1. education
2. alumni and reunions

October to December 2014
Bridges
News for and about P&A alumni
Connecting bridges
through
Social Media
Bridges
News for and about P&A alumni
Dear P&A alumni,
There is no doubt that the social media have been considered
the new medium for communication in this generation. It is
no longer seen as a luxury but rather it is now regarded as a
necessity.
In this issue of Bridges, our alumni shared their views and
opinions on the impact of social media to their personal lives
and professional growth.
We hope you will learn and enjoy reading this issue of
Bridges!
Third Librea
Partner & Head of Advisory Services
Chief Information Officer
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Making P&A proud: Ulysses King
The influx of social media is very evident in
this generation. It is no longer a luxury but
rather a necessity, most especially to those
who run a business.
Ulysses King
For former Audit & Assurance Semi-Senior
Ulysses King, social media has become a
huge aid in his business. Uly is the
Founder & Creative Director of Vatican—a
designer oriented shop that sells ready-towear and made-to-order designs.
According to him, he uses the social media
as his primary means of communication
with his clients. The CPA turned Fashion
Designer considers Facebook (FB) as an
essential in his business, followed by
Instagram (IG), Twitter, and Pinterest.
“Aside from telephone numbers, we ask
our clients if they can share their FB or IG
[accounts] as we normally send special
promos, fashion shows or private sale
invitations through social media.”
When it comes to personal matters, he
usually uses Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
and LinkedIn. “I have just started my
personal blog (www.owwwmyking.com)
just a month ago and I’m still in the process
of ‘stuffing’ it.” He also has accounts with
applications such as Foursquare, Line,
WeChat, and Whatsapp.
Just like anyone else who are into social
networking, Uly admits that he is also a
frequent user of the medium. “Every hour,
every minute—it depends on my mood and
of course, the requirement of the shop.”
He shares that he usually opens his FB and
IG accounts, especially when he needs to
do quick uploads of photos. “I upload
[photos] in IG and it’s automatically
synched to my FB and Twitter accounts.”
On a more business perspective, the P&A
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Making P&A proud: Ulysses King
alumnus explained how social media creates
an impact in his work. Vatican was
appointed as the official wardrobe partner of
Miss World Philippines, which requires
them to do a lot of coordination with other
fashion designers, stylists, and other staff
involved with the project. “We basically use
our FB secret group to disseminate
instructions, updates, guidelines and our
design peg supported with mood board and
color palette via pictures, videos or links .”
Uly shares that it lessens their burden,
particularly with contacting networks,
because there are other members who travel
a lot and cannot physically attend the
meetings, “...but since everyone has a FB
account, catching up with the discussion is
no longer a problem.”
But has he ever experienced any limitations
in the use of social media? According to
Uly, he avoids too much sales talk on his
social networking accounts because his
followers will have the tendency to get
bored of the constant advertisements.
“Social media is just a lead to sell—the actual
selling still happens at the store (Vatican, 4F
The Podium). For me, it is the perfect
medium to create brand awareness and do
promotions but not really an ideal conduit
for actual trading.”
accounts so they can keep track of possible
business inquiries while I enjoy social
chatting in public or in some cases, I tag
them on the conversation. After which, the
staff can directly follow up with clients.”
He thinks that the use of these media at
work should also depend on the size and
With the
continuous increase
of demand for
social media, Uly
tells that that he
encourages his staff
to regularly check
their social media
accounts and
respond to inquiries
as soon as possible.
“I also ask my staff
to follow my
personal FB or IG
Ulysses King at the Philippine Fashion Ball
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Making P&A proud: Ulysses King
nature of the business. “In the fashion
industry, we don’t deal much with several
customers. Since most of our items are
customized, we also personalize our
communications with our clients.”
