Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino was given the Accountancy Centenary Award of Excellence as part of the roster of the Philippines’ top 100 Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). The first CPA-lawyer to serve as SEC chairperson, Aquino was recognized for his “unquestionable integrity, contributions to the accountancy profession, and participation in national development.” The Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy, in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, celebrated the 100th year of the profession in the country last March 17. The celebration aimed to honor the importance, professionalism, ethics, and high standards set by the country’s CPAs, as well as their contributions to the development of the nation. “I am honored and humbled to be among the top 100 CPAs of the century,” Aquino said in his acceptance speech delivered on behalf of the awardees. He noted that, “I was already over the moon or on cloud nine for such recognition Having been chosen to give the acceptance speech on behalf of my co-awardees— the illustrious men and women, the icons and pillars of the accountancy profession— is doubly overwhelming…It does pay a lot of dividends that this humble representation is not just a lawyer but a CPA as well.” Aquino is a home-grown talent of the SEC, rising from the ranks to become the youngest director of the former Prosecution and Enforcement and Non-Traditional Securities and Instruments Departments. He then went on to head the SEC Davao and Zamboanga Extension Offices. He took a break from the government service to pursue a decade-long career as a CPA-lawyer. He was appointed SEC commissioner in 2016, and then as chairperson in 2018. Under his leadership, Aquino helped shepherd the passage of Republic Act No. 11232, or the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines, a landmark legislation that was signed into law in 2019. The SEC also received an unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA) for the years 2018 to 2021, marking the longest streak of unqualified opinions the Commission has received for the past decade. The Commission was subsequently awarded the Association of Government Accountants of the Philippines Outstanding Accounting Office Award, based on a nomination from COA last year. Aquino also spearheaded the digital transformation of the Commission, launching key programs that facilitate company registration, submission of reports, and settlement of payments online. For his efforts, Aquino was recognized as International Data Corporation CEO of the Year for the Philippines in 2022. “I would also like to thank the great men and women of the SEC for going full throttle in embracing digital technology to automate our services, making the Commission recognized as a leader in digital transformation in the Asia Pacific,”  Aquino said.