Christopher Esmeres CPA

ATTENTION: For clients still using old MYOB / ABSS systems

If your accounting system is more than 10 years old, this is important.

Starting June 30, 2026, older versions of MYOB/ABSS will no longer complete their activation and confirmation process. In simple terms, your file will eventually become read-only.

✔ You can still view your records
✖ But you can no longer encode or update transactions

That means operations will be disrupted if no action is taken.

What are your options?

You have two practical directions:

1. Upgrade to a newer MYOB/ABSS version

Keeps your current system structure
Familiar interface for your team
Requires licensing and possible IT setup

2. Move to a cloud-based system (recommended for long-term)

Access anywhere, anytime
Automatic backups and updates
No dependency on one computer
Better for scaling and remote work

We’ve been helping clients transition to EsmeresCLOUD, our cloud accounting setup designed for Philippine businesses, with guided migration and support.

Our advice as your accountant:

If you’re still on legacy MYOB, don’t wait until it locks you out.

Plan your transition early, test your data, and choose a system that will support your growth, not limit it.

If you need help assessing your current setup or planning migration, message us.

Let’s fix this before it becomes a problem.

TAX SEASON ROLE CALL 🎭 (CPAs, families, friends, clients – roll call tayo!)

Habang ang BIR nagbibilang ng “1 DAY LEFT,” tayo naman, ibang klaseng bilang ang ginagawa.

1️⃣ Co-CPAs / Tax Team
• Role: Zombie with calculator
• Diet: 3-in-1 coffee, kape pa ulit, konting luha
• Love language: “Na-eFSP na ‘yan, boss.”
• Warning sign: Hindi na alam kung today is April 14, 15, or 45

2️⃣ Family of CPAs
• Role: Official taga-remind na kumain at matulog
• Bonus task: Libreng back massage habang nagre-recon ng SLSP
• Premium package: Hug + pedicure habang nag-a-attach ng eBIR screenshots
• Important note: Kung mainit ulo nila, hindi ikaw ang issue… si due date

3️⃣ Friends of CPAs
• Role: Emotional support + meme supplier
• Tamang tanong: “Kape or milk tea? Sagot ko.”
• Maling tanong: “Pwede pa ba magpahabol na ITR? Simple lang naman.”
• Weekend plan: I-cancel. Wala munang “see you,” puro “see annex.”

4️⃣ Dearest Clients (we love you, promise 😅)
• Role: Plot twist of every tax season
• VIP move: Submit COMPLETE docs before 12 nn of the 15th
• Deadly move: “Doc Jess, pa-help po. Attached: 1 resibo and 2 selfies.”
• Golden rule: The earlier you submit, the more human your CPA still is

Kung may CPA sa buhay mo: yakapin mo.
Kung ikaw ang CPA: yakapin mo sarili mo.
Sino ka dito – CPA, family, friend, o client? Comment your role below. 🔽

📣 Team ESMERES Holy Week Schedule Advisory 🙏

In observance of Holy Week, our office will be open only until 12:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, and will resume regular operations on Monday, April 6, following our standard hours of 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Thursday.

Holy Week is a time of reflection, prayer, and gratitude — a chance for us all to pause, remember the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, and renew our spirits in faith and purpose. 🌿

We’re taking this short break to allow our team to spend more time with their loved ones and join in this season’s sacred observance. ❤️

Wishing everyone a meaningful Holy Week and a blessed Easter ahead! ✝️✨

— | Faith. Service. Excellence.

𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨 𝐍𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐝 𝐍𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐞. 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐌𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐦.

Before you blame the war, read this first. Because the real problem is closer to home than Tehran.

𝐐: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝟒𝟓 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. 𝐒𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚?

A: That reserve was purchased before the war started. At mas mababang presyo. But here is what the oil companies are not telling you. They are not pricing that old stock at what they paid for it. They are charging you based on TODAY'S international crude price, which is hovering near $100 per barrel. You are literally paying for oil they have not even bought yet, using money from your pocket today.

𝐐: 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐧? 𝐏𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐢?

A: Yes. Legal. And that is exactly the problem. Under Republic Act 8479, the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998, oil companies have full authority to set pump prices based on current international market rates. The government cannot cap it. Cannot control it. Cannot stop it. That law is 28 years old. It was written for a completely different world, long before anyone imagined a single war could knock out global oil supply overnight.

