Sleuth and kegler extraordinaire

Doctors, lawyers, writers, and even a nanny have all inspired hit television shows. Accountants, however, have to do with bit parts and are often portrayed as reserved, boring bean counters.

Rosauro Zapanta, a senior audit manager at the Office of the Public Auditor, thinks of his job as closer to playing Sherlock Holmes than Keith from The Office.

After all, Zapanta is currently on top of the much awaited audit of the defunct Marianas Public Lands Authority, an autonomous agency abolished over allegations of massive corruption.

Born and raised in the Philippine province of Rizal, Zapanta and seven other Filipino accountants came to work for OPA more than 20 years ago. All of his Filipino colleagues have left, but Zapanta remained. He is currently the only nonresident auditor working at the government agency.

“I like my job. I wouldn’t have stayed this long if I didn’t. It’s very challenging, especially because I am not office-bound. I get to visit different agencies and meet a lot of government officials,” he said in an interview at a Garapan bowling center Thursday night.

The fact that he is a foreigner in the Commonwealth has its advantages and disadvantages as far as work is concerned, he said.

Having no family ties in government, he rarely encounters a case where he has to recuse himself because of conflict of interest. But then, it also took him some time to become familiar with people’s relations, a major factor in probing issues related to government ethics.

“Everybody here is related and it makes auditing difficult. The good thing is, if you just follow professional standards, you will have no problems. Just show that you’re professional and people will respect you,” Zapanta said.

Indeed, respect is something he has earned from the community, including his colleagues.

Zapanta has been promoted twice since joining OPA in November 1984. From senior auditor, he was elevated to audit manager in 1994 and then, to senior audit manager a year later.

Also in 1994, he became the first nonresident employee to be the named Employee of the Year from the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor. Last year, he was voted 2005 Leadership Awardee by his co-workers at OPA.

Ever modest about his professional achievements, Zapanta considers his feats as a bowler his “claim to fame.”

From being a pastime activity, bowling has become a passion that Zapanta shares with his family and the community. He was one of the organizers of the Philippine Bowling Association of Saipan and has twice received the organization’s Bowler of the Year Award.

He is also actively involved in the Saipan Bowling Association, whose precursor—the Commonwealth Bowling Association—named him Bowler of the Year in 1996.

He has represented SBA in various international competitions, then as a bowler and now as manager and coach of the Saipan Team. Zapanta has competed in Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Guam and Korea.

Zapanta has also managed to make bowling enthusiasts of his wife Elsa and three children. Together with his wife, he runs SBA’s youth bowling program every Saturday morning.

The program prompted the 14th House of Representatives to adopt a resolution last year to recognize Zapanta and his wife “for their voluntary contributions for the development of the sport of bowling in the CNMI and for fostering youth interest in the sport.”

Zapanta has also received several awards for his contributions to the Saipan Fil-American Lions Club, of which he has been a member since the 1990s.