10 notable “As Easy as ABC” columns

100 days to 100 years

In 2014, PwC Philippines’ partners sought a space in the Business section in the Philippine STAR for a venue to address relevant and pressing issues of the times.

PwC Philippines’ then Chairman and Senior Partner Alex Cabrera took on the challenge on behalf of the partnership. The column name “As Easy as ABC” is a clever play on his initials and his attempt to simplify the complex to arrive at solutions.

Lessons on the irreversible past

_{61 days to 100 years}

Historical revisionism was in the works, long before the 2022 election campaign.

Are we begging for a repeat of the “Golden Age” of corruption, deceit, cronyism and zero accountability? Read “What Marcos gave the world” (2021)
What leaders should not commit in "The sins of our past" (2018)
Ill-gotten wealth in “Justice delayed: Delay is the strategy” (2018)
The problem of misinformation in “The unrevisable truth” (2018)
Political winds of change in “Why invite the perfect storm?” (2016)

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons on our territory

_{62 days to 100 years}

The Chinese intrusion in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is an issue of sovereignty, livelihood and self-respect.

Ten worthy lessons from the arbitration case over WPS in “10 truths from The Hague verdict” (2016)
The Philippines has put the UN to the test with the arbitration case. Read "Muhon in the high seas" (2015)
Are the economic benefits worth giving up our claim over the WPS? Read “Made in China” (2018)
ABC talks about good growth in “How to boom without the bust” (2019)
The positive and negative tones at the top are analyzed in “Americans, you have been warned” (2016)

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons from our country’s next source of hope

_{63 days to 100 years}

These are lessons you don’t pick up in school.

The title is self-explanatory. Read “Great expectations: 10 lessons from Cebu’s next-gen business leaders” (2017), Part 1 and Part 2
Nature has always been our country’s gem. Read “Biri: Ocean’s farm, sea sculptures” (2017), Part 1 and Part 2
Be inspired by startup entrepreneurs in "Phl startups: pain points, pivot, profit" (2017), Part 1 and Part 2
Wise moves here in "PH’s top CEOs: Partner up or part ways" (2017), Part 1 and Part 2
Our local government units are indeed “The country's sources of hope” (2021), Part 1 and Part 2

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons from our national hero

_{64 days to 100 years}

Rizal's relevance as a national hero is as timeless as the lessons he deliberately left behind.

In “Recycling, Rizal style” (27 Dec 2015), recycling is seen in a different light, based on a few key points in Rizal’s life
Why is important to know your true purpose — read “Rizal: Return to purpose” (30 Dec 2018)
Rizal gives advice on spending one’s youth wisely in “Was Rizal wrong about the youth?” (29 Dec 2019)
Thoughts on the new year during Rizal Day, shared in “Rizal for the New Year: rebellious, amid revelry” (31 Dec 2016)

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons on parenthood

_{65 days to 100 years}

As a Sunday column, “As Easy as ABC” also makes for easy reading fare. He penned several pieces about parents, who help us in every step of our lives.

“Gunita” (2016) talks about the death of a parent
ABC pays tribute to all fathers in this Father’s Day article, entitled “Father figure” (2020)
The legality of adoption is discussed in “Conceived on a Sunday” (2015)
In “Nine months, and a lifetime” (2015), ABC advised a mother who bore a child out of wedlock

Please read the other related articles:

"Price uncontrol" (2018)
"In the name of the father" (2015)

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons on national issues

_{66 days to 100 years}

ABC expresses his interest on national issues, such as education, health, poverty and taxes from his unique point of view as a CPA-lawyer, business leader and Filipino citizen.

“Getting sick is not a privilege” (2018) was written when the BIR sought to tax group health insurance benefit
The article “National ID vs the “greatest” poverty” (2020) espouses for the net benefit that the national ID system brings
In “CITIRA: One last cry” (2019), ABC argued against the early passage of the earlier version of the tax reform act as it would make the export sector uncompetitive
Another related column is “The young pays for the old” (2016)

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons about our youth and education

_{67 days to 100 years}

The themes of youth and education have been recurring ones in “As Easy as ABC”. ABC puts forth PwC Philippines’ insights and ideas to address the learning crisis and other critical needs of the next generation.

In “The graduates: Class of Haiyan” (2017), ABC spoke at the college graduation ceremony of Saint Paul School of Professional Studies (SPSPS) in Palo, Leyte, three years after Typhoon Yolanda. He admired the parents’ grit and resilience.
After a CSR visit to the Aeta community in Sitio Maporac, Cabangan, Zambales, ABC wrote “Sleep hungry” (2015)
In “Way of the young warrior” (2018), he shared a few of the stories submitted by students in PwC Philippines’ photo-story contest
Months into the pandemic, ABC looked at issues surrounding the government’s directive on distance learning, such as mental health and educational competence, via “Co-teaching the Filipino youth” (2020)

"As easy as ABC"

Tribute to the profession

_{68 days to 100 years}

We pay tribute to the accountancy profession, coincidentally on 15 April — the deadline of filing taxes in the Philippines. This day underscores the importance of the role of accountants in ensuring the quality of financial reports, among others.

What do accountants take pride in? Find out in his article “Accountant’s creed” (2017)
Does your work make you happy? Read the story in “Professional hazard” (2016)
In "Tribute to the champs" (2018), ABC gives another take at work-life quality
Read the related article “The accountant maker” (2019) as well

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons on patriotism

_{69 days to 100 years}

Over the past eight years, ABC has written a number of articles about love for country, and how history molds us as Filipinos and our future.

In “Call me old fashioned” (2015), ABC gave his take on OFWs who give the country pride and the much-needed economic boost even as they work for the families they leave behind.
For his article near Christmas in 2018, ABC recounts our country’s history leading to independence, vis-à-vis the present.
In Luna of our time (2015), he pondered on the life of Gen. Antonio Luna and shared his own views on nationalism.

Read the articles in full:

"As easy as ABC"

Lessons on succession

_{70 days to 100 years}

On 11 October 2014, The Philippine Star published ABC’s first “As Easy as ABC” column. He began his advocacy for estate tax amnesty to allow transfer of title and spur the development of idle real estate. (In 2019, the Estate Amnesty Act was signed into law.)

In his first article, “From the great grandfather to great grandson”, ABC gave tips on what compulsory heirs need to do to transfer property to themselves when the deceased did not leave a will.
The column “Bank Account of the Living Dead” championed for the heirs to be allowed to withdraw trapped bank accounts of the deceased by simply making banks withhold 6%. (In 2018, this amendment finally happened as part of the TRAIN law.)
The Bank Secrecy law was tackled in “Unlocking the bank account of the living and the dead”.