CPA board topnotcher receives cash, car from school

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – The topnotcher in the October 2015 Certified Public Accountant licensure examination was given P200,000 cash and a brand new car by his school, the Colegio de Dagupan (CDD), on Wednesday night.

Ralley Paragas, 21, received the award during a testimonial dinner tendered in his honor and other CPA board passers of CDD at the Leisure Coast Resort here.

Paragas became an instant celebrity after his picture and that of his classmate Fern Adriel Velasco, who placed eighth in the same examination, were printed on giant tarpaulins displayed across Pangasinan.

CDD president Voltaire Arzadon initially gave P200,000 and P50,000 for Paragas and Velasco, respectively as cash gifts.

Paragas graduated summa cum laude and Velasco magna cum laude.

Arzadon gave an additional P50,000 as cash gift to Velasco. He said he received congratulatory messages from here and abroad when Paragas emerged topnotcher in the exam.

Paragas is the first and only CPA topnotcher from a Pangasinan school. There were 5,468 passers out of 13,317 examinees in the October licensure examination.