Does he think the use of the medium at
work can be an advantage or a disadvantage
in an individual’s career growth? Uly
replies, “Social learning is in and is definitely
very helpful in both personal and
professional development by harnessing the
power of the social media.” The proud
P&A alumnus shares that he connects with
other professionals worldwide to share his
creations, ideas, and experiences. “I can get
updates from different events by simply
using hashtags (#). I also join FB groups or
like FB fan pages, and it helps me grow
professionally.” Uly says he follows
seasoned artists, designers, and personalities,
which allows him to directly communicate
with them to seek for advices and build
contacts.
The hands-on designer fixes his model’s outfit during
the 2014 Ulysses King Portfolio shoot
Though he is now successfully creating a
name in the fashion industry, Uly admits
that he still carries with him the values P&A
inculcated in him. Integrity, competency,
professionalism and discipline these are the
lessons which continues to guide him as he
worked with other companies and
affiliations. He also left a message for the
young P&Aers, “...assess your value to the
company and maximize your contribution
to the organization. The best tool for you to
stand out is hard work—it opens doors of
opportunities and shows how serious you
are about being one of those rare and special
individuals that use his full talent at its very
best.”
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October to December 2014
Making P&A proud: Cathy Quilantang
For someone who works for the
government, it is important to hear the
voice of the public to provide better service.
And with the increasing number of social
media applications, gathering of
information, opinions, and suggestions has
become less of a burden.
Catherine Quilantang has been rendering
her service to the government for two
years. At current, she works as an
accountant at the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH). Prior to
working for the government, Cathy was a
Tax Senior Manager at P&A. According to
her, as a Tax Consultant, the social media
helps her keep up with the recent changes
and development in Philippine Taxation.
With the rise of these social applications,
there is no doubt that Cathy also has her
own [social media] account. “I am using
Facebook (FB). I also have accounts in
LinkedIn and Instagram (IG), but I am not
an active user.” She says that she finds FB
as a perfect way to keep in touch with her
friends and families. “Finding long lost
friends that you have not seen or spoken to
in years, and seeing inspiring and
entertaining posts.”
Though she may have a few social media
accounts, the P&A alumna says that she is
not a frequent user of these social
applications. The medium has been deemed
as an efficient instrument in making work
easier, such as giving easy access to
information and making networking a lot
simpler, but Cathy admits that she prefers
using social applications for personal
matters.
Cathy Quilantang
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Making P&A proud: Cathy Quilantang
Unlike other individuals, Cathy says she
spends at least 10 to 15 minutes a day only,
to browse posts from her FB friends. The
former P&Aer also shares that, currently,
she and her friends are in the midst of setting
up a business and tells how the media help
them advertise their products and services.
“We are able to post or broadcast news and
articles to market our products and services
for free using the social media.”
people find themselves spending too much
of their time browsing through their social
media accounts and leaving their errands
unattended and unfinished. At her current
profession, she says that they are given the
liberty to use the internet. “There are no
restrictions in using social media
applications as long as we are able to meet
our desired deliverables and submit reports
timely.”
When asked whether the social media is an
advantage or a disadvantage, Cathy
answered both. “It can be an advantage but
a disadvantage as well.” According to her,
with social media applications we can
acquire the latest information since users are
regularly sharing valuable news and
information. “It can also make huge impact
in marketing campaigns for business
organizations.” On another note, Cathy
says that it is also a disadvantage as most
Before the interview ended, Cathy shares the
best life lesson she have learnt during her
stay at P&A, “If you want something, you
must work for it.” She adds that one should
work harder, learn more, smile more, and
lead better in order to become even
successful. The proud alumna also shares
her message to the young P&Aers who wish
to become successful in the industry. “To
have passion and love for your work is
necessary to become successful in your
chosen profession. The more enthusiasm
you have, the more inclined you are to work
harder at improving yourselves. This will
allow you to continuously get better at the
work you do.”
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Making P&A proud: Jahleel-AN Burao
Research shows that humans are social
beings. This innate characteristic of
humans ignites their desire to seek for
means that would make communication
more accessible. With the rise of the
internet, people found better ways to
communicate through the use of social
networking sites and applications. In an
interview, former Advisory Services Lead
Consultant Jahleel Burao shares her views
and opinions on social media and how it
changed the way people communicate.
