BEST PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES

  1. PALAWAN

Palawan, officially the Province of Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of MIMAROPA. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction.

     2. BORACAY

Boracay is a small island in the central Philippines. It's known for its resorts and beaches. Along the west coast, White Beach is backed by palm trees, bars and restaurants. On the east coast, strong winds make Bulabog Beach a hub for water sports. Nearby, the observation deck on Mount Luho offers panoramic views over the island. Offshore, coral reefs and shipwrecks are home to diverse marine life.

3. BAGUIO

Baguio is a mountain town of universities and resorts. Called the “City of Pines,” it’s particularly popular in summer due to unusually cooler weather. Baguio features a subtropical highland climate that closely borders a tropical monsoon climate. The city is known for its mild climate owing to its high elevation. The temperature in the city is usually about 7-8 degrees Celsius lower than the temperature in the lowland area. Average temperature ranges from 15 to 23 °C (59 to 73 °F) with the lowest temperatures between November and February.

4. CORDILLERAS

Cordilleras is an administrative region in the Philippines situated within the island of Luzon. The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000-year-old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. They are frequenty called the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

5. VIGAN 

Vigan is a city in the Philippines, on the west coast of Luzon island. It's known for its preserved Spanish colonial and Asian architecture. Calle Crisologo dominates the Mestizo district, with its cobblestone streets, malecón, horse-drawn carriages and rustic mansions. Near the white baroque Vigan Cathedral are Plaza Salcedo, offering fountain light shows, and Plaza Burgos, known for its street-food stalls.

6. BOHOL

Bohol is a province of the Philippines, in the country’s Central Visayas region. It comprises Bohol Island and numerous smaller surrounding islands. Bohol is known for coral reefs and unusual geological formations, notably the Chocolate Hills. On the main island, near the town of Carmen, these 1,200 or so symmetrical mounds turn cocoa-brown in the dry season, contrasting with the surrounding jungle's greenery.

7. TAGAYTAY

Tagaytay is a popular holiday town south of Manila on the Philippine island Luzon. Known for its mild climate, it sits on a ridge above Taal Volcano Island, an active volcano surrounded by Taal Lake. Overlooking the area, People’s Park in the Sky occupies the grounds of a never-finished presidential mansion. Picnic Grove is a recreation area with trails and a zip line.

For more info: http://faq.ph/tourist-destinations-to-visit-in-the-philippines-2016
    

HOW TO BECOME AN ACCOUNTANT

   

                       
Becoming an accountant requires advanced education, formal certification and a firm commitment to learning the trade. Along the way, prospective accountants need to answer a number of questions.This comprehensive guide is designed to be a resource for individuals interested in a career as an accountant or CPA. Included are an explanation of what accountants do, a description accounting degrees, and a list of suggested steps one might take to get started.

   STEP 1:   EARN THE RIGHT DEGREE
                              Accounting degree programs are very popular and commonly available at colleges and universities throughout the United States, as well as through distance learning. Prospective students should always confirm that a program is fully accredited before beginning a course of study. 

  STEP 2:   PICK A SPECIALTY      
       
            Virtually all accountants and CPA's specialize in one or more areas of practice. The two general areas of specialization are public accounting and corporate or business accounting. A number of sub-specializations also exist, such as environmental accounting, internal auditing, managerial accounting and taxes. Often, the specialty you select coincides with the accounting degree you earned.

  STEP 3:  DECIDE BETWEEN ACCOUNTANT AND CPA

              There is a difference between an accountant and a Certified Public Accountant. Accountants (also referred to as “public accountants”) are typically individuals hired to work in the accounting departments of businesses, but lack several of the qualifications of a CPA.Accountants can perform certain limited tasks, such as the preparation of financial statements. They may also prepare tax returns if they have passed the required IRS test or received a Preparer Tax Identification Number. In deciding which type of accountant career to pursue, an individual must honestly assess his or her personal goals and willingness to put in the considerable time and effort needed to become a CPA.

  STEP 4:  PASS CPA EXAM

                 All states require CPA candidates to pass all four parts of the CPA exam. Those four parts are: Audit and Attestation; Financial Accounting and Reporting; Regulation; and Business Environment and Concepts. The CPA exam is offered during the first two months of every quarter, and typically over the course of several days. Candidates may take the test parts in any order they choose, but once they have passed one part, they must successfully complete the other three parts within 18 months. Given its degree of difficulty and breath of subject matter, most CPA test candidates enroll in private test preparation courses.

