Finance Talk: Transparency and Inclusivity in Public Finance
In collaboration with SYBEE, the Finance Club kicked off with their third Finance Series Talk on the subject Public Finance: Transparency and Inclusivity for Our Community, yesterday, Mar. 18 in the Albert van Gansewinkel Hall in USC- Downtown Campus.
Raquel Rose Tan, one of the event’s organizers and incumbent Finance Club officers, shared that the objective of the Finance Talk was to provide the students a little background on public finance. According to her, “what better way to do that than inviting people with first-hand experience?”
One of their featured speakers was former Cebu City Mayor, Hon. Tomas “Tommy” Osmeña. He tackled the topic Transparency in the Government, imparting his own experiences on finding the balance between political values and good governance.
In terms of transparency, Hon. Osmeña said that “it is important that people know where their money is going.” He also emphasized the importance of putting things under control when it comes to managing public finances. As his talk came to an end, he quoted, “managing finances is a required discipline.”
Hon. Osmeña was succeeded by Hon. Grecilda Sanchez, Provincial Board Member of the Committee of Finance and the daughter of the late Vice-Governor Greg Sanchez. She shed light on the topic of local government taxation, as well as her transition from being a chemical engineer to a politician like her father.
Hon. Sanchez expressed that budget and appropriation is one of the most powerful jobs a public servant can have, but she believes in putting more focus on good governance and sound finance management. Before she commenced her speech, she presented a video on her Go Countryside Development Program which includes the Cebu Trans-Axial Development Project, a plan to uplift socio-economic linkages in Cebu.
Apart from listening to the inputs of Hon. Osmeña and Hon. Sanchez, the Finance students were also given a chance to ask questions to the speakers. They were also given the opportunity win prizes during the raffle draw and listen to a series of performances by the USC Choristers.
To formally end the talk, the department recognized the services provided by the working scholars, finance volunteers and club officers, preceding the closing remarks by the outgoing Finance Club Chairman, Nikka Patlingrao.
