CPA board exam topnotcher wants to inspire Talisaynons

One of the topnotchers of the recent CPA board exam  is already signed up for a  job in a prestigious accounting firm in Manila.

But John Lester Lastimosa said he intends to give back to his home city  of Talisay in the future.

Lastimosa of barangay Lawan II  was given a certificate of recognition by the Talisay city government yesterday for placing nineth in the licensure exam for certified public accountants.

“I hope to be an inspiration to more Talisaynon youth to work hard and pray harder in achieving their goals,” he said as he accepted the certificate from Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes.

Lastimosa, 22, was accompanied by his mother, Jovy, and a 3-year-old nephew at the mayor’s office.

“I am very happy and thankful because they have awarded my efforts of garnering ninth place in the CPA exam,” he told Cebu Daily News.

He had to rush to the Mactan airport to catch a  flight to Manila for an  appointment  with his future employer, SGV & Co., the country’s largest auditing and  multidisciplinary professional services firm.

Lastimosa signed a one-year contract with the firm and will start work next month.

“I really want to give back to the city – maybe not now, but in the future,” he said.

As he handed the certificate to Lastimosa, Mayor Delos Reyes said that Lastimosa’s achievement has brought much pride and honor to the city.

The mayor  gave Lastimosa P2,000 from his  pocket which, according to the mayor, the board exam passer can spend during his stay in Manila.

“Ipalit lang na didto og candy,” the mayor said in jest. (You can buy candy with that in Manila.)

Lastimosa’s mother could not help but feel proud for her son.

“Being here is such an honor for our family. We are really proud of him because I think he is the first CPA topnothcer from this city,” she said.

“We didn’t expect that he would land on top but we were 100 percent sure he would pass. From the start, during  elementary  school until high school, he was a consistent honor student,” she said.

Lastimosa graduated valedictorian at the Divno Amore Academy High School in barangay Mohon, Talisay City.

He was an academic scholar at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) and finished magna cum laude in B.S. Accountancy.

The topnotcher is the third of four children of Lewish and Jovy Lastimosa of  Talisay city.

His father works as a welder while his mother is a housewife.

Lastimosa has a sibling working in   Talisay City Hall. Their  youngest sibling is a graduating student at USJ-R.

In a previous interview with CDN, Lastimosa attributed his accomplishment in the board exam  to hard work and prayer.

He said that every time he was faced with a difficult test question,  he would pray one Hail Mary and hope to get  the right answer.

Before the exam, he also visited five churches in Cebu.