A GROUP of accountancy students won major awards in the junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA) Seminar and Competitions held Aug. 8-9 at the Palazzo de Laoag Hotel.

Lester Acoba, BS Accountancy (BS Acc II), won first place in Quiz Bee-Level I which covered topics on basic accounting subjects such as Accounting for Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, and Corporation. Ma. Christianette Bagarino, also BS Acc II, went in at second.

Also, the group of Richard Agtang, Mari Gay Magdalene Opelac (both BS Acc II), and Marck Anthony Ranga (BS Acc III) got the top plum in Quiz Bee-Level II which covered topics on Financial Accounting and Cost Accounting subjects. Jonathan Fernandez, Haizel de Leon (both BS Acc II), and Joshua Salvador (BS Acc III) settled for third place.

On the other hand, Anjo Neil Guillermo (BS Acc IV) emerged first place in extemporaneous speaking while Jam Kimberly Toribio (BS Acc I) won second place in the singing competition dubbed “The Voice of JPIA”.

In the writing category, Cerize Baldugo and John Andehl Aguinaldo (both BS Acc I) prevailed third in essay writing and poetry writing, respectively, while the team that composed 14 second year students got the second place in “Urban Showcase”, a five-minute stage performance.

The competition was the highlight of the Provincial Accountancy Week Celebration, an activity spearheaded by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)-Ilocos Norte-Laoag City Chapter, which was participated by colleges and universities in Ilocos Norte offering accountancy courses. It was sponsored by the Carl Balita CPA Review Center in Laoag City. The Quiz Bee, “Urban Showcase”, and “Voice of JPIA” were administered by the PICPA.

All the activities were aimed to enhance the talents and skills of future accounting professionals.

The theme for this year’s activity was “LEAP and BEAT the Odds.” LEAP (Lead, Excel, Advocate, and Participate) is a framework envisioned to drive a renewed interest among PICPA members in every institution they are connected to.

With this, the PICPA instills a culture of responsibility toward evolving trends in the profession that calls adaptability in challenges brought about by shifts in economy, laws, and regulations, and in society as a whole. More importantly, it propagates an environment of future leaders who will take on the role of leading the institution towards strengthening its relevance in the accounting profession.

On the other hand, BEAT (Build, Energize, Adapt, and Transform) is a strategy applied to the institution which sustains not only its integrity but also its relevance to the times. To BEAT is to strengthen, re-awaken, encourage and initiate changes and programs that will lift the institute and the accounting profession to its rightful place in the business community, and to make PICPA the forerunner among the professional associations in the country.