ARMM hosts forum on records handling, archiving

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1013241
• Thursday, October 19, 2017 8:02 pm

By Edwin Fernandez (PNA)

COTABATO CITY -- In celebration of 2nd Archives Day in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), officials here hosted a one-day forum Thursday to educate employees handling records on how to comply with National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) circulars and standards.

Abdulhamid C. Alawi Jr., ARMM records chief, said the forum aimed primarily to instill in in the consciousness of ARMM offices and Bangsamoro constituents to know how important to archive records and documents are.

“I hope the forum will provide the necessary skills to employees in keeping official records," Alawi said.

"Archiving allows for reference at a later point in time. If all the offices in the region will archive important documents and records, then it will be easy for the next administration to plan for the next programs in the region."

Giving tips and strategies in keeping correctly government records was Dr. Ronaldo C. Ferariza, National Archival Network (NAN) supervising records management analyst, who shared his expertise in handling government records.

His talk focused on archives administration, security records and records creation, and control. The other speaker, Richel Jane R.Guinto, senior records management analyst, talked about her skills on records disposition administration.

"It is important for the offices to conserve and promote the Filipino cultural heritage and resources including the documentary records of Filipino culture, history, and governance," Ferariza said.

He reiterated that it is necessary to give utmost priority to the protection and preservation of the public documents and records, as it will be essential tools for the preservation of the country’s history and cultural memory.

The National Archives of the Philippines is home to about 60 million documents kept for centuries - from the Spanish rule in the Philippines, the American and Japanese occupations, as well as the years of the Republic. It is also the final repository for the voluminous notarized documents of the country.

Its main responsibility is to preserve the primary sources of information on Philippine history, the basic components of cultural heritage and collective memory.

In his talk, Ferariza cited Republic Act 9470, which states that all public records with enduring value, held by government offices, including, but not limited to, all branches of government, constitutional offices, local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges, Philippine embassies, consulates and other Philippine offices abroad shall be transferred to a permanent government repository for proper management, control and regulation of record disposition.

In compliance with RA 9470, Ferariza said that each government agency must keep and preserve a logbook in which all official acts, decisions, transactions or contract pertaining to their functions shall be in chronological order.

The following documents must be ready for permanent storage: speeches, press releases, publications, programs, reorganization records, standard operating procedures, issuances, logbooks, manuals, official gazettes, master’s lists of the participants in the seminars or trainings, property cards, resolutions, legal opinions, deeds of donation, decisions, staffing patterns, service cards, reports, personnel actions, plantilla of personnel, handwriting specimens/signature.

Also to be kept are auditor's copy, trial balances and supporting schedules, profits and losses, accounts receivable, registry books of checked released, registered checks warrants, official cash books, list of remittances, sundry payments by checks/warrants, expense ledgers, financial statements, cash flow charts, books of final entry, cooks of original entry, annual statements of accounts payable, and organizational performance indicator framework. "At the end of the day, our objective of coming here in ARMM is to let the employees here know the value of (government) records," Ferariza said.

The forum was held at the ARMM executive building in Cotabato City.