Tax academy campus eyed in New Clark City

The Philippine Tax Academy (PTA) is setting up shop at the New Clark City to join other institutions such as the University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University.

Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran informed Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is studying a plan to donate a lot to the PTA at the New Clark City.

BCDA is planning to host “a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers and innovators” in this future metropolis in Central Luzon.

Aside from UP and Ateneo, other educational institutions planning to put up campuses at the New Clark City include the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) and the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP).

Beltran reported to Dominguez that PTA obtained an accreditation from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) as a professional development program provider.

With the accreditation, courses and training programs offered by the PTA can be credited as continuing professional development units for certified public accountants.

“The training programs offered by the PTA will be submitted to the PRC for approval and accreditation,” Beltran said.

PTA is also exploring a possible partnership with the Centre of Development Studies of the UK-based University of Cambridge and partnered with the UP-Los Baños (UPLB) to further raise the standards of its course offerings designed to hone the professionalism of the country’s revenue officers.

Beltran said the possible tieup with Cambridge’s Centre for Development Studies involves developing a study program on integrity education “as a continuing course offering of the PTA.”

“The partnership with UPLB in Laguna, meanwhile, involves a joint program and possible sharing of facilities with the school that will serve as a secondary campus for the PTA,” Beltran said.

Beltran said the PTA’s program, curriculum and syllabus were developed based on ASEAN university network standards.

He added PTA has also mapped out a set of possible study programs with UP, including a masteral program with specialization on taxation or local finance.

Beltran said the PTA is now studying the possibility of using the UPLB’s College of Public Affairs and Development facilities near the Local Government Academy in Los Baños to help set up its training center.