By Prof. Charis Emmelynn M. Bautista, CPA

NACPAE officers led by NACPAE President Dr. Jasmin May P. Baniaga (6th from left) present CPU with a plaque of appreciation, received by Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy, University President, and assisted by Dr. Lorna T. Grande, Dean of the College of Business and Accountancy.

Last Saturday, March 8, 2025, CPU hosted the Western Visayas Regional Forum of the National Association of Certified Public Accountants in Education (NACPAE). Held at the Educational Media Center, the 8-hour seminar featured four technical sessions and was themed “Charting a Sustainable Path for Accounting Education: Competence, Skills, and Values in Action,” NACPAE’s theme for the Academic Year 2024-2025.

Facilitating the event were the NACPAE Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Dr. Jasmin May P. Baniaga, the current Dean of the College of the Accountancy of the University of Cordilleras, and around 75 Accountancy teachers and administrators of schools and universities from the Western Visayas and the Negros Island Regions offering the BS Accountancy degree. Supporting the event with his presence was PICPA Iloilo Chapter President Benmar B. Panaguiton, a professor from the University of the Philippines Visayas College of Management.

Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy, CPU President, welcomed the NACPAE Officers and emphasized the Lord as the source of all knowledge and wisdom, closing his opening remarks with Romans 11:33-36. Ms. Catherine Lipana-Gomez, partner of PriceWaterhouse Coopers Philippines, was the speaker for Technical Session 1, and spoke on Sustainability reporting, discussing the background of sustainability, the overview of the International Sustainability Standards, and implication of the sustainability standards for Accountancy educators.

Ms. Anna Marie M. Pabellon, partner of Deloitte, spoke on Artificial Intelligence for accountants for Technical Session 2. She traced the history of Generative AI and discussed its opportunities, risks, and limitations, especially in accounting and financial analysis, and in higher education.

Prof. Francisco M. Caliwan, Jr., immediate past president of NACPAE and the Assistant Dean of the College of Accountancy of the University of Sto. Tomas facilitated Technical Session 3, which was about the Teacher’s Role in Addressing the Competency Gap between the Classroom and the Workplace. He expounded on the responsibilities of Accountancy teachers in teaching, research, and extension, as well as the importance of updating the competencies of teachers through obtaining Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units to equip Accountancy students to pass the CPA Licensure Exam and perform well in the workplace.

Prof. Louie Gene G. Marasigan, Chairperson of the BS Accounting Information Systems program of the University of Sto. Tomas facilitated Technical Session 4 on Advanced Excel Techniques. He shared and demonstrated Excel features and commands especially helpful in accounting teachers’ everyday tasks.

The NACPAE is the national association of accounting educators in the Philippines. The Western Visayas Regional Forum is a part of the series of seminars and fora conducted across the Philippines as the initiative of this year’s NACPAE Board of Trustees to encourage and support Accountancy teachers with their compliance with the 120-CPD unit requirement for the Accredited Accounting Teacher qualification mandated and issued by the Board of Accountancy.

For the Western Visayas Regional Forum, the NACPAE collaborated with Dr. Lorna T. Grande, Dean of the College of Business and Accountancy, and Dr. Christine B. Golilao, the Chairperson of the Accountancy Department.