with envisioning and planning the event.
Cebu was selected as the venue due to its historical significance and modern ambiance, which inspired the choice of the conference theme, #OneIIA in Sustaining Relevance and Elevating Impact. What began as monthly meetings soon escalated to weekly gatherings, numerous calls across various platforms, and frequent site visits, all driven by the common goal of promoting unity under #OneIIA.
Before the official start of the conference, two concurrent forums were held at separate venues within Dusit Thani Mactan.
The Chief Audit Executives Forum featured Sally-Anne Pitt, Board Chair of The Institute of Internal Auditors Inc. (The IIA Global), discussing the robust Quality Assurance and Improvement Program (QAIP) for enhancing internal audit's value.
Stefano Comotti, Outside North America (ONA) Lead Director of The IIA Global, emphasized the importance of synergy among risk management, compliance, internal audit, and other control functions for effective organizational governance.
Facilitators included Catherine Hufana-Ang, 2014 IIA Philippines Chairperson and President, and Gina Santos, former IIA Philippines Board of Trustees member.
The Academe Forum, hosted by IIA Philippines, convened academe administrators, deans, and professors to delve into the theme Shaping the Future of Internal Audit.
This forum addressed internal auditing education from academic, industry, and global perspectives.
Distinguished speakers included Dr. Hiroshi Naka, member of The IIA Global Board and Professor from the University of Tokyo; Dr. Francisco Caliwan Jr., President of the National Association of Certified Public Accountants in Education; Dr. Arnel Onesimo Uy, Chair of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Committee on Accountancy Education; Lauro Francisco, IIA Philippines Technical Standards and Research Committee Chairman and Chief Audit Executive of home improvement and construction materials retailer; Michael Gallego, ACIIA President 2023-2024; and Desiree Rivera, Manager of Academe Relations at The IIA Global.
Discussions were facilitated by Roselle Gomez, IIA Philippines Assistant Secretary, and Shiela Alarcio, IIA Philippines Corporate Treasurer.
The ACIIA Regional Conference 2023 presented an impressive array of plenary speakers, panelists, moderators, and concurrent session speakers, who explored critical issues and trends in internal auditing and other related matters.
There were six plenary speakers which included the Chairperson and certain members of the Board and a senior officer of IIA Global, the immediate past and new presidents of the ACIIA, and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers Jonathan Yabut.
Panel discussions also filled the learning-packed event with five session moderators and 13 panelists from the ACIIA Executive Committee, the IIA Philippines Board of Trustees, and very distinguished guests. Lastly, to complete the learning-rich three-day conference, 21 concurrent session speakers graced every session dwelling on internal audit, information technology and fraud audit, governance, risk and compliance, emerging trends and knowledge sharing by subject matter experts to the internal auditors from the financial services, manufacturing and retail and other services industries, public sector, and small and medium enterprises.
While the event offered a wealth of learning opportunities, it also dedicated time for networking and social interactions.
Delegates from around the world connected, exchanged digital or physical business cards, and explored potential collaborations, aided by the Whova app. IIA Philippines hosted cocktails on the first day and full dinners on the subsequent nights, providing not only culinary delights but also the chance to build new partnerships and express themselves through singing, dancing, or simply enjoying the ambiance.