-
Audit approach overview
Our audit approach will allow our client's accounting personnel to make the maximum contribution to the audit effort without compromising their ongoing responsibilities
-
Annual and short period audit
At P&A Grant Thornton, we provide annual and short period financial statement audit services that go beyond the normal expectations of our clients. We believe strongly that our best work comes from combining outstanding technical expertise, knowledge and ability with exceptional client-focused service.
-
Review engagement
A review involves limited investigation with a narrower scope than an audit, and is undertaken for the purpose of providing limited assurance that the management’s representations are in accordance with identified financial reporting standards. Our professionals recognize that in order to conduct a quality financial statement review, it is important to look beyond the accounting entries to the underlying activities and operations that give rise to them.
-
Other Related Services
We make it a point to keep our clients abreast of the developments and updates relating to the growing complexities in the accounting world. We offer seminars and trainings on audit- and tax-related matters, such as updates on Accounting Standards, new pronouncements and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issuances, as well as other developments that affect our clients’ businesses.
-
Tax advisory
With our knowledge of tax laws and audit procedures, we help safeguard the substantive and procedural rights of taxpayers and prevent unwarranted assessments.
-
Tax compliance
We aim to minimize the impact of taxation, enabling you to maximize your potential savings and to expand your business.
-
Corporate services
For clients that want to do business in the Philippines, we assist in determining the appropriate and tax-efficient operating business or investment vehicle and structure to address the objectives of the investor, as well as related incorporation issues.
-
Tax education and advocacy
Our advocacy work focuses on clarifying the interpretation of laws and regulations, suggesting measures to increasingly ease tax compliance, and protecting taxpayer’s rights.
-
Business risk services
Our business risk services cover a wide range of solutions that assist you in identifying, addressing and monitoring risks in your business. Such solutions include external quality assessments of your Internal Audit activities' conformance with standards as well as evaluating its readiness for such an external assessment.
-
Business consulting services
Our business consulting services are aimed at addressing concerns in your operations, processes and systems. Using our extensive knowledge of various industries, we can take a close look at your business processes as we create solutions that can help you mitigate risks to meet your objectives, promote efficiency, and beef up controls.
-
Transaction services
Transaction advisory includes all of our services specifically directed at assisting in investment, mergers and acquisitions, and financing transactions between and among businesses, lenders and governments. Such services include, among others, due diligence reviews, project feasibility studies, financial modelling, model audits and valuation.
-
Forensic advisory
Our forensic advisory services include assessing your vulnerability to fraud and identifying fraud risk factors, and recommending practical solutions to eliminate the gaps. We also provide investigative services to detect and quantify fraud and corruption and to trace assets and data that may have been lost in a fraud event.
-
Cyber advisory
Our focus is to help you identify and manage the cyber risks you might be facing within your organization. Our team can provide detailed, actionable insight that incorporates industry best practices and standards to strengthen your cybersecurity position and help you make informed decisions.
-
ProActive Hotline
Providing support in preventing and detecting fraud by creating a safe and secure whistleblowing system to promote integrity and honesty in the organisation.
-
Accounting services
At P&A Grant Thornton, we handle accounting services for several companies from a wide range of industries. Our approach is highly flexible. You may opt to outsource all your accounting functions, or pass on to us choice activities.
-
Staff augmentation services
We offer Staff Augmentation services where our staff, under the direction and supervision of the company’s officers, perform accounting and accounting-related work.
-
Payroll Processing
Payroll processing services are provided by P&A Grant Thornton Outsourcing Inc. More and more companies are beginning to realize the benefits of outsourcing their noncore activities, and the first to be outsourced is usually the payroll function. Payroll is easy to carve out from the rest of the business since it is usually independent of the other activities or functions within the Accounting Department.
-
Our values
Grant Thornton prides itself on being a values-driven organisation and we have more than 38,500 people in over 130 countries who are passionately committed to these values.
-
Global culture
Our people tell us that our global culture is one of the biggest attractions of a career with Grant Thornton.
-
Learning & development
At Grant Thornton we believe learning and development opportunities allow you to perform at your best every day. And when you are at your best, we are the best at serving our clients
-
Global talent mobility
One of the biggest attractions of a career with Grant Thornton is the opportunity to work on cross-border projects all over the world.
-
Diversity
Diversity helps us meet the demands of a changing world. We value the fact that our people come from all walks of life and that this diversity of experience and perspective makes our organisation stronger as a result.
-
In the community
Many Grant Thornton member firms provide a range of inspirational and generous services to the communities they serve.
-
Behind the Numbers: People of P&A Grant Thornton
Discover the inspiring stories of the individuals who make up our vibrant community. From seasoned veterans to fresh faces, the Purple Tribe is a diverse team united by a shared passion.
-
Fresh Graduates
Fresh Graduates
-
Students
Whether you are starting your career as a graduate or school leaver, P&A Grant Thornton can give you a flying start. We are ambitious. Take the fact that we’re the world’s fastest-growing global accountancy organisation. For our people, that means access to a global organisation and the chance to collaborate with more than 40,000 colleagues around the world. And potentially work in different countries and experience other cultures.
-
Experienced hires
P&A Grant Thornton offers something you can't find anywhere else. This is the opportunity to develop your ideas and thinking while having your efforts recognised from day one. We value the skills and knowledge you bring to Grant Thornton as an experienced professional and look forward to supporting you as you grow you career with our organisation.
