Photo courtesy of John Paul Milanes (NFJPIA)
The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the National Federation of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (NFJPIA), in partnership with Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and Co. Auditing Firm (SGV), hosted the Mindanao Eliminations of the 8th National Accounting Quiz Showdown (NAQDOWN) at F213 yesterday to determine the top five Mindanao accountancy students who will represent the region in the competition’s grand finals.
NAQDOWN is a national-wide competition where accountancy students from various universities affiliated with the NFJPIA compete against each other in quiz showdowns to test their knowledge about theories, equations and corporate rules related to accounting.
NFJPIA Secretary-General Ellen Joy Cajes said the competition is a creative way to bring accountancy students together in unity as well as to apply the lessons they learned in their classes.
“NAQDOWN is all about bringing together all NFJPIA affiliated schools to celebrate our collective passion for academic excellence. We believe that academic excellence should not be limited inside the classroom. It must be applied and exercised in different situations, and we believe that one of the most creative ways to do that is through these kinds of activities,” Cajes said.
All participating schools were required to send a maximum of two students each. The schools that participated in the Mindanao eliminations were the following:
1. Father Saturnino Urios University
2. University of Immaculate Conception
3. Holy Trinity College of General Santos
4. Notre Dame of Kidapawan
5. Notre Dame of Cotabato
6. Notre Dame of Midsayap
7. Mindanao State University-Main
8. Western Mindanao State University
9. Central Mindanao University
10. Masters Technological Institute of Mindanao
11. Mindanao State University – General Santos City
12. University of Mindanao Tagum College
13. Ateneo de Davao University
14. Ateneo de Zamboanga University
15. Cor Jesu College
16. Assumption College of Nabunturan
17. University of Southern Mindanao
18. Ateneo de Cagayan-Xavier University
The competition also had arbiters from the Assurance team of SGV Davao to mediate the contest. They included Reginald Mundo, Nelita Jarina, Richard Saavedra, and Sherald Winchell Ang.
There were 35 contestants in total. After the preliminary elimination rounds, the top 10 semi-finalists competed against one another to determine the top five contestants who will proceed to the grand finals.
The eliminations produced the following results:
Top 10 semi-finalists
1. Gualberto Madio Jr. (University of Mindanao Tagum Collge)
2. Marwell Angelo Malicsi (Ateneo de Zamboanga University)
3. Jan Kenneth Antenero (Ateneo de Zamboanga University)
4. Alyssa Almazan (Cor Jesu College)
5. July Joy Lumantas (Father Saturnino Urios University)
6. John Paul Rosario (Central Mindanao Unversity)
7. Efren Rey Del Rosario (University of Southeastern Mindanao)
8. Mae Anne Guanlao (Holy Trinity College of General Santos City)
9. Ashran Sappayani (Western Mindanao State University)
10. Julius Daquio (University of Southeastern Mindanao)
Top five contestants
1. Alyssa Almazan (Cor Jesu College)
2. Julius Daquio (University of Southeastern Mindanao)
3. Efren Rey Del Rosario (University of Southeastern Mindanao)
4. July Joy Lumantas (Father Saturnino Urios University)
5. Mae Anne Guanlao (Holy Trinity College of General Santos City)
Upon being proclaimed as the top one contestant, Almazan shared that she was happy and thankful to those who supported her.
“I’m very thankful and happy. And of course, I have this to attribute to my beloved coach and adviser, to the support of my school, to our JPIA-local chapter president, and also to the other contestant from our school, Ms. Jenli Pabalate,” Almazan said.
The event ended with closing remarks from Reginald Mundo, the Senior Director for Assurance of SGV & Co. Davao.
Moreover, apart from the Mindanao eliminations, the competition also simultaneously held regional elimination rounds in Luzon and Visayas yesterday. The Luzon eliminations took place at the SGV I building at Makati City, and the Visayas eliminations were held at the University of San Carlos at Cebu City.
Furthermore, the final showdown and culminating activity of the contest will be held on October 27-30, 2015 at the PICPA building at Mandaluyong City in the National Capital Region.