Jahleel-AN Burao
With the height of the social media, there is
no wonder Jahleel has become an active
user as it is now considered essential in
connecting with other people. Jahleel
thinks that with the prominence of the
medium, the flow of communication has
become more attainable—both for personal
and professional use. Just like any
individual, the former P&Aer is an active
user of a number of social applications.
Based on a frequency table, the P&A
alumna ranked her active social media
accounts based on her personal and
professional usage. Twitter and Instagram
(IG) topped her personal category and
LinkedIn was her favored site for
professional use. But out of all her social
media accounts, she says that she prefers to
use Facebook (FB). “I mostly use FB to
facilitate face-to-face encounters and set
meet-ups with friends whom I haven’t seen
in a long time. It also helps me stay
updated with the latest content from online
news, professional associations, and blogs
that I follow.”
At present, Jahleel works as an Internal
Audit Officer at Opportunity Kauswagan
Bank, Inc. in Iloilo City. According to her,
the use of social media during work hours
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News for and about P&A alumni
Making P&A proud: Jahleel-AN Burao
is not allowed in their office. “Security is a
key issue for banks. When our in-house
technology is mature enough to handle
security issues that it [social media] brings,
we may consider giving access on a very
limited basis.” With the strict policy
implemented at her work, Jahleel has
become accustomed to limiting her social
media visits to 5 to 10 minutes. She shares
that it takes self-discipline not to surf the
web during work hours, and she uses an
application called FocusLock1 to help her
keep track of her [social media account]
visits.
Though the use of these social applications is
not encouraged in their work area, she still
thinks that social media create a huge impact
to individuals who seek career growth.
“LinkedIn has helped many of my friends
land jobs that they wouldn’t have gotten
wind of using the usual channels. Reddit
and other online forums have opened up
lively discussions on the mundane and the
profound. Facebook is also a great
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promotional tool to generate interest and
buzz on events and other product launches.”
The social media have not only been proven
beneficial for career seekers, but it has also
become a preferred conduit
for philanthropic
movements. The P&A
alumna shares how FB
became pivotal in gathering
donations for the Yolanda
victims in Iloilo. “Through
the crowdfunding platform
‘The Spark Project’, an FB
page, and personal appeals
to people we knew, we were
able to raise almost
P300,000 in cash and kind
donation for about 1,000
affected families in
Northern Iloilo.”
In this generation, it has
been a must for an
individual to keep track of the shifts and
innovations in social media to cope with
other individuals. Jahleel says she follows
news and technology sites to keep herself
updated. “TED and some YouTube
channels have interesting lectures on
Jahleel in front of The Ruins at Talisay City,
Negros Occidental
FocusLock is an application which lets users select mobile applications which they want to lock out and set a timer for when they will unlock it.
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News for and about P&A alumni
Making P&A proud: Jahleel-AN Burao
technology shifts. But the richest
discussions still come from talking to people
who are interested in conversations
surrounding technology and other matters
that affect mankind.” Though she may be
proficient in utilizing social applications, the
former P&Aer admits that she finds social
media as a poor replacement for real face-toface interactions. According to her,
“context is difficult to establish when
interacting online and a lot can get lost in
translation when reading from a screen.
Getting in touch has never been easier but
nothing beats the warmth of real human
connection.”
Even though Jahleel may be miles away
from her former mentors and colleagues, she
still keeps in touch with them through social
media. But for her, one thing she would
always remember from her stay at P&A
would be the advice given by his former
mentor Advisory Services Partner Third
Librea. “Find the happy medium.” Third
also left her two quotes to live by, ‘Life
without idealism is empty indeed. We just
hope or starve to death’ from Pearl S. Black
VS and ‘Every form of addiction is bad, no
matter whether the narcotic be alcohol,
morphine or idealism’ from C.G. Jung, to
which he simply says “Hopefully,
something in between. Good luck and I
hope you find moderation.”
