Fil-Accountants Celebrate 32 Years in Toronto
2010-2011 Officers and 50 New Members inducted
By AFCA PR committee
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TORONTO.-About three hundred fifty people converged on the elegant Saints Peter and Paul Banquet Hall on Milner, west of Markham Road, Toronto, to attend the 32nd Anniversary Ball of the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA) to celebrate the induction of its officer and new members.
The well-packed banquet hall featured a classy service of hors d’ouvres during cocktails while the guests in evening gowns and beautiful party dresses and men in suits and tuxedos mingled and met each other. 55 new members were accepted into membership, many newly-arrived from the Philippines with impressive accounting credentials and work experiences.
The 32-year old association had its beginnings in Mississauga in 1978, when a group of Filipino accountants got together at the house of Winston Lim – Ed Sarmiento, Roger Calabio, Dan Palis, Ben Agellon and Romy Dizon – to discuss and form the AFCA. Winston Lim was elected first president. Over the 32 years, AFCA has had a string of achievements and successes due to the fortune of having strong and capable presidents, who led it to such milestones as – achieving better recognition of Philippine accounting degrees within the program of studies under the Certified General Accountants association and the Certified Management Accountants Association, initiating a program of tax clinics in partnership with other Philippine Canadian community organizations for low income groups, providing professional seminars and training in various areas of accounting and its related fields, establishing ties with other organizations to further its objectives, e.g. the CGA Association, the CMA Association, CPA (U.S.) training organizations, and providing services and support to other Philippine Canadian community organizations, e.g. the Philippine Independence Day Committee and the Kalayaan community association of Mississauga.
The recent past president, Edgardo Gonzales, initiated AFCA’s first day-long national convention at the Ryerson University campus in mid-2009, which provided an inspiring program particularly to newly arrived Filipino accountants interested in getting an insight into how to prepare themselves to get into the work force or attain better jobs in accounting and related fields.
Guest speaker and member of provincial parliament Bas Balkissoon pointed out the immense contribution of the Filipino community and particularly the AFCA in furthering the good of the country by contributing a great resource to the industrial and commercial sectors by providing such a talented pool of accountants. Filipino accountants can be found in most areas of government and the private sector today.
Notable during the evening was the expressed commitment of the incoming executive led by the 2010-2011 president Minderva Garcia to further the goals of AFCA and achieve even higher target levels for the good of the association and its members. She leads a group of promising officers, as follows: executive vice president Al Tupe, CPA; vice president internal Maria Vida Cruz, CPA; vice president external Rodolfo Perez, Jr., CPA; secretary Rodolfo Acoba, MBA; assistant secretary Ezra Suyom, CPA; Mercy Gonzales, CPA, CPA (US); assistant treasurer Roan Joy de Vera, CPA; Myra Famero, CPA, CPA (US); public relations officer Imelda Bautista, BSBA; and directors Luisa Abu, BSBA; Anjanet Chan, MBA; Danilo Dimaano, CPA; Ma Vicente Eola, BSC Acctg; Marrietta Gique, CPA; Jaric Justo, CPA; Melanie Sarmiento, BSBA; Helen Silva, CGA; and immediate past president Edgardo Gonzales, CPA. This term’s Auxiliary Committee members are: chair Agnes Acoba; co-chair Arnold Cruz; advisor Princess Bernardo-Lim; and members: Amadita Pana; Carmen Garvez; Pete Garcia; Mark Famero; and Emely Perez. The 32nd Anniversary event was put together through the hard and dedicated work of the Worki
ng Committee led by over-all chair Al Tupe.
Emcess Marianne Romano-Lim and Willy Aganon presented a highlight of the evening, the Royal Waltz dance of past presidents choreographed by “Dancing to be a Star” director Leonie Manzanares assisted by her husband Joe Manzanares. Participants of this dance number were: founding president Winston Lim and Princess Lim, founding treasurer Ed Sarmiento and Celi Sarmiento, past president Carlos Padilla and past president Demi Padilla, past president Jose Pempe Saavedra and Alma Saavedra, past president Marlo Mallari and Carolyn Mallari, past president Julito Longkines and Minda Longkines, and current president Minerva Garcia and son Farrell Garcia.
The Founders’ Award for Excellence was presented by Founding president Winston Lim assisted by members of the Founders’ award committee: Founding treasurer Ed Sarmiento, past awardee Marlo Mallari and non-voting representative of the executive Al Tupe. Based on a selection scoped within the last 3 years and other criteria, the 2 distinguished awardees for this very prestigious award this year were: past presidents Ted Dayno and Buddy Ibe. Current president Minerva Garcia and First awardee Linda Carin were also called to the front to join the committee in congratulating Messrs. Dayno and Ibe.
Jasmine Ragual and Cielito Parone provided renditions of the Canadian National Anthem and Philippine National Anthem at the opening ceremonies. Vice Consul Edna Lazaro of the local Philippine Consulate General swore the new officers into office.