Two CPA topnotchers lionized by CDD
WHEN it rained, it certainly poured for the two topnotchers from Pangasinan in the October 2015 Certified Public Account licensure examination.
Ralley Paragas, the number one topnotcher who celebrated his 21st birthday earlier this month, was awarded P200,000 cash and a brand new car by his school, Colegio de Dagupan (CDD), during a testimonial dinner Wednesday night at the Leisure Coast Resort here.
Paragas’ fellow topnotcher, Fern Adriel Velasco, also from CDD, who placed eighth in the same examination, received P100,000 cash.
Both received their gifts during the testimonial dinner for them and other CPA board passers of the school.
Dr. Voltaire Arzadon, president of CDD presented the cash gifts to Paragas and Velasco.
Paragas is the first and only number one CPA topnotcher from a Pangasinan school. There were 5,468 passers out of 13,317 examinees in the October 2015 CPA licensure examination.
Paragas from Dagupan City was their batch’s summa cum laude while Velasco from Lingayen town was magna cum laude.
Arzadon said while Velasco was overshadowed by Paragas as most attention is given to the number one topnotcher, “but remember that you (Velasco) enhanced the image of Colegio de Dagupan when you gave company to Ralley (as another topnotcher) and that is important to me as well”.
Arzadon recalled that in 2012, CDD student Marc Francis Cagaoan from Binmaley town ranked number four among the topnotchers of CPA licensure examination, “and that was the closest to the top that we got.”
When Paragas emerged as number one topnotcher, Arzadon said he was barraged with congratulatory messages locally and internationally.
During the program, Arzadon called in Paragas and his parents to the stage where Arzadon’s wife Loreta, CDD’s executive vice president, handed Paragas a big box wrapped in red with yellow ribbon. When Paragas was asked to open it, he found a small black coin purse. Again, he was asked to check what’s inside it.
And voila – it was a key to a brand new white Mitsubishi Mirage car! It was enough to send the crowd cheering and gushing over the surprise gift.
In his response, Paragas thanked the many people and groups for what he had achieved in life and thanked most especially Arzadon whom he credited for his academic achievements.
He said the full college scholarship extended to him by Arzadon and his constant advice that helped mold and other students into individuals their president envisioned them to be.
“The way we focused on our studies was made possible because you were there to help us. We did not have to worry of where to get financing for our schooling,” he said turning to Arzadon.
To the school’s scholars and students, Paragas gave this piece of advice: Believe in yourself and put all of your efforts into what you love. Being one of you, I understand how it is to maintain the standard required of us. But do know that our effort does not come unrecognized, just be patient and commit yourself to excellence, you will realize that it will all be worth it. With the scholarship that the school has offered us, we have one less worry. It is in believing that you can do it that starts the making of another set of topnotchers.
Meanwhile, Arzadon also gifted Dean Teofila Albay P100,000 cash and another P50,000 to be shared among instructors who were instrumental in their goal to produce in producing not only CPA passers but also topnotchers.
Like Cagaoan, both Paragas and Velasco were hired by Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co. the country’s largest multi-disciplinary professional services firm.
The CDD, formerly known as Computronix College, is owned by the Arzadon couple, both certified public accountants. (Tita Roces)
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