Technology and innovation are no longer emerging trends, rather, these are already considered essentials in the service delivery of internal audit functions across organizations. Internal audit functions are expected to have already adapted to the digital age.

Some of the more important questions we may be asking ourselves nowadays are - Are we maximizing our investments on systems and tools in our internal audit delivery? How have we transformed our value in the eyes of our stakeholders in the organization? Have we significantly and positively changed the way we work through the use of technology and innovation? How else can we use our investment in technology to our advantage?

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  Owen Fajardo

Remote auditing is not a new concept in internal audit. But with the onset of work-from-home set-ups to comply with community quarantine protocols, regular audits that would normally be conducted on-site have also been re-calibrated to be performed remotely. This sudden change in the dynamics of performing audit has either posed new challenges, or highlighted issues that internal audit functions thought they had already prepared for.

Bigger organizations may have been lucky to have the resources to enhance and support the requirements to conduct remote audits and continue with the internal audit activities, but what are the medium-sized companies' internal audit functions doing to still be able to fulfill their mandate?

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  Michael Cabatuando

  ASPAC Privacy Compliance Head and Data Protection Officer at Johnson & Johnson

Internal auditors are faced with challenges in adapting to the new norm with COVID Pandemic. A lot of government interventions are introduced from March 15 to date. From various extension deadlines on filing of statutory and tax filing reports to giving of relief measures in the form of concessions and government take aways, the internal auditors should be adaptable to changes in the taxation and statutory landscape brought about by these interventions. Likewise, with the recently passed and time-bound Bayanihan 2 Law, everyone should be able to keep track and brace on the possible impact of the implementing rules and regulations by various government agencies to ensure timely and relevant compliance as the change occurs.

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  Atty. Willie Santiago

  Director of Tax & Corporate Services Division at Diaz Murillo Dalupan & Company

Many industries are being rapidly transformed due to the pandemic - some permanently, resulting in unprecedented challenges in adapting to the new business environment. Organisations need to redefine strategies, undertake organisational change and workforce upskilling at scale, and manage increased digital, data and cybersecurity risks. Managing risks in the changing era is, thus, critical to an organization’s sustainability.

This session will help us understand what are the risks associated with digitalization from the different areas in the organization, how to manage them in terms of prioritization and control. Practical tips shall also be given for those about to start digitalization, on their way to digitalization and those that are already there.

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  Arlene Romasanta

  Chief IT Officer of Data Warehouse and Analytics Division at Department of Information & Communications Technology (DICT)

As the pandemic has drive people to do more and more online transactions, lurkers or hackers must be feasting for increase business opportunity.

What the hackers usually look like in their ordinary days until they see a potential prey? Do they circle around it day and night until they move for a win?
This session will have us up close and personal with a professional hacker, what keeps them busy, what keeps them awake at night and how do they select a potential target. This session will also give us tips on Do's and Dont's when doing on-line transactions .

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  Drexx Laggui

  Principal Consultant Information Security at Laggui.Com

When the pandemic hit, one thing was on top of everybody's minds: to survive and continue. Organizations practically had to make drastic changes overnight to a significant portion of how they do business (e.g. strategies, processes, communications). Simply put, organizations' responses have led to many ad-hoc changes - uncertain and sudden - and would have not followed the normal change management process. While these sudden changes helped organizations to continue operations, these also presented opportunities for fraudulent activities to happen.

In this session, we will learn what the top 10 areas organizations are to focus on to mitigate fraud in a disruptive time.

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  Michael Peer

  Consulting Forensics Partner at PwC SEAC

Months after the onset of COVID-19 and despite government stimulus, companies remain grappling for their future, supply chains continuously disrupted, consumer spending are conservatively low in reverse proportion to increasing unemployment. In the August 2020 article by a leading risk and industry research company, the Philippine construction sector will experience a full-year recession as a result of the escalating covid-19 spread in Luzon. Let us get an insight and learn from how this pandemic tested this industry's business continuity plans, how it has remained resilient, and how prepared it is for the "New Normal".

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  Richard Cruz

  Country Business Resiliency Coordinator & Vice President for Health, Safety and Security at Lafargeholcim Group & Holcim Philippines, Inc.

The pandemic forced companies to find transformative solutions that oftentimes require the use of emerging technologies to maintain a sense of normalcy and enable a "business as usual" operation amidst the crises. And for this reason that organizations implement an effective data governance framework to ensure the ethical use, security, and protection of information collected from these technologies. In this session, we will get an insight into ethical practices and governance over data and understand how these can be enablers for the New Normal.

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  Victor Jose "VJ" Africa

  Managing Director of IT Group, Inc. - Singapore & Malaysia

Ideally, Management and Internal Audit should be allies in strengthening the governance, risk management, and control processes to achieve the strategic objectives of the company. The reality, however, shows that they are most often at different-sides of the spectrum. This could stem from various reasons e.g. tension caused by unfavorable audit findings, disputes over resources to differences in opinion, culture, or approach. When should an internal audit know to stop, if principles continue to differ or collide with Management?

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  Rose Javier

  Managing Director of Business Protech Consultancy Services

When the pandemic hit the country, and with the government's decision of implementing a community quarantine, organizations were almost immediately forced to do an overnight transformation of their operational strategies, mostly revolving around rethinking the work arrangements of their people.

Already going on seven months in community quarantine, how are the work arrangement strategies of organizations holding up? What key elements in the new work arrangement strategies have been proven to be effective in working and managing people remotely? Are our people satisfied with the adjustments we've made so far? Have we maintained connection and engagement with our people?

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  Edel Mary Vegamora

  Former EVP & Chief Audit Executive at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation

With the number of businesses venturing into the digital space, at quantum proportions, to be able to operate sustainably and compete in the Digital Economy and e-Business in the current crises, this also presents significant opportunities for higher growth, wider reach, and better or improved public governance. This session will give us an idea as to how the digital laws in the Philippines evolved, the basic features that we need to know, and why.

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  Victoria Tomelden

  Chief Internal Auditor at Holcim Philippines, Inc.

Audit reports capture the internal audit organization's week or a month-long of assurance and consulting work intended to add value and help the organization achieve its objectives. It is a critical communication tool to inform the Board and Management of significant risk and control issues, including fraud and governance, that could affect the organization's ability to attain its goals. With the pandemic further magnifying the very definition of a V.U.C.A. world, businesses need to make quick and critical decisions to survive. And lengthy narratives, jargon-filled, and overwhelming technical details type of audit report does not help the Internal Audit function providing value. Therefore, what can internal auditors do to be heard and make an impact (through its report) with little words? How can internal audit keep up and leverage technologies and other digital platforms for better communications?

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  Fandhy Siregar

  Head of Regular Audit at Indonesia Eximbank