PwC PHL names first-ever National Accounting Teacher Award winner

Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC global network (PwC Philippines), named the first winner and two runners-up of the PwC National Accounting Teacher Award (PwC’s NATA) during the 27th Accounting Teachers Conference on 29 April 2019 at Mallberry Suites Business Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

PwC Philippines, in cooperation with the National Association of CPAs in Education (nACPAE), created PwC’s NATA, a nationwide search for the accounting teacher who is a distinguished model of excellence and who has helped uplift the standards of the teaching profession.

The grand winner, as announced during the conference organized by nACPAE, is Eden Cabrera of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D). The runners-up are Lope Dapun (University of Southern Mindanao) and Joselito Florendo (University of the Philippines Diliman). The finalists are Angelito Descalzo (University of the East, Manila), Mark Francis Ng (Bicol University), and Christopher German (University of Santo Tomas, Manila).

More than 70 colleges and universities around the country were requested to nominate their teachers, and eventually, six emerged as finalists. The rigid and comprehensive selection started from nomination and ended with PwC’s vetting process, where actual visits to schools were made to observe the nominees, and to interview their peers, superiors, and students. Panel interviews of the finalists were conducted by judges, who come from the top management of PwC Philippines, nACPAE, the Board of Accountancy, and iAcademy.

Grand winner Eden Cabrera won PH₽100,000, while special prizes were given to her school DLSU-D (PH₽75,000) and her nominator (PH₽25,000). Each of the two runners-up won PH₽50,000, with special prizes of PH₽35,000 for each of their schools and PH₽15,000 for each of their nominators.

“We’re paying tribute to a special group of accountants that turned their backs to the twin attractions of profit and passion to tread a path of purpose – a deep sense of purpose and a richness that comes from helping the young find their footing,” said Alex Cabrera, a CPA-lawyer and chairman and senior partner of Isla Lipana & Co. “We hope to elevate the standards of the teaching profession even as we make a difference in the lives of accounting teachers through PwC’s NATA.”