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2020-2021 PRESIDENT'S VALIDECTORY ADDRESS

Delivered by Atty Walter L. Abela last January 29, 2022, Saturday

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It’s a great pleasure to be in front of you today and provide my last formal address as President of our prestigious organization, the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Commerce in Industry.


Two years ago, I was excited to serve as President for a year telling myself that one year is just a fast one. Activities were lined up then and before we knew it, it’s already December. Now, I cannot imagine that I had served for two years. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, those were two long years in consideration of the work from home, quarantine, lockdowns, vaccinations and Tik tok. Our Executive Director, Ms. Winnie Cuico even proudly informed me that I was one of only two presidents of our organization who served more than a year. I asked Ms. Winnie, “Really, I did not know that? Who’s the other President and where is he now?” Ms. Winnie smiling responded, “He already passed years ago”. Ah okay. Well, at least I have the distinction as the surviving one.


For two years, I can proudly say that we survived and we sustained. When the Board of Directors and officers were inducted two years ago, all of us had the zeal and enthusiasm to serve and execute our plans. In our planning session, committee officers vigorously shared their action plans for the year 2020.


Our adopted theme in that year is “Future Fluent CPAs: Leading Through Continuous Innovation”. We want CPAs in our sector to be always affront in innovation. But after a month, Covid-19 knocked on our doors trying to knock us out and everyone is uncertain - when it will last, what is the extent of its effect to our career and business, and how it will affect our daily lives.


But we have shown that a pandemic cannot deter us in pursuing the goals of our organization, as we adapted to the new normal and acted based on our adjusted plans. We became resourceful, immediately and heavily transformed our activities and the channel of communication to digitalization. Through coordination with professional organizations such as the Philippine Institute of CPAs and Institute of Management Accountants, we were able to provide free various seminars on professional development in those days that we were restricted to go out.


We also had collaborations with PICPA, the Association of CPAs in Public Practice, Tax Management Association of the Philippines and Bankers Association of the Philippines with regard to requests to regulatory bodies on filing extension due to the challenges of pandemic. We actively participated in Accountancy Week, we had our Annual Convention and various virtual social activities and significant socio-civic involvements. Those are only a few of many significant activities in 2020. Yes, in 2020, we survived.


As we live in the next normal, we embrace the year 2021 with hope and trust. We adopted the theme “Reimagine and recover: RISE in the Next Normal ''. We realized that though we may be in isolation in the comfort of our residences, the exchanges of ideas flourished and are limitless as long as we work as a team. We also realized the concept of sharing and in the interest of our community. We conceptualized that though we have limited resources, we need to be afloat but so does our community. By the end of 2021, we had numerous projects from membership, professional development, scholarship, social involvement up to website and publications which in our standards, exceeded our expectations.



Challenges came but also the blessings. The latest challenge we faced is Typhoon Odette, wherein we thought we are already floating high until the end of 2021 since we had a handful of Covid-19 cases and the economy is right on track. But our officers and organization ensured and swiftly acted that we had the share of involvement and assistance to those who are affected by this calamity in Central Visayas. This is the very same thing we did when we extended our personal assistance for Northern Luzon victims when the area was hit by Typhoon Ulysses in the last part of 2020.


Our organization cannot go this far without the unwavering support of our hardworking ACPACI Board of Directors, Committee Chairpersons, Officers and Secretariat. I cannot name all of you here, but your commitment and professionalism during those years paddled ACPACI to the shore where we are now. You are true warriors as you fought and sided with me during the tumultuous times knowing that simultaneously, you also had battles in your own backyards.


Special thanks to my family, to my wife, Perlie who is also an ACPACIan and to my children for being patient, caring and fully understanding of my role with ACPACI, being my other family.

I am also grateful to my other extended family, our firm, Deloitte Philippines NavarroAmper & Co., to our Partners, to our Tax Partners, our Country Managing Partner and CEO Atty. Fredieric Landicho and Deloitte Philippine professionals who assisted me during my stint as ACPACI President.


A lot of thanks too to PICPA for always opening its door whenever we knock and also to our sector organizations - Association of CPAs in Public Practice, National Association of CPAs in Education and Government Association of CPAs.


I am also extending my gratitude to our Board of Accountancy Commissioner, Hon. Noe Quinanola is always there for ACPACI. To our ACPACI friends, colleagues, sponsors who consistently assisted and believed in us for those years, a lot of thanks for the wholehearted support. I really have still a number of people in my list to thank for, but it might take us the whole afternoon to name these good people who helped us.


To ACPACI incoming President who is also a good friend of mine, Mr. Aphat Martinez, many thanks for your unconditional support. We know that through your exemplary leadership, you will not only sustain ACPACI as an organization but bring it to higher heights of legacy.



For those two years, we worked as a team and enjoyed our companionship. Those trials we faced helped us to be more determined and considerate. Let me end my speech by quoting the African proverb which I mentioned in my inaugural speech as President two years ago, “alone we go faster, together we go further”.


And here we are now. Thanks to the Lord Almighty for always protecting us. Maraming salamat po and God bless us all!

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