WMMC IS AT YOUR SERVICE

Here comes the new PICPA year with the new set of officers reporting for duty. It is a relief to see fresh faces in the board meetings of Western Metro Manila Chapter (WMMC), especially after three of the Chapter’s senior advisers passed away the previous year.

Regular Meetings

These third-Thursday-of-the-month regular meetings, while an obligation to fulfill on the part of the members of the board, officers and committee chairs of WMMC, have always been regarded as a breath of fresh air rather than a heavy burden to bear. This should not only be because of the sumptuous hot meals The Red Chef never fail to delight the meeting attendees, nor solely on account of the new health talks introduced by the WMMC Wellness Committee Chair Rhodora Icaranom, or just because of the monthly updates of the goings-on in the Chapter, or probably not the little birthday treats. No, it can’t be just these.

When one enters the meeting room for the first time, one can perhaps feel like he’s in a party rather than a meeting, because every WMMC meeting smells of sweet fellowship. For the regular attendees, that meeting room feels like home. The warmth in the room cannot be ignored. The hearty laughs would surely invite you to listen to the next joke. The inspiring remarks from the senior advisers are simply priceless.

When the projector starts moving, one would realize that nobody has the monopoly of great ideas. Every meeting enriches those who attend it. That is probably why WMMC meetings are always well attended, with an average of 20 officers and advisers in attendance. Six of these also attend the monthly PICPA Metro Manila Regional Council meetings.

WMMC Roles Outside WMMC

It is indeed worth mentioning that five of the twelve voting members of the Council belong to WMMC, not counting MMR Treasurer Lorraine Dimayuga who has no voting power. The five are WMMC President Belinda “Bing” Nazareno, National Director Marydith Miguel, and three Regional Sectoral Representatives (RSRs) – Ms. Corazon Bautista for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Jose Ireneo for Education and Ms. Consuelo Manansala for Government Sector. The Council follows the rule that the RSR for the sector who garnered the most votes would represent such sector in the Council. The votes of the WMMC members last May 2010 gave three WMMC RSRs the three Council seats.

In the PICPA National Board, WMMC currently has three seats occupied by National Directors Dolly Miguel, Aphat Martinez and Dr. Rupert Somera.

Before anyone is misled to thinking that WMMC is all meetings, it is time to report that for the first quarter of the current PICPA year, WMMC already had three (3) fellowship and sports events, three (3) social involvement activities, two (2) activities with student participation, one (1) public affairs event participation where WMMC joined the EMMC-initiated courtesy call to BIR Commissioner Kim J. Henares and Deputy Commissioner Nelson M. Aspe, and ten (10) professional development seminars for 16 seminar days.

Accountancy Week

The Accountancy Week Celebration gave WMMC the chance to host the Holy Mass at the La Mesa Eco Park on July 18, join the picnic and tree planting activities in the same park where PICPA MMR adopted a hectare for one year, hold a free seminar for 256 teachers and students of different schools at Far Eastern University on July 19, donate books to the FEU Accountancy Library, attend the PICPA MMR Induction Ceremonies at the Hotel Intercon, participate in the PICPA Annual Business Meeting, and win First Place in the Bowling Tournament for the first time in so many years.

Fellowship and Sports Activities

The Badminton Tournament used to be WMMC’s turf, but when PICPA MMR decided to keep away the shuttlecocks for this year, WMMC had to focus on the bowling tournament, fielding 18 players for three teams, including the team composed of WMMC officers who used to play solely for fun. This time, it was different because the WMMC Officers’ Team brought home the First Place Trophy with each of the five members, who played the three games without substitute or alternate, being awarded a medal. The fifth member, Conrado Uberita, won the Highest Male Score and Highest Average Male Score. It was a blessing in disguise that Manuel Veluz arrived late, leaving a vacant slot in the officers’ team that Conrad so gamely filled in.

The third WMMC fellowship & sports activity (after Eco Park picnic and bowling) was the physical fitness aerobics at Harbor Square on September 12 from 6-8am. The participants shared the physical fitness fun as well as the chitchats that followed in between coffee sips and bites of grapes and bananas.

