FY 2007 - 2008: 3rd and 4th Quarter

Fiscal Year 2007-2008 was a fruitful and rewarding year for SMMC. The goal set at the start of the fiscal year to be an outstanding chapter came to reality during the Annual National Convention in Baguio City last April 30 – May 3. President Aldrin M. Cerrado proudly received our trophy before a crowd of more than 2,000 members who attended the convention. Our SMMC Director for Commerce & Industry, June Cheryl Cabal-Furigay, was also the Young Achiever Awardee for Commerce & Industry.

These coming years, our chapter endeavours to serve its members even better to garner more outstanding chapter awards to become a member of the elite Hall of Fame Awardees.

Projects/activities undertaken during the last semester are:

3rd QUARTER

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Recognizing the never-ending professional development needs of its members, the officers and committee chairs managed to organize and conduct the following seminars in spite of their busy schedule catching up with the tax deadline:

- PFRS/PAS Trends and Updates with Dr. Rosalinda Evangelista as resource speaker last January 14-15 at the PICPA Training Room. Thirty (30) members attended the seminar.

- MMR Tax Conference. In collaboration with the other Metro Manila chapters, a Tax Conference was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Intercontinental Manila, Makati City last January 23-24 with 173 participants. Topics discussed were Year-End Adjustment, MCIT and Tax Updates; Tax Amnesty – The BIR & Practitioner Side “Filing and Application”; Reconciliation between PFRS & Tax; and Post Entry Audit with the following resource speakers: Ms Rhodora G. Icananom of Large Taxpayer, BIR; Tax Consultant Dr. Ruperto Somera; OIC Asst. Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs Atty. Rolando T. Ligon, Jr.; and BIR Deputy Commissioner Gregorio V. Cabantac. Luncheon speakers were BIR Commissioner Lilian B. Hefti who talked about the 2008 BIR Plans & Programs and Associate Justice of the Court of Tax Appeals who discussed the latest CTA Rulings & Decisions.

- Workshop on Strategic Management with Dr. Cesar Mansibang of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business last February 8-9. This was held at the Ateneo Professional Schools at Rockwell, Makati with 22 participants.

- Due to insistent members’ demand, the PFRS/PAS Trends and Updates seminar was conducted again by Dr. Rosalinda Evangelista last February 18-19 at the PICPA Training Room with a bigger number of participants of 50.

- Code of Ethics and Corporate Governance with resource speakers Atty. Eranio L. Punsalan and Dr. Rosalinda D. Evangelista last March 19 at the PICPA Training Room attended by 52 participants.

COMMUNITY/SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT. Together with the other Metro Manila chapters, SMMC hosted a party for 100 poor children in Las Pinas held at the Daughters of Francis de Sales School last January 19. Loot bags of goodies were also given away to the children.

A livelihood program on meat processing was also conducted in the same venue for 50 housewives in the area. Our very own VP for Professional Development, Ma. Teresita Z. Dimaculangan, lectured and did an actual demonstration on meat processing.

MEETINGS.

- A general membership meeting was held at Hard Rock Café in Makati last February 12. On the same day and venue, a seminar on SEC Updates, PFRS7 & Tax Updates was held. Atty Ma. Gracia Casals-Diaz of SEC, Atty Ruben R. Rubio & Mr. John T. Villa, both of SGV, were the resource speakers.

- President Aldrin M. Cerrado and President-Elect Ruby R. Seballe attended the Chapter Presidents’ Conference at Almont Hotel Inland Resort in Butuan City last January 25-27.

4th QUARTER

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. As it is the priority concern of our chapter to provide for its members’ professional development, seminars were continuously offered and conducted. The following seminars were held:

- Philippine Standards on Auditing with Mr. Rhamir C. Dalioan as resource speaker last May 7-8 at the PICPA Training Room with 42 attendees.

- Financial Statement Analysis conducted by Dr. Rosalinda Evangelista last May 26-27 at the PICPA Training Room with 62 participants.

- A repeat on Philippine Standards on Auditing by Rhamir C. Dalioan held last June 11-12 at the PICPA Training Room with 50 participants.

- ERP Solutions: Merging Management & Effective Tax Management conducted by Fasttrack Solutions at La Consolacion College last June 17-18

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS.

- 5th MMR International Conference

The 5th MMR International Conference, chaired by our President Aldrin M. Cerrado was held on a cruise ship – the Asian Super Star Cruise – Singapore, May 17-22. All the 150 participants, majority of whom are SMMC members, had a grand time exploring (and shopping?) in Singapore, Penang and Phuket in addition to the learning they got from the technical sessions conducted on board the cruise ship. Dr. Cesar Mansibang, SMMC’s committee chair for Professional Development, was one of the resource persons on board and tackled the topic “The Filipino CPA: Unlocking Hidden Assets and Talents”.

- Transition Meeting & Fellowship

The 2007-2008 outgoing Board and Officers met with the incoming Board and Officers last June 19 at Red Box, Greenbelt Makati for the formal turnover. Suffice it to say that it is now up to the new Board and Officers to carry on the good work of their predecessors and to improve on it.

After the serious talk of plans and programs, the group took their turns in belting out their favourite songs with the karaoke. Indeed, we do not only have skilled managers and officers but talented singers as well!

- Planning Conference for FY2008-2009

The incoming MMR officers and officers of the 4 MMR chapters held a very dynamic and animated discussion of the FY2008-2009 programs in Antipolo City last June 28-30 after hearing the direction and thrust of the national leadership from incoming National President Protacio T. Tacandong.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH. SMMC’s membership swelled to 4,576 members as of May 2008 from 3,312 last year or a 38% growth. SMMC was and still is the chapter with the biggest membership nationwide.

NEW OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS – FY2008-2009. This is the powerhouse team that will deliver another outstanding chapter award next year:

DIRECTORS

COMMITTEE CHAIRS / CO-CHAIRS