Commissioner Roland Café Pondoc was nominated to the Commission on Audit (COA) by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 6 February 2018 and was confirmed unanimously by the Commission on Appointments on 14 March 2018, for a term of seven years expiring on 2 February 2025. Born on 18 March 1969 in Davao City, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Lawyer, Commissioner Pondoc concentrated his love for education with his Alma Mater, the University of Mindanao (UM) – Davao City, for 22 years, while in public practice to both of his professions.

Commissioner Pondoc’s exceptional work as an educator was recognized by his Alma Mater which awarded him the Outstanding Employee Award in 2002; Outstanding Professor Award in 2005; and Golden Harvest Awards for his outstanding achievements as Professor in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. As Commissioner of COA, he was bestowed with the Institutional Award in 2018, the highest and most prestigious award given to outstanding alumni by the said University for his exemplary track record.

While in the academe, he was appointed as the Assistant Dean of the College of Legal Education, as well as the Head of the Department of Student Affairs, and he also served his co-employees being the President of the UM Employees Cooperative for six consecutive years from 2005 until 2010, and he is still very active today in the Cooperative movement as member of various cooperative organizations.

He was also a National Awardee as an Outstanding Business Educator in the Field of Accountancy in the years 2004 and 2011, as conferred by the Philippine Council of Deans and Educators in Business and by the Petron Foundation. In 2020, he was a recipient of Signum Meriti Award, the highest institutional citation of honor conferred by the Saint Paul School of Professional Studies of Palo, Leyte, for his outstanding performance in the fields of Accountancy and Legal Education, and in the Government Service.

Moreover, he became a National Awardee of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) for many times in his various capacities:

• as Most Outstanding CPA in Education in 2008;
• as Most Outstanding PICPA Member in 2009;
• as Most Outstanding PICPA Chapter President in 2015;
• as Most Outstanding CPA in Government in 2018;
• as Outstanding Senior Regional Director for Southern Mindanao Region, being a recipient of Most Outstanding Region Award in 2021;
• as Outstanding Chairperson of Geographical Area Office (GAO)-Mindanao, being a recipient of Most Outstanding GAO Award in 2021;
• as Awardee for Special Achievement in International Professional Involvement in 2021;
• as Awardee for Special Achievement in Community Service in 2022;

During the FY 2020-2021, he was the Vice-President for the Government Sector of the PICPA National Board, and he is now the Executive Vice-President of PICPA National Board.

Before concentrating in the academe, his first work experiences were in private companies from 1988-1995: as Accountant of the Tri-Star Corporation, as Special Assistant to the Vice-President of Eden Corporation, and also as Data Controller of Jesus V. Ayala Management Corporation, right after his graduation at the age of 19.

After he decided to leave his full-time work in the academe, he diverted his concentration to public service. Commissioner Pondoc joined the government service in 2014 as full-time Legal Officer of the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, where he also provided free legal assistance to indigent patients of the said hospital, said to be the biggest government hospital in the country today.

Prior to his nomination, Commissioner Pondoc was appointed as Assistant Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration in the Office of the President on September 1, 2016, and specifically assigned as the Assistant Deputy Director General for the Administration, Logistics and Finance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2017 National Organizing Council for the entire period of the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN 2017 Summits and Related Meetings. As a result of his dedication and contributions toward the successful Philippine hosting of ASEAN 2017, he was recognized in 2018 as recipient of the Presidential Citation conferred by President Duterte in Malacañan Palace.

Commissioner Pondoc finished his primary education at the University of Immaculate Conception (formerly ICC) and Rizal Memorial Colleges, both in Davao City, and his secondary education at the Davao City National High School (formerly DCHS).

He was a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting in 1988. He obtained his Master in Business Administration in 1997, and finished his Juris Doctor for his Law course in 2001 as a recipient of the Achiever’s Award, and immediately took and passed the Bar exam of the same year. He was a recipient of the Tambuli Award as Most Outstanding Alumnus as Educator in 2009, and as Outstanding UM Alumnus Awardee in Government Service in 2019, both were awarded by the UM Alumni Association, Inc.

He is a Reservist of the Philippine Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and also a Licensed Real Estate Appraiser, a Licensed Real Estate Broker, as well as a member of the ASEAN Chartered Professional Accountants. He maintained his being an Accredited External Auditor by the Board of Accountancy, and, while he was in public practice, he was an Accredited Tax Practitioner by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and was an Accredited External Auditor for Cooperatives by the Cooperative Development Authority. He was formerly the Chairperson of the Gender and Development Focal Point System Executive Committee of COA and one of the prime movers of the Integrity Management Program in the Commission.

With his mentioned work background, Commissioner Pondoc has already covered all four areas of Accountancy, namely, Commerce and Industry, Academe, Public Practice and the Government Sectors, respectively.

As the Commission is engaged as auditor of various international organizations, Commissioner Pondoc has represented COA as External Auditor of the World Health Organization and its subsidiary offices, also as Financial Adviser for various United Nations Meetings, and as Member of Commission on Finances for Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Labour Organization.

Recently, in recognition of his invaluable service to the Commission and to the country, Commissioner Pondoc was given a Special Citation “Bilang Pagkilala sa Kanyang Mahusay na Pamumuno at Matapat na Paglilingkod sa Komisyon at sa Bayan” on the occasion of the 2024 COA PRAISE Award.

Aside from being a man of excellence, integrity and honor, Commissioner Pondoc has a well-rounded personality that makes him able to maintain a work-life balance. He really finds time to engage into various physical activities, like walking, and sports activities, like bowling. In fact, as a bowler, he participated in the 125th COA Anniversary bowling event and bagged the gold medal award.

Commissioner Pondoc is married to his beautiful wife, Gilen Noval, and they are blessed with two sons, namely, Ralph Albert and Roice William.