Proud to be a Pinoy CMA

To live in a third world country like the Philippines is both a blessing and a curse. There is the problem on poverty, graft and corruption, prostitution, human trafficking, and brain drain among others.

I am not being pessimistic. This is being real and there is a fine line that separates the two. I don’t even believe there is still the need to discuss these socio-economic problems one by one. It’s not like I want to focus on these negativities either. In fact, I am writing this out of the belief that there is beauty in the imperfection of this country – a beauty born from the socio-economic chaos that we are living in. Every coin has two sides, right?

Think of the Philippines as an obstacle course. How do we go through an obstacle? We strategize. We do what needs to be done in the manner we think that is most effective, right? Our daily experiences teach us to be strong-willed, adaptable, analytic, strategic, competitive, and more. We are trained to deal with obstacles and not back down. Not to mention that we Filipinos widely believe that we won’t be given a problem that we cannot handle. This is primarily the reason why many Filipinos stood out and stood strong wherever life has brought them.

Needless to say, to be in the field of accounting and finance in a third world country is much more challenging than it already is. The demand to recognize and address the continuous economic changes that take place every once in a while and deal with its uncertainties is much higher.

Looking to the brighter side, a challenging economic setting does to a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) what fire does to flame. It strengthens their competitiveness and hones their analytical skills. They become the kind of accounting and finance professionals our country and other countries need. This is clearly an advantage for Filipino CMAs because a competitive analytical skill honed by real-life experience gives them the ability to make well-informed critical decisions or advice.

To address the issue of economic uncertainties, many corporations are now focusing on re-evaluating their key performance indicators (KPI) to check whether it is still applicable to the current economic situation. Corporations are highly dependent on management accountants in doing this. The different States in the U.S., China, Europe and those countries in the Middle East, these are just a few countries that have abundant demands for CMAs with competitive analytical skills. With the small number of CMAs based in Asia, and proven analytical skills, CMAs are offered key positions in the business organization that pay above industry remuneration. Coupled with diligence and hard work, it is clearly another advantage for Filipino CMAs.

Besides competitive analytical skills, another edge of Filipino CMAs is their world-class academic training and good communication skills. Philippine accounting education is patterned to the U.S. curricula and has continuously evolved to adapt its focus to what is currently in demand in the international market.

Based on a survey done by IBM and BBC, Filipinos have the most neutral accent in the world. No wonder we can speak English as if it is our own language. This crucial factor gives us the distinct advantage of minimizing the language barrier between foreigners and us Filipino accountants in our quest to deliver sound and learned professional advice.

Since Filipinos have embraced a Westernized lifestyle, fashion, and way of communication, it makes it easier for other people from all over the world to communicate with us.

Simply put, the corporate world needs Filipino CMAs. You just have to be the kind of CMA that these companies and corporations are looking for.  Doors to greater career opportunities that break geographical barriers will always be yours for the taking. Pinoy CMAs, go forth as you aspire for excellence.