Janiel Alcalde, a 26-year-old OFW from San Miguel, Iloilo, recently passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) board exam on his first attempt, despite having spent much of his youth playing football rather than focusing on academics.
Alcalde, now based in Dubai, credits the discipline he learned from football for his success in the CPA exam. “Football taught me to endure, understand my strengths and weaknesses, and keep moving forward, just like preparing for the board exam,” he shared.
After graduating from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo in 2019 with a degree in accountancy, Alcalde initially delayed taking the board exam due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he moved to Dubai to join his family and started working at a Swiss luxury goods company. He eventually decided to pursue the CPA title, realizing that no one in his family had yet achieved it.
Despite a busy work schedule, Alcalde balanced his review with playing football, his lifelong passion. After the June 2024 exams, Alcalde received a congratulatory call informing him of his success, describing the moment as a “weight being lifted from his shoulders.”
Now, Alcalde aims to further his studies, gain experience in the accounting field, and eventually teach others preparing for the CPA board exams.