Note: The opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect those of my Firm or any organization I am affiliated with.
With the election season in full swing, the streets, walls, and public spaces are flooded with plastic tarpaulins—typically made of polyethylene, a durable and flexible thermoplastic—bearing the faces and promises of political candidates. Everywhere you look, you’ll see these aspiring politicians, hoping for your vote and support. But once the votes are counted, these campaign materials are abandoned, contributing to the country’s growing plastic waste crisis.
This unchecked waste significantly worsens the Philippines’ reputation as one of the world’s top ocean polluters. While regulations like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 hold corporations accountable for their plastic waste, political campaigns remain largely exempt from such oversight.
But should we really wait for a law to force politicians to take responsibility?
If we can't hold them accountable for this simple matter, how can we trust them with more significant issues, such as the taxes we pay and their actions or inactions that have lasting negative impacts on the future of our nation and generations to come?
If these aspiring leaders genuinely care about the environment and the people who are greatly impacted by pollution, they should voluntarily commit to recovering, recycling, or repurposing their campaign materials. More than that, they should set an example by publicly reporting how they manage their plastic waste after the election.
A candidate’s commitment to sustainability should not begin only after they are elected, it should be evident in how they run their campaign. Voters must demand accountability, and politicians must prove they are responsible leaders before they take office.
The Environmental Toll of Election Campaigns
Election-related waste, especially plastic tarpaulins, poses a significant environmental threat. These materials are designed for durability, but once the elections are over, they become useless and are often dumped in landfills, burned, or left to litter public spaces.
Elections are often linked with massive amounts of campaign waste polluting communities. Plastic tarpaulins and posters clog drainage systems, worsen flooding, and release toxic emissions when incinerated. Despite these clear environmental consequences, no formal system ensures politicians take responsibility for cleaning up after their campaigns.
Why Politicians Should Bear the Cost of Waste Recovery and Diversion
The EPR Act of 2022 requires large enterprises to manage the full life cycle of their plastic waste, ensuring proper collection, recycling, and disposal. This law disrupts the traditional approach, where consumers were primarily responsible for collecting and recycling plastic waste.
However, campaign materials are not currently covered under this law, allowing politicians to generate massive amounts of plastic waste without consequences. Just as businesses are held accountable for their environmental impact, political candidates should be responsible for recovering and diverting 100% of their plastic campaign materials.
If they can afford to print thousands of tarpaulins, they should also bear the cost of collecting and repurposing them. This is their moment to prove to Filipinos that they genuinely care—not just about winning, but about the people and the environment.
I believe this is the right and responsible thing to do. Regardless of the law, they should hold themselves accountable for the waste generated by their campaign. After all, they are running for office to serve the public, and this entails ensuring our protection from the environmental consequences of plastic waste.
Solutions for a More Sustainable Election
To minimize the environmental impact of political campaigns, candidates should commit to the following:
1. Use Eco-Friendly Alternatives
- Replace plastic tarpaulins with biodegradable or recyclable materials.
- Require political parties to disclose the materials used in their campaign paraphernalia.
2. Implement a Take-Back Program for Used Campaign Materials
- Politicians—not voters—should be responsible for collecting and properly disposing of their campaign materials.
- Campaign teams must set up collection points and retrieval systems to ensure proper recycling and disposal.
3. Partner with Recycling Organizations
- Work with recycling companies and organizations to repurpose used tarpaulins into useful products like school bags, wallets, roofing materials, or eco-bricks.
- Incentivize local governments to facilitate sustainable waste management for campaign materials.
4. Introduce Plastic Footprint Accounting
- Candidates must track and publicly disclose their campaign’s plastic footprint.
- A third-party organization should validate waste management efforts.
- Implement penalties for those who fail to recover and properly dispose of their plastic waste.
Beyond Regulation: Voluntary and Transparent Accountability
While legislative changes are necessary, politicians do not need to wait for new laws to act responsibly. A true leader leads by example, and one way to demonstrate genuine concern for the environment is by voluntarily committing to sustainable campaign practices. Political candidates should:
- Make a public commitment to recover and recycle 100% of their campaign materials.
- Submit a transparent post-election report detailing how they managed their plastic waste.
- Pledge to use eco-friendly campaign materials in future elections.
Voters, in turn, should hold candidates accountable and support those who prioritize environmental responsibility.
Demand Sustainable Elections NOW
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) must strengthen regulations by integrating sustainability requirements for campaign materials. The absence of strict guidelines on eco-friendly election materials allows politicians to pollute without consequence. Countries like Taiwan and Germany have successfully enforced stricter regulations on election campaign materials, reducing their environmental impact. The Philippines should follow suit by extending the EPR Act to include political tarpaulins and making sustainable election campaigns the standard. We must demand action before the May 2025 elections.
A Vote for the Environment
The battle for political office should not come at the cost of environmental destruction. By holding politicians accountable for the full life cycle of their campaign materials, we can significantly reduce election-related plastic waste and set a precedent for sustainability in governance.
A sustainable future starts with responsible choices—both from those who seek to lead, and those who choose their leaders. Let’s demand more from our candidates and ensure that every election contributes to progress, not pollution.
This May 2025 let’s cast a vote not just for leaders—but for our environment, for our future, and for our planet.
P.S. – Bottomline is “bawal plastic” sa May 2025 election!
As published The Manila Times, dated 26 February 2025