Information

Financial Services Organization (FSO) Technology Consulting Principal Anurag Mishra was a panelist in the inaugural Citi Philippines Securities Services forum organized by Citi Securities Services Philippines. Anurag was joined by Citi Philippines CEO Paul Favila and Citi Philippines Securities Services Head Tiffin Tanseco.  Forum photos courtesy of Citi Securities Services Philippines Key asset managers and asset owners attended the forum, which also featured other speakers from The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE), the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sun Life, and Citi subject matter experts. They covered topics on macroeconomics, intelligent operations, blockchain, digital assets, innovation, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG).

Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Metro Manila Region (MMR) Chair Sonia D. Segovia, with the assistance of PICPA MMR Professional Development Committee Chair Maricris “Crissee” U. See, organized the PICPA MMR’s Non-government Organization (NGO) Summit held from 11 to 12 September 2023 at the Century Park Hotel Manila. More than 160 participants attended the event. Sonia and Crissee (center) with the PICPA MMR NGO Summit speakers and panelists The summit’s theme was “Beyond Numbers: Building Resilience in NGOs through Effective Compliance, Governance and Financial Management.” The summit covered topics related to Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) accreditation process and guidelines, areas of evaluation, and the applicable taxes for NGOs. It also covered the tools or accounting systems for NGOs, tips on how to properly handle the challenges and risks faced by NGOs, and common issues encountered by NGOs in relation to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) matters. PICPA MMR NGO Summit attendees PICPA Southern Metro Manila Chapter (SMMC) President Aileen L. Saringan and PICPA Western Metro Manila Chapter (WMMC) President Peter John R. Ventura introduced some of the speakers, while Crissee moderated the technical session on “Common Findings in Evaluating NGOs: Strategies for Addressing and Implementing Corrective Measures.” The roundtable discussion panelists comprised PCNC evaluators and executives from various companies. 

SGV Tax Associate Shania Rose A. Lozano ranked 4th in the May – June 2023 US Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. She also received the US CMA Distinguished Performance Award for her excellent scores on the exam. The results were announced on 20 September 2023.  SGV Tax Associate Shania Rose A. Lozano, CPA, CMA The CMA title is a credential that represents enhanced expertise in areas of accounting and finance, with competencies in strategic thinking, business analysis, and leadership. It is offered by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). Congratulations, Shania!

SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan was a panelist at the Makati Business Club’s “A CEO Briefing: The State of Sustainability Reporting in the Philippines” on 18 September 2023. The briefing gathered club members, C-Suite level representatives, CSR, Operations, and Sustainability Officers from various organizations. Wilson (lower right) at the CEO briefing Wilson discussed current trends and developments in sustainability reporting and how International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards could impact future sustainability reporting. He reiterated the role of regulators, investors, and stakeholders in the need to communicate sustainability information.

SGV Chairman and Managing Partner and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) President Wilson P. Tan was featured in CNN Philippines’s The Final Word on 28 September 2023.  Wilson during the interview He gave an overview on the FINEX Week which was held from 2 to 6 October 2023, where online and in-person sessions engaged participants around resilience and recalibrating their sustainable growth strategies while navigating the uncertainties prevailing in the present business environment. Wilson was joined by FINEX Week Committee Co-Chairperson Mailene Bisnar. Wilson’s interview can be viewed here.

SGV Chairman and Managing Partner and Philippine Financial and Sustainability Reporting Standards Council (PFSRSC) Chairman Wilson P. Tan attended the World Standard-setters Conference organized by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation from 25 to 26 September 2023 in London. The conference provided national standard-setters with updates on the IFRS Foundation’s activities, panel discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities with fellow delegates. (From left to right) SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan, IASB Board Member Jianqiao Lu, PH SEC – OGA Atty. Noel Artiza, and IASB Technical Staff and SGV Alumnus Jan Carlo Pereras Wilson was joined by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) Board Member Jianqiao Lu, Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) General Accountant Atty. Noel Artiza, and IASB Technical Staff and SGV Alumnus Jan Carlo Pereras. 

Financial Services Organization (FSO) Technology Consulting Principal Anurag Mishra was a panelist in the 2023 Temenos Cloud Forum for Philippine banking professionals. Anurag talked about banking transformation and explained that the cloud could help banks efficiently scale their operations and design more engaging customer experiences. Anurag (right) at the 2023 Temenos Cloud Forum for Philippine banking professionals “One of the most important shifts that is happening is on the customer side. Banking is going to transition while customers are demanding ‘hyper-personalization’ – and that requires new technologies. Today is the best time to shift from a technology perspective because the number of options to deliver on customer experience is huge and the cloud can solve specific problems,” Anurag said. Representatives from leading banks in the country also exchanged insights on key banking innovation trends, lifecycle banking, small and medium enterprise (SME) digital banking, and cloud banking.

SGV Financial Services Organization (FSO) Assurance Partner Glenda C. Anisco-Niño was a resource speaker at the joint webinar with EY Singapore and EY Malaysia entitled “Ignite your sustainability journey with the new ISSB standards” on 15 September 2023. A total of 456 financial institution representatives and regulators, with more than 300 participants from the Philippines, attended the webinar. Glenda presents her topic Glenda discussed the key features of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Sustainability Disclosure Standards, IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. Glenda with the other EY speakers during the Q&A session Other speakers provided an overview of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and its purpose and discussed other related topics such as impact on your companies’ sustainability disclosures, current state and next steps, and A deeper dive: Singapore. 

The SGV Business Tax Services (BTS) team conducted a webinar on surviving Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax audits. Around 250 participants from different industries attended the webinar. (From left to right) Senior Associates Tom Lui M. Estrella, Samantha Gaile A. Reyes, Partner Donna Frances G. Ylade-Torres, and Senior Associate Mariecar S. Reyes-Agbayani SGV BTS Partner Donna Frances G. Ylade-Torres was the speaker for the webinar, while Senior Associate Trixia Lou A. Diaz served as the host and moderator during the Q&A portion. Some of the topics discussed during the webinar were the BIR Audit Program, Subpoena Duces Tecum, the stages of BIR audits, relevant jurisprudence on BIR audits, general defenses, and survival tips. (From left to right) Senior Associates Niño Louis M. Belarma, Ron Christian T. Eupeña, Ernest Adrian F. Co., Senior Director Melissa Joyce Y. To, and Senior Associates Trixia Lou A. Diaz, Geremae M. Mata, and Joseph Santiago E. Quiño Webinar participants The Surviving the BIR Tax Audit webinar is part of a series of tax webinars conducted by the SGV BTS team. It aims to help and guide taxpayers in handling assessments with the BIR through keeping the participants updated on the latest Supreme Court decisions on tax cases, BIR enforcement strategies, and recent BIR issuances involving clarifications on tax laws and procedures.

SGV Tax Partner Atty. Auresana “Rhena” B. Ines was the keynote speaker at the “Transfer Pricing Rules & Electronic Invoicing/Receipting System Updates” webinar organized by the Association of Pharma Financial Executives, Inc. Around 50 financial executives attended the webinar, which was held via Zoom, on 21 September 2023. Atty. Rhena (center) with webinar participants Atty. Rhena provided an overview of the electronic invoicing and receipting system and discussed rules on Transfer Pricing. She also talked about the recent developments on Transfer Pricing audit.