Apr 9, 2015 Baguio City – Defending champion University of Baguio (UB) took home convincingly the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), Baguio-Benguet Chapter Accounting Quiz Bowl by a mile last Tuesday, March 31, at the Audio-Visual Room of the Saint Louis University Maryheights Campus in Bakakeng, Baguio City.
Joel D. Locquia, a 4th year accountancy student, and Stephanie A. Solomon, a 5th year accountancy student, bested five other teams, including another of their own schoolmates, in three rounds of questioning, the easy, average and difficult rounds. They won every single round and tallied 90 of a possible 150 points to enable UB to retain the championship.
There was a change in the rule on participation as each school is now allowed to field a maximum of two teams composed of two members each compared to the one team rule per school during previous years. Three of the five schools offering accountancy in the jurisdiction availed maximum participation and fielded two teams each composing of two members a team. Aside from UB, Saint Louis University and the University of the Cordilleras participated.
Aside from Locquiao and Solomon, UB fielded Diego Serrano, Jr. and Georgette Guma-ad as their other team. The University fielded Francis Azul Simalong and Alfred Budaden II as their first team and John Ananayo and Krizza Bacunawa as their second team. Simalong and Budaden scored a total of 69 bag the silver in a tight race for runner-up honors that went down to the wire. Ananayo and Bacunawa were just eight points behind them and just six points ahead of the SLU tandem of Nikkie Glenn Palsi and Adine Gapongli. Not too far behind was the team of John Irish Siochi and Christelle Jordanal, also of SLU.
The topics of involved in the quiz bowl are practical accounting, management services, advanced accounting, and auditing. Prizes were given to the winners including CPA review scholarship grants from local review center Northern Foremost Certified Public Accountant Review, Inc. (NFCPAR) and Medals from SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. for the top three finishers and cash prizes for all participants.
The quizbowl was previously held every July during the celebration of the accountancy week but had to be moved this year due to the adjustment of opening of classes by some of the participating schools to August, 2014.
The activity is conducted in partnership with the Government Association of Certified Public Accountants (GACPA)-Cordillera Chapter, the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP), Baguio-Benguet Chapter, and the SLU Chapter of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA). NFCPAR acted as judges.
Meanwhile, a seminar on procedures, remedies and other updates in taxation is also being conducted by PICPA on April 9, 2015 at the Prince Plaza Hotel, Legarda Road, Baguio City. The seminar will award eight (8) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units in taxation to attendees. These units are necessary for accreditation in compliance with R.A. 9298.
The speaker for the seminar is Atty. Edwin R. Abella, CPA. Abella is the Chairman and Managing Partner of E.R.A. and Associates. He has over 30 years of experience as a tax practitioner and is considered an expert in his field of tax practice. He obtained a Master of Taxation degree from the Harvard Law School along with being a Thomas Jefferson Scholar in 1995 and MLQ University including Highest Honors in 1988.
Registration fee is one thousand five hundred (P1,500) which is inclusive of VAT and will cover the seminar kit, certificate of attendance, and food and other costs. Interested participants can confirm their attendance to either Dianne at mobile phone number 09193670396 or Ellen at 09173402222. Pre-registration is highly encouraged.
By: ARMANDO BOLISLIS
