The induction of officers and new members for Year 2002 was held at Metropolitan Palace Hotel, Deira on April 19, 2002. Some may have thought that it was just going to be an ordinary oath-taking ceremony, but it was certainly more than that. The fact that most of the attendees stayed back till we called it a night, is a solid proof that the event was worthy of their time, money and effort and was truly an enjoyable affair.
Line dancing was done once again and served as an appropriate “abre-gana” prior to the program proper. It was indeed a very effective icebreaker, which physically, mentally and emotionally prepared the attendees to the next stages of the program. Disproving impressions that accountants are boring, timid and old-fashioned, PICPANs and Associate Members gamely danced together - bigay na bigay! This portion lasted for about forty-five minutes and in the end, Marichu Cha and Mercy Macalalad were adjudged as the best movers.
After a short break to allow the participants to catch their breath and rest their legs, the main program started. Susan Flores led the singing of the national anthem while Mercy Macalalad did the invocation. Year 2001 president George de Leon delivered the welcome address during which he acknowledged the remarkable turnout of attendees to the event. Ambassador Amable Aguiluz III was supposed to be the guest speaker but was not able to make it due to other commitments. Welfare Officer Ferdinand Roxas came to represent him. Ed Soriano briefly did the introduction of the guest speaker. Mr. Roxas delivered a wonderful speech about his perception of the accounting profession and the accountants as members of the community and society.
Former president Emil Dungca carried out the presentation while Mr. Roxas administered the oath-taking ceremony of 2002 officers. The presentation and induction of new PICPANs and Associate Members, with 2002 President Redd Valdehueza as inducting officer, followed immediately. The inductees briefly introduced themselves after receiving their certificates of membership.
Dinner was served right after the induction rites but the program continued uninterrupted as the attendees were treated to a series of entertainment numbers by the emcees (Dante Herras, Susan Flores and Jarsel Longakit) and some guest performers. Dante rendered songs popularized by David Pomeranz and Stephen Bishop. Susan backed up some of his songs and later did a duet with Ruth Grace Barrios. Not to be outdone was her daughter, Ann Crisel, who sang the theme song of the movie Titanic. Mr. Roxas, Ed Soriano and Jeune Lagua also sang their favorite songs. The later part of the entertainment portion featured two dance numbers - the first one was done by the pair of Gina Alvar and Henry Pahil while the second (Angelina) was performed by Jarsel and her friends from the Filipino Dance Club. There were many attendees who were willing to share their talent and do impromptu numbers but did not have the chance to perform due to lack of time.
The final segment of the program started with the inaugural speech of incumbent president Redd wherein he enumerated the already completed, as well as the forthcoming activities of PICPA Dubai Chapter for 2002. After his address, the different committee chairpersons (Susan for membership, Ed for Professional Development, Arnold Parcon for Finance, Benny Tamayo for Sports & Fellowship and Jarsel for Publication) presented their respective teams. The last number that formally ended the program proper was the closing remarks of Ka Emil.
If line dancing was the starter, “Hula Bira” (Charade) game portion was the dessert of the activity. Once again, the attendees threw their cautions to the wind as they gamely participated - todo bigay, eliciting hearty laughter and giggles among themselves during the game. Raffle draws immediately followed after the game.
When the program was over and it was time to go, many of the attendees seemed to be waiting for more gimmicks. Some of them still want to sing while others would love to dance. Medyo bitin…but certainly, the more than seventy attendees have really enjoyed it. The event definitely showcased the modern accountants - always engrossed with sometimes sanity losing tons of accounts work, but remains sociable and keeping pace with the trends of time. Bravo PICPA Dubai!