𝐐: 𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐩, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠?

A: In plain terms, yes. It is called inventory windfall profit. They are sitting on old stock purchased at lower prices, but selling it as if it just arrived from a war zone. The gap between their actual cost and your pump price goes straight to their bottom line. And you are funding it every time you fill up.

𝐐: 𝐀𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐚 𝐑𝐀 𝟖𝟒𝟕𝟗?

A: Congress needs to move on this. At minimum, four amendments should be on the table right now.

First, a weighted average pricing rule during any declared national emergency. If your existing stock was bought at $60 per barrel, you cannot sell it at $100 per barrel prices. Simple math. Simple justice.

Second, mandatory public disclosure of actual inventory acquisition cost versus pump price during any crisis. Kung kumikita ka sa gitna ng emergency, the public has the right to know exactly how much.

Third, cost-plus pricing for all government-procured emergency reserves. Those should never be sold at full market price when a national emergency is already in effect.

Fourth, an automatic price rollback trigger the moment any president declares a national energy emergency. No debate. No delays. Automatic.

𝐐: 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐩𝐚 𝐢𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐬 𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨?

A: Because RA 8479 has powerful backers. Every serious attempt to amend it has died quietly in committee. The oil industry has lobbied hard to keep deregulation intact, and Congress has allowed it. The energy emergency declaration gives Marcos authority to procure and distribute fuel faster, but it still does not touch what oil companies charge at the pump. That part of the law remains untouched, and they know it.

𝐐: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨?

A: Message your congressman. Not tomorrow. Today. Ask them directly where they stand on amending RA 8479. The transport sector is already planning a strike. Consumer groups are organizing. The pressure is building. Ang tanong lang ay kung sino sa Kongreso ang matapang na tumayo para sa Pilipino, at hindi para sa oil industry.

Here is the bottom line. We are paying war prices for pre-war oil. The government declared a national emergency but cannot control what you pay at the pump. That is not deregulation working as intended. That is a 28-year-old law protecting corporate margins while ordinary Filipinos bleed at the gas station.

𝐀𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐨. 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐨.

Dapat baguhin na. Ngayon.

𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐔𝐩 𝟖𝟏.𝟔%: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭

Since the Iran war erupted, diesel prices in the Philippines have jumped by about 81.6%—one of the highest increases in the world according to international fuel price data. This comes on top of at least ten straight weeks of domestic fuel hikes linked to the US–Iran conflict and worries over supply through the Strait of Hormuz. Diesel is the workhorse of our economy: it powers jeepneys, trucks, farm equipment, and delivery of almost all basic goods, so this surge will slowly seep into the price of food, transport, and everyday necessities in the coming weeks and months.

As a CPA and tax consultant working with different industries, I see three groups that need to prepare differently: minimum wage earners, the middle class, and small to medium businesses. The goal is not to create panic but to encourage early, practical adjustments while government and markets are still finding their footing.

1. Minimum wage earners and low‑income households

For minimum wage earners, any increase in pamasahe and pagkain hits immediately. Higher diesel costs tend to translate into fare hikes, more expensive vegetables and meat (because of trucking), and higher prices for LPG and other fuels over time.

Practical steps:
- Track your actual spending for 30 days (especially food, transport, and utilities) and cut non‑essentials temporarily (online shopping, frequent eating out, subscriptions you rarely use).
- Prioritize debt payments with the highest interest first and avoid new utang for non‑essentials; crises expose people most who are already over‑leveraged.
- If possible, shift commuting patterns (car‑pooling, walking shorter distances, combining errands in one trip) to reduce daily fuel and fare exposure.

2. Middle class professionals and families

The middle class will feel this oil shock both in daily expenses and in the slow erosion of savings and investments if spending is not adjusted. Transport, groceries, and private vehicle fuel will all become more expensive as diesel‑driven logistics costs get passed on.

Practical steps:
- Recast your 2026 family budget assuming higher prices for fuel and food over the next 6–12 months; build a bigger buffer for groceries and transport.
- Postpone large lifestyle upgrades that increase fixed monthly costs (new car, high monthly rent, gadgets on installment) until price volatility stabilizes.
- Strengthen your emergency fund to at least 3–6 months of basic expenses, and review your insurance coverage in case job or business disruptions spread.

