THE results of the May 2026 Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE) again raises the question about the future of the accounting profession. Out of 9,745 examinees, only 3,004 passed, or a passing rate of 30.83 percent. While we congratulate the new certified public accountants (CPAs), the results also mean that nearly seven out of 10 examinees did not make it through one of the country’s most challenging licensure examinations. As someone who has spent
TALAGA bang lamang tayong mga CPA? Talaga bang mas matalino tayo sa iba? (Do CPAs really have an edge over other professions? Are we smarter than others?) After more than 10 years in the profession, I often find myself asking such questions. From the outside, people see the title “CPA” as a symbol of success, intelligence and financial stability. Some believe that once you pass the board exam, life becomes easier. Opportunities come knocking. The salary becomes higher. Re
ONE observation I have made over the years is that certified public accountants in public practice seem to work far longer than professionals in many other industries. Consider the late Washington SyCip, founder of SGV & Co. He was 96 years old when he passed on Oct. 7, 2017, after suffering a heart attack while on a flight to Vancouver, Canada. Even in his later years, he remained active — not necessarily in the audit firm — but as a consultant, adviser and independent dir
SMALL firms have an escalating employment retention problem. They spend months hiring talented Gen Z employees, workers born between 1997 and 2012, only to watch them walk out the door within a year or two. While it’s easy to resort to stereotypes such as this generation being entitled, flighty and professionally restless, that’s simply the wrong diagnosis. The numbers tell a more nuanced story. According to Randstad’s global survey of over 11,000 workers, Gen Z’s average t
IT’S a well-worn truth that small business owners wear every hat in the office. The same applies to the small firm accountant. Unlike their counterparts in big accounting firms or the corporate finance departments of large enterprises, accountants in small practices rarely have the luxury of compartmentalization. They are the auditor, tax consultant, client counselor, HR officer, payroll officer, and sometimes even IT support — all before lunch. Taking on all these roles has
AS audit season ends, there is no more dreadful email for managers than a resignation letter. After “investing” in people via training and mentoring, on top of compensation, only for them to leave, it is normal to feel a letdown. Is there still another way of looking at this normal process of employees quitting to hasten acceptance? Popular organizational literature views employees as “assets,” whose definition includes “control.” But if control is absent, is the notion t