Social Involvement

Health and environment were addressed in the social involvement activities of WMMC from July to September, 2010. After the tree planting at La Mesa Eco Park, WMMC did not wait too long before it embarked on a half-day medical / dental / immunization mission. Dubbed as “Gamutan, Bunot at Bakuna”, the WMMC mission served a total of 462 patients - 185 medical patients, 77 dental patients, 100 patients who underwent AH1N1 (Anti-Flu) vaccines and another 100 for BCG vaccines on July 31, 2010. To accomplish this, WMMC brought in 20 doctors and two dentists and coordinated with the Rotary Community Corps (RCC) of Pasay EDSA Zone 14 in cooperation with Rotary Club of Pasay EDSA.

Despite limited preparation time, the WMMC members delivered. Mr. Armando Bajacan used his Unilab ties to solicit medicines with only a week’s notice. PICPA Young Achiever Awardee Giovanni Alingog donated vaccines which when administered in private clinics would be worth more than half a million pesos. Manny Veluz coordinated with the beneficiary community. President Bing Nazareno invited the doctors and dentists. The secretariat, WMMC officers and members as well as the Rotary volunteers manned the registration, pharmacy, waiting areas and vital signs section where patients were weighed and taken blood pressure.

Because of the number of doctors present, patients’ average waiting time was even shorter than most of the private clinics in the area. Many were given full dose of medicines prescribed by the doctors. Yet, there were enough medicines left for another medical mission.

Another health-related project that WMMC sponsors every year is the Drug Awareness and Prevention Education (DAPE) Symposium in coordination with the Philippine National Red Cross. On September 17, 2010, the symposium which aims to educate the youth about the ill effects of drugs, what they are and how to say no to them, was held at Andres Bonifacio Integrated School of Mandaluyong. President Bing Nazareno delivered an inspirational talk while a speaker from PDEA kept the interest of the students with video showing and other presentations.

Professional Development

WMMC members may always find in their hearts the willingness to help others but they never forget their duty to learn. Conscious of this need from members, WMMC conducted 10 seminars with currently relevant topics. Of course, first in the list is the free seminar about requested topics on Updates on PSA and PFRS for SMEs, for 256 teachers and students held at FEU University Conference Center on July 19. Prior to this, WMMC also held a Financial Statement Analysis seminar with Ms. Rosalinda D. Evangelista (RDE) as speaker for 34 participants on July 5 and 6. It was also Dr. Rosalinda D. Evangelista who conducted the seminar on Operational Auditing on July 20 and 21 for 28 participants, as well as Code of Ethics and Good Governance on August 9 for 45 participants.

Two more seminars were held in August conducted by Mr. Rhamir C. Dalioan. One was about the Proper Presentation of Financial Statements (each nature of industry) and Significant Accounting Policies together with Schedules on August 18 and 19 for 22 participants while the other was about the Level 1 and 2 Conversion and Adoption of PFRS on August 24 and 25 for 19 participants.

Dr. Evangelista conducted two more seminars in September for WMMC – Effective Internal Control on September 20 and 21 for 23 participants, and Fraud Prevention, Detection and Control on September 27 and 28 for 32 participants.

For the tax seminar, Dr. Ruperto P. Somera lent his expertise again in delivering lectures for the Common Errors of Accountants in the Field of Taxation and Latest Tax Development on September 1 for 49 participants. More tax seminars would be conducted in October and coming months.

On September 17, WMMC, together with NMMC, also hosted the Quality Assurance Review Seminar conducted by the Board of Accountancy Quality Assurance Review Committee.

All these seminars earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) units honored by the Board of Accountancy (BOA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and even the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for tax-related seminars.

No matter what the activity is, whether it be just stretching the bones and body muscles, or brain muscles, WMMC is there for its members and the community it chooses to serve. WMMC keeps that crucial balance to give fun to its members, keep them abreast with latest professional developments as well as uplift their spirits from the joy of helping others. In whatever form it may take, for its members, WMMC is always at your service.