OFW in Dubai finally passes CPA board after 6 attempts in 20 years

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – “Walang forever” was his motto. And he held onto it until he finally passed the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission’s (PRC) board exam for accountants. Did not matter if it took six attempts in 20 years. 

“I just believed in myself. I am not an intelligent person, but due to perseverance and determination, I managed to pass the difficult exam. I made no excuses in doing the review. I studied six to eight hours a day, sometimes till 1 a.m., despite the difficulty and pressure at work. In the end, the results were very rewarding. And I am so proud of myself because I have finally fulfilled my dream to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA),” 43-year-old Ryan San Diego Tizon of Olongapo City told GMA News Online.

Tizon obtained his accountancy degree at Columban College – Olongapo City in 2001. 

“I was confident that completion of the course was quite enough. Then, I realized I am not an accomplished accountant if I could not pass the CPA licensure exam,” he said.

Failure after failure

Tizon, who worked as night auditor at a hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, first took PRC’s Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) in 2004 but failed. He tried again in 2005 but the result was the same. His third attempt, which was in 2006, was likewise a failure.
 
Tizon tried again for the fourth time in 2019 but likewise did not make it despite having enrolled himself at a review center. Tizon said he “felt truly prepared” for the exam that year after “working hard to understand all details” and even topping the pre-board test which, he said, was unexpected. 

“Most who have failed, gave up and not stand (again) to face another challenge. But for me, the more I failed, the more I challenged myself to pass the CPA exam. In this situation, I can say, ‘walang forever, i-embrace mo ang failure mo’ (Nothing is  forever, embrace your failure’). Use your failures as self-motivation to do more. Work hard, study hard and pray even harder. That, to me, is the secret of success,” Tizon said.

COVID-19

He kept pushing on, being even more prepared “to battle for the exam” in 2020. But unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, resulting in SPLE’s suspension until 2023.

During this period, Tizon, on advice of the review center, took the US Certified Management Accountant (US-CMA) exam as an alternative option on Oct. 18, 2020. He made it in one hit.

“Thank God,” he said, “I’ve obtained my first-ever title.”

But he still got his sights trained on the PRC board exam, and in 2023 was at it again. 

“I continued my self-review and was hoping that it will resume (soon). I kept going to maintain the momentum from what I have learned during my review,” said Tizon.

He, unfortunately, was disqualified in his 2023 attempt for failure to meet a PRC requirement.

Not in his blood

Quitting is not in Tizon’s blood, apparently. And so, with grit and persistence, he made sure he has covered “anything I had missed in my previous trials,” and made yet again another bid to pass the PRC exam, which was held in three days from June 16 to 18 this year. 

It worked! 

“Prayers, hard work, and determination manifested a good result. I finally passed the CPA licensure examination. While it’s been 20 years since I started my journey, I am now a graciously dignified CPA and US-CMA,” he said.

Tizon arrived in Dubai on Aug. 2, 2010. He has been working as an accountant in the city through the years.

He said he will be looking for better opportunities, adding that finally passing the CPA board after two decades of tenacity is now slowly sinking in on him. —KBK, GMA Integrated News