Indeed, the social media have made a huge
impact in career development, networking,
humanitarian movements and the like, but
one should always bear in mind that it is just
a tool that could aid in attaining an
individual’s desired end, and hard work is
still the key to achieving success. Jahleel
shares an inspiring message to the young
P&Aers, “hard work is a prerequisite to
loving what you do. It is only when
individuals achieve autonomy, mastery, and
purpose, can he be truly motivated to do
more than what is asked of them.”
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P&A Spotlight: Jamaica Cybill Lazaro
Former Audit & Assurance Semi-Senior Jamaica Cybill Lazaro is
now an active member of the Sibol Pilipinas’ Core Team.
Sibol Pilipinas is a group of young, social change makers who
aims to uplift the status quo of the underprivileged children and
the environment through different youth engagement and talent
workshops that will hone the capabilities and initiate actions that
will address social issues.
To know about this movement, you may visit their website at
www.sibolpilipinas.strikingly.com or like them on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/sibolpinas
Your P&A family is proud of you, Jam!
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October to December 2014
P&Aers getting together
P&A Alumni in Canada Mini Reunion. (Back Row) Sandre and Laarni
Tansingco, Vevian De Vera, Rodel Pasco, and Maureen Arzaga. (Front
Row) Jeff Vilostas, Renee Reyes, and Roselle Aguilar
The IIA Conference at Cagayan De Oro served as a mini reunion for
current P&Aers and alumni (L-R) Peng Galvez (1st), Dang Hopilos
(3rd), Vi-ann Begasa (4th), Dang Cheng (7th), Allan Palacio (8th),
Cielo Diano (10th), Gold Sinfuego (11th) and Camee Rafol (12th)
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P&Aers getting together
(L-R) Former P&Aers Chiara Bautista, Grace Traviño, Popoy De
Guzman, and Nove Maderada went on an outing in Boracay together
with P&A staff member Michelle Madayan
P&A alumna Maria Christina Damian worked with Advisory Services
Lead Consultant for an engagement in Thailand
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October to December 2014
P&Aers getting together
P&AGT Senior Specialist II Gail Musni met up with former Finance &
Outsourcing Senior Specialist I Julie Trinidad and former Specialist
Karmina Valdez in Singapore
Current P&Aers visited former Advisory Services Managing
Consultant Mariam Suson and Lead Consultant Ivy Mantua at the
Grant Thornton New York LLP office
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P&Aers getting together
(Front, L-R) P&A alumni Vanessa Antonio, Denise Matela, Queenie
Deiparine, and Kathleen Gan (Back, L-R) Shayne Bulos, Anika
Panganiban, Lorianne Pineda, and Aizel Munlawin during their batch
get together dinner
(Below photo) Current Advisory Services staff members met with P&A
alumni Manny Tapucol (2nd), Cha Gambalan (3rd), Camee Rafol
(4th), Peng Galvez (6th), and Raffy Balmaceda (7th) in Doha, Qatar
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P&Aers getting together
Former Advisory Services Associate Cris Dao-anis got together with
some of his colleagues at P&A during a Toastmaster event.
(L-R) P&A alumni Manny Tapucol (1st), Camee Rafol (3rd), Gold Sinfuego
(4th), Dang Cheng (5th), Peng Galvez (7th), Krichelle Chua (8th), and
Tops Marasigan (9th) organized an overnight outing at Tagaytay City
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P&Aers getting together
P&A alumni catching up during their get-together dinner. (Sitted, L-R)
Attorneys Joy Formaran-Duclan, Joy Mamalateo-Jusay, Shiela
Castalone, Kristine Casa-Siervo, and Nigel Avila. (Standing) Attorneys
Ernie Guevarra, Emer Aceron, Daisy Inocente.
Former Tax Advisory & Compliance Semi-Senior Christian Rasos, Junior
Henson Montalvo, Manager Rachelle Baod, Semi-Senior Glaze Vergara
and Manager Diendo Dupal got together for Karaoke Night.
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NOTE: If you think we missed your birthday or your birthday on our list is incorrect,
send us an e-mail
at and
[email protected]
to help us update our alumni database.
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