Challenge

A call to the demanding task of nation-building with better accounting services was issued in the just-concluded 11th Eastern Visayas Regional Conference of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants held in Dumaguete City.

The 179 participants, facilitated by the resource persons, helped each other identify the challenges to meet and shared the menu on how to work on these challenges. Engr. Gilbert Paul Uymatiao fired the opening salvo when he reminded the practitioners of the economic value of the accounting information used in decision-making.

The work to present financial statements just for compliance purposes has very little developmental value. The growing number of poor Filipinos in absolute numbers must convince the concerned accountant to help in the more effective and efficient use of our scarce capital and resources. Considering that 90 percent of businesses in the country are classified as small and medium industries, the accountants of these ongoing concerns must take the responsibility of providing management and/or the decision-makers with relevant financial information toward improving the stewardship of business resources. Every time a business closes shop, not only is capital lost but also employment.

Dr. Angel C. Alcala issued another challenge when he pointed out one's accountability for the environment i.e., environmental accounting. The record of our country in working with the environment sustainably has much to be desired. As our growing population continues to consume our natural resources, the signs of environmental disasters are not far when we continue to be irresponsible for helping nature.

For example, the coral reef, which functions, like the forest in oxygen generation and is the home of fish. It was estimated that the current on-going destruction of our coral reefs costs us a minimum of P728 million annually in lost fish production plus P435 million annually in lost standing crop per 100 hectares of coral reef. That is P1.163 billion pesos or P11.63 million per hectare of lost fish.

In short, each one needs to be involved in environmental protection as the cost on losing our environment is losing the land, sea and air we need for life and for future generations to live on.

Over lunch with wit and humor, NORSU President Henry Sojor encouraged the accountants to focus on continuing to learn, as learning is a life long process. Noting that it is "attitude and not aptitude that determines one's altitude in life," the challenge was amending our values of professional excellence in service.

The above challenges are just part of the many calls to betterment issued during the convention. To end, let us be reminded of our challenge to help build our country with the following definitions: HEAVEN is when you have an American salary, a British home, Chinese food, a Swiss economy, an Italian body, Japanese technology, an African tool and a Filipina wife. HELL is when you have an American wife, a British body, a Chinese tool, Swiss food, Italian technology, a Japanese home, an African economy and a Filipino salary.*