Former VP Leni to keynote PICPA confab
By Bobby Q. Labalan
Sorsogon City --- Former Vice-President Leni Robredo would serve as keynote speaker in the Annual National Convention (ANC) of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) to be held here from November 22 to 25.
This was announced on Monday by Maria Anna Britanico, over-all chair of the ANC and confirmed by lawyer Randy Blanza, PICPA national president, during an interview with Bicol Mail as preparations for the event go full swing.
Aside from Robredo, also invited to grace the event are Senators Francis Escudero and Christopher Go together with an array of top-caliber resource speakers who will discuss various topics in plenary and break-out sessions, Britanico said.
This would be very first time in the 78-year history of PICPA that the annual convention would be held in Bicol Region and the unanimous choice by the members was Sorsogon City, Blanza said.
Blanza himself is the very first Bicolano to head the national association of accountants, the Bicol Mail learned. Britanico, meanwhile, is the former chair of PICPA-Sorsogon and past national board of director of the organization.
Britranico said some 4000 accountants are set to arrive in Sorsogon City for the 4-day national convention of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).
The convention will center on the theme, “Beyond Numbers: Redefining the Role of CPAs”, which means that accountants are not only focused on figures, numbers and money but are also involved in various undertakings that contribute to nation-building.
The annual PICPA event aims to discuss various issues and concerns that confront the sector through plenary sessions and break-out groups where notable personalities will act as resource speakers.
Registered participants who will complete all the sessions will earn 26 points on Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Britanico added.
Aside from the huge number of delegates who are expected to be physically present during the convention, thousands more are expected to join via on-line platforms, the head organizer said.
Blanza said some foreign delegates would also be coming for the event.
The conduct of the convention had been coordinated with the city and provincial governments and that City Mayor Esther Hamor and Governor Edwin Hamor have both expressed their full support to the event, she said.
During the meeting with the PICPA, the city mayor had pledged full support to the event and had committed to host a mayor’s night for the delegates.
She also directed the Seguridad, Kaayusan, Katrangkilohan, asin Kauswagan (SK3), the city government’s safety and security unit, to mobilize its full force to ensure the peaceful stay of all the delegates in the city.
This will be the biggest gathering so far here in the province and PICPA-Sorsogon is so eager to showcase the best what Sorsogon province could offer, Britanico added.
Due to the big number of delegates, the activities will be held in various sites in the city which include the Balogo Sports Coliseum, Balogo Gym, Sorsogon Convention Center, Sorsogon Provincial Gymnasium, Sorsogon State University Audio-Visual Hall, social hall and Library, Sorsogon People’s Mansion and many others.
Britanico said that, also for the first time in the history of PICPA- ANC, a student conference will be held which will be open to all accountancy students to keep them abreast with the latest trends and practices in accountancy.
Another first in this year’s convention is the conduct of a search for Mr. and Miss PICPA which will be participated in by PICPA members representing all the regions in the country. A Pinoy Pop Dance Competition would also be held to promote the growing pop culture especially among the Filipino youth.
Primarily, PICPA’s mission is to promote the adherence to international accounting standards including those that are being taught in accountancy and accountancy-related courses to maintain the international recognition being accorded to Philippine accountancy, Blanza said.
He stressed that maintaining these international standards is of utmost significance to the integrity of the financial statements and other accounting documents so that these will be accorded credibility by whoever uses those documents be it locally or overseas.
PICPA serves as the umbrella organization of all accountants’ organizations like those in the government service, the academe, business and public practitioners and has 84 chapters all over the country composed of more than 100,000 though only about 28,000 are active, the president said.
The organization also has affiliates outside the country like the PICPA-International based in Las Vegas, Nevada USA, PICPA-Canada, PICPA- Australia but the most active are the PICPA-Dubai, PICPA-Qatar and PICPA-Saudi Arabia, Blanza added.