3. Small to medium businesses (SMEs)

For SMEs, this is primarily a margin and cash‑flow crisis. Diesel‑intensive sectors—distribution, retail, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and transport—will see operating expenses rise faster than revenues if prices to customers are not adjusted.

Practical steps:
- Quantify your fuel and logistics exposure: compute how a 10%, 20%, and 30% further increase in fuel costs would affect gross margins and monthly cash flow.
- Review pricing and contracts; if you have long‑term agreements with fixed delivery or transport rates, start talking with customers about surcharges or temporary adjustments supported by actual cost data.
- Tighten working capital: monitor receivables more closely, avoid over‑stocking slow‑moving items, and delay non‑critical capital expenditures.
- Explore operational changes—route optimization, consolidated trips, hybrid work for staff, outsourcing of deliveries—so that every liter of diesel or every kilometer traveled is truly necessary.

In crises like this, those who face the numbers early make better decisions and protect their families, employees, and communities better. The diesel spike is a warning signal for all of us to be more deliberate with budgets, contracts, and cash flow while we wait for energy markets and policy responses to stabilize.

Beat Fuel Costs, Not Deadlines.

Starting March 23, 2026, we are shifting to a 4-Day On-Site Workweek.

Office Schedule
Mon – Thu | 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Same weekly working hours.
Same reliable service.
Fewer commutes for our team.

Client meetings remain available in-office or online via Zoom and Google Meet.

Efficiency for our team. Reliability for our clients.

📣 SEC MC No. 9, s. 2026: IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR AFS & GIS 📣

The SEC has set the deadline for filing 2025 Annual Financial Statements (AFS) of corporations with 31 December year‑end on 29 May 2026, through the eFAST system. All corporations must also file their General Information Sheet (GIS) within 30 days from their stockholders'/members' meeting or license anniversary date, also via eFAST.

🔍 Who needs audited AFS and who can file unaudited?

If your corporation's total assets or total liabilities are more than ₱3,000,000, you are required to submit audited financial statements signed by an SEC‑accredited external auditor.

If your total assets or total liabilities are ₱3,000,000 or below, you may file unaudited financial statements, but you must attach a notarized Statement of Management's Responsibility (SMR) using the SEC templates (Annex A.1 for stock/non‑stock and Annex A.2 for OPCs).

🖥️ Key filing rules (simple terms):

Filing is online only through eFAST – email, walk‑in, and courier submissions will no longer be accepted.

Your AFS must already be "received" by the BIR (or supported by a BIR e‑AFS confirmation receipt) before it is accepted by the SEC.

Poor image quality, wrong period, or wrong form can cause your report to be reverted and treated as not filed, which may lead to penalties.

💼 How our firm can help:

Check if you are above or below the ₱3M threshold and advise if you need an audit or SMR‑only filing.

Prepare your AFS, SMR, and GIS in the correct SEC format and handle the eFAST upload to avoid reversion and penalties.

Send us your latest balance sheet and SEC registration details so we can guide you on exactly what you need to file before 29 May 2026. ✅

Congratulations to all our newly inducted CPAs! Today’s oath-taking ceremony was a powerful reminder of why we chose this profession. You’ve conquered one of the toughest exams out there, and now the real journey begins. The knowledge you’ve gained is just the foundation - what matters now is how you apply it with integrity, precision, and commitment to your clients.

We’re proud to have you join our community of practitioners, and we look forward to working alongside you as you build your careers. Here’s to your success and the bright future ahead!

would like to inform everyone that our last office day for the year will be on December 19, 2025 (Friday).

We extend our sincere gratitude to our valued clients and to all EOCI and Esmeres Accounting Office stakeholders for the trust, support, and collaboration throughout 2025. It has been a meaningful and productive year for all of us.

Most importantly, we recognize the dedication and hard work of our employees. They truly deserve a well-earned and extended rest after a job well done this year.

We look forward to a more prosperous and successful 2026 together.

Thank you, and warm holiday greetings from
Esmeres Outsourcing & Consultancy Inc.
Esmeres Accounting Office