Asst. Prof. Francisco M. Caliwan, Jr., MSPA, MBA, the Assistant Dean of the UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, was named the 2024 Outstanding Certified Public Accountant in Education by the country’s premier professional association for CPA’s, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, in a letter dated November 5, 2024.
In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Caliwan said the recognition was “very fulfilling” as it recognizes “accounting teachers with outstanding achievement and distinguished performance as an educator, and whose outstanding contribution has a national impact.” Caliwan said the distinction is “a very big honor that I will treasure forever.”
Caliwan thanks the University community, particularly Accountancy Dean Patricia M. Empleo, PhD, Accountancy Regent fr. Franklin F. Beltran, O.P., PhD, and the college community, for their support. “UST allowed me to be actively involved in my professional organizations. A lot of activities for accounting teachers that we co-organized are held in UST. We showed the accounting education profession the Thomasian brand of service.”
Caliwan credits parts of his award to his recent stint as president of the National Association of CPAs in Education (NACPAE), during which time he championed the capacity-building of CPAs in education through a multi-part nationwide caravan of workshops on Outcomes-Based Education and updating on the CPA Licensure Exams based on recent pronouncements of the Professional Regulation Commission. The one-year term also gave a chance to broach the idea of a Magna Carts for Accounting Teachers, which is envisioned to “will answer the many concerns of accounting teachers.” Among these are the stringent and expensive continuing professional development unit requirements that make some CPAs shy away from teaching.
The awarding ceremonies will take place on November 21, 2024.