UP JPIA Cops First Place in Asian Development Bank’s Youth4ASIA Solution Search International Competition

UP Virata School of Business’ student organization, UP Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (UPJPIA), won first place in the “Non-Donor Funded” category of the Youth4Asia Solutions Search 2016 for its project, “University Financial Transparency Reporting Standards” (UFTRS) in the Citizenship and Governance focus area of the said competition. The UFTRS project won over 40 entries from different countries in Asia. The other three winners in the search are youth organizations from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

The Youth4ASIA Solution Search is an ADB Youth Initiatives’ competition that aims to showcase, disseminate, and promote youth work in the Asia Pacific. The competition covers specific youth activities within the following areas of focus: Citizenship and Governance, Environment, Water and Climate Change, Employment and Education, and Health and Hygiene.*

The UFTRS is a document and a system created by the UP Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants in partnership with the transparency and accountability campaign of the University Student Council in AY2013-2014. Designed, conceptualized and implemented in 2013 by former VSB students Ma. Clarissa Eirene S. Tinitigan (BSBAA’14), Raphael Aaron A. Letaba (BSBAA’15), and Miguel Alfonso M. Solidum (BSBAA’14), the document guides UP Diliman college councils on documentations of transactions, reporting, and internal control procedures to promote financial transparency and accountability among university leaders. UFTRS has now been recognized as an indicator or seal of integrity and good governance in the university, with the 20 college councils complying with its minimum requirements.**

The awarding ceremonies held on 26-28 April 2016 at the ADB Headquarters in the Philippines featured representatives from winning projects giving a 10-minute presentation to international and regional governance specialists, DMC partners from government, academia and civil society, other development partners, as well as sector and governance specialists from ADB. UP JPIA is led this schoolyear by Noriss Argel C. Ayhon. It implements about 20 different projects annually. (Vol. 2016 No. 04)

* http://www.adb.org/news/events/youth4asia-solutions-search

** http://upjpia.com/about-us/