The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Dubai (PICPA-Dubai) holds true to its mission of promoting the positive image of Filipino professionals in the country to continuously invest in themselves by learning and upskilling to be more marketable in the UAE’s competitive landscape.
Philippine Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates H.E. Paul Raymund Cortes praised the group’s efforts for the previous years, noting that their programs and initiatives helped push the narrative of the Filipino’s expertise and competence, specifically in the field of accounting.
“We do hope to see a continuation of the previous term of officers to partner not just with us, the government but more so with the larger community in ensuring that the Filipino repute of professionalism and partnership that is sustainable and open to cooperation with the rest of the society is something that is continued and remembered,” said ConGen Cortes during the group’s first virtual oath-taking ceremony of its newly elected officers led by 2020 PICPA-Dubai President Catherine Hermosa.
The newly elected PICPA president recounted that she first began her journey as a volunteer, earning her colleagues’ trust within the group in the process.
“I first started as a mere volunteer to be a proctor of the SPLE (Special Professional Licensure Examinations) then they offered me to be a part of the (PICPA) leadership team. I thought it was just a simple task. I started involving myself in the different organization’s activities until I became a co-head in a department managing SPLE, Finance and Sponsorship. I really thought that you just need to invest your time in serving the organization but more than that, I realized that one needs the commitment to serve, the commitment to lead and the commitment to grow,” said Hermosa, who heads the accounting department of a private company in Dubai.
The virtual oath-taking ceremony also featured a special talk from Motivational speaker and successful businessman Francis Kong, who shared his insights on navigating through crisis scenarios with the right leadership mindset.
“The key to business restoration is to restore confidence. If the confidence is not there, nothing is going to happen. Let this crisis be a structure and a platform for building and strengthening our character,” said Kong.
Earlier this year, PICPA-Dubai held 3 major projects:
– HOPE project, an outreach program for distressed Filipinos last February at the POLO OWWA office with Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay;
– The Present Value webinar on VAT Compliance, Economic Substance Regulations and Professional Presence in the New Norm and;
– The PICPA Middle East e-Conference in collaboration with the different PICPA chapters in the Middle East
PICPA is 90-year old national organization of Filipino Certified Public Accountants, Auditors and Finance professionals with around 100 local chapters in the Philippines and 20 internationally including the UAE. It is an active professional community that aims to promote high professional ethical standards among accountants, to advance the science of accounting and to develop and improve the accountancy education among others.
Here’s PICPA-Dubai’s list of officers for 2020:
President: Catherine Hermosa, CPA
Senior Vice President: Jeremy Paul Lumanog, CPA
Vice President: Alexis Alberto, CPA
Secretary: Marian Olive Quizon, CPA
Auditor: Adonis Evan De Leon, CPA
Committees:
Events
Head: Rovilaine Pinat, CPA
Co-heads:
Mary Jane Bondoy, CPA
Kris Jason Abendaño, CPA
Adonis Evan De Leon, CPA
Hannie Venice Alipio, CPA
Media and Communications
Head: Anna Lyne Cariño
Co-heads:
Rayhanah Guinomla, CPA
Rochelle Mae Gacula, CPA
Jorilyn Virayo
Membership
Head: Karla Vyle Herrera, CPA
Co-heads
Lemuel Dave Narciso, CPA
Hannie Venice Alipio, CPA
Strategic Partnership
Head: Erwin Alipio, CPA
Co-heads:
Rochelle Mae Gacula, CPA
Rayhanah Guinomla, CPA
Social Responsibility & External Affairs
Head
Theresa Dominguez, CPA
Co-heads
Lemuel Dave Narciso, CPA
Adonis Evan De Leon, CPA
Treasury and Finance
Head
Marian Olive Quizon, CPA
Co-head
Kris Jason Abendaño, CPA