  STEP 5:  LAND AN ENTRY LEVEL JOB

                   Before you graduate, try to get an accounting internship or find another way to get some experience to pump up your resume. Take the necessary steps to create a resume and sign up for a career-focused social media platform such as LinkedIn. When it’s time to apply for entry-level accounting positions, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running. Sites like LinkedIn have job postings and let you apply for these jobs directly from the site. Check your school’s job listings, watch out for networking opportunities, and visit both local and national job search sites. Also search out sites created especially for new grads, such as collegerecruiter.com.

  STEP 6:  LOOK FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

                     Once you land your first job, it’s tempting to sit back and enjoy the ride after all the hard work of college. Now is the time, however, when you should be thinking about the next moves you’ll need to move up the career ladder. Earning a certification in an accounting specialization or a master’s degree in accounting could help boost career climbing, and if you haven’t earned your CPA, it’s something you may want to look at down the road.

              

ACCOUNTING DEGREES AND CONCENTRATIONS

  1.  EXPLORING ACADEMIC PATHS

                Students interested in pursuing this field have varied choices available to them, including scores of accredited online programs, which are well known for providing excellent, flexible accounting education. Additionally, many programs offer the opportunity to specialize in a particular area, such as auditing, taxation, or forensic accounting. Students unsure which type of degree to pursue can review the table below to get a better sense of the prospects available at each level.

  2.  TYPES OF ACCOUNTING DEGREES

                Degrees in accounting are available at associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels via traditional campus-based learning or online options. Each level of degree can lead to specific opportunities for graduates, ranging from entry-level clerk and assistant roles to academic professorships. Students should identify their goals and understand how the completion of each degree will aid them in meeting those aspirations.

  3.  ASSOCIATE DEGREES

               An associate degree in accounting prepares graduates for a variety of positions within the industry and can be completed in 1-2 years depending on the student’s preference of part or full-time education. Though taking half the time required to complete a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree in accounting still covers a wide spectrum of topics relevant to the field, including basic accounting principles, fundamentals of taxation, payroll accounting, and personal finance.
  4.  BACHELOR'S DEGREE 

               Typically offered as a Bachelor of Science, a four-year degree in accounting is a highly specialized program that prepares graduates to work in varied capacities within the accounting industry. This level of education may be ideal for students who are not looking to become certified public accountants (CPA), as the certification requires additional coursework at the graduate level. Graduates of an accounting degree program will have an in-depth and holistic knowledge of the business cycle and the accounting principles governing responsible practices.

  5.  MASTER OF ACCOUNTING

                A Master of Accounting (MAcc) is an ideal program for students looking to become CPAs or aspiring to high-level accounting positions within competitive firms. For students with an existing background in accounting, this degree can typically be completed in one year. Some programs will offer students the option to complete an intensive internship program, providing hands-on experience and opportunities to make valuable contacts within the industry. Students without prior educational experience in accounting will likely need to complete a number of prerequisite courses before beginning the program.

  6.  DOCTORAL DEGREES

                Students seeking to move into academia or research within accounting will need to pursue a PhD, which typically take 4-5 years of full-time study. Most doctoral programs have three components: coursework, research and dissertation, and comprehensive examinations. Eschewing fundamental accounting classes, students move directly into specialized topics dependent on the area of accounting they are seeking to concentrate on in their dissertation.

  7.  CONCENTRATION AREAS

                With so many different careers available to graduates of accounting programs, students often choose to concentrate their knowledge on a specific area, such as auditing, taxation or even forensic accounting. The list below will give potential students a starting point for thinking about areas of particular interest within the field of accounting. Each concentration also includes examples of potential careers post graduation.

  8.  CPA PREPARATION
                  
                To obtain the status of Certified Public Accountant (CPA), students need to complete 150 hours of coursework. While most bachelor’s degrees fall short by 30 hours, candidates are not required to complete a master’s degree to undertake certification, but they will need to complete the extra hours before applying. Undergraduate students should note that these additional hours should be at graduate level. Again, it is best to check the individual state’s requirements before committing to a program.