Legacy
A lifetime of wisdom, service, and leadership woven into every milestone. Estelita Caleon-Aguirre's legacy shows her journey shaped by excellence, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to empowering others through knowledge and purpose.
ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA)
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)
The Art of Teaching
Estelita Caleon-Aguirre
President, ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA)
Ms. Aguirre holds the distinction of being the first, and only, female President of the AFA, to date. Her leadership at AFA – serving as Deputy President (2012-2013) and President (2014-2015) – was described by members and officers of the Federation as “transformative”. Having noticed that the assignment of activities was being done through temporary assignments to whoever volunteers, she initiated the creation of Task Forces (patterned after PICPA’s Committees) to handle priority projects during her administration, the most notable of which was the Task Force on “Closing the Gaps Between and Among ASEAN Member Bodies”. The Task Forces served as the workhorses of the Federation, and proved to be so effective that they were institutionalized and are now part of the permanent structure of the AFA. It may also be noted that prior to 2014, AFA staff were borrowed from the Institut Akuntan Publik Indonesia (IAPI) and the home country of the incumbent President, and worked in a borrowed space from IAPI. In a historic move, Ms. Aguirre organized a Strategic Planning Conference held in Cebu City, where she initiated the establishment of the very first AFA Secretariat Office, appointing Indonesian Aucky Pratama as its very first Executive Director.
AFA – Indonesia – June 14 2014
JICPA 2014
AFA Annual Report 2014
AFA Annual Report 2015
AFA – Accountants Today – Jan-Feb 2015
Estelita Caleon-Aguirre
Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
Estelita Caleon-Aguirre is a distinguished tax expert and public servant who served as Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, where she played a key role in tax administration and revenue management. Known for her integrity and expertise in taxation, she has also contributed significantly to the accounting profession through leadership, education, and public service.
Entering the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on April 20, 1965, as a Revenue examination Aide II (a rank and file position), Ms Aguirre rose from the ranks to reach the top management of the BIR when she was appointed by President Fidel V. Ramos as Deputy Commissioner (the second-highest ranking position in the revenue service) for Resource Management on November 30, 1995 and later as the first female Deputy Commissioner for Operation in 1997. President Joseph Estrada re-appointed her as Deputy Commissioner for Resource Management on July 1, 1998 while President Gloria acapagal Arroyo re-appointed her to the same deputy position on March 22, 2001. She was also appointed by President Arroyo as a member of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy on August 19, 2002.
Estelita Caleon-Aguirre
Executive Director, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)
Estelita Caleon-Aguirre served PICPA as Executive Director for a total of five (5) years from 2011 to 2020, serving five different Presidents. Three of those years, PICPA became an Outstanding Accredited Integrated Professional Organization. As Executive Director, she worked closely with the national leadership and various regional chapters to support PICPA’s mission of advancing the accountancy profession through continuing professional development, ethical practice, and public service.
During her tenure, Ms. Aguirre contributed to the implementation and coordination of professional education activities, conferences, and institutional programs aimed at enhancing the competencies of Filipino Certified Public Accountants amid evolving global accounting and taxation standards. Her leadership emphasized organizational efficiency, professional excellence, and collaboration among stakeholders in the accounting community. Through her dedication and extensive expertise in taxation, accounting education, and professional management, she helped reinforce PICPA’s position as one of the country’s leading professional organizations for accountants.
The Art of Teaching
At age sixty (60), taking an early retirement from government in July 1, 2004, Ms. Aguirre joined the academe, serving as Dean of the Far Eastern University Institute of Accounts Business and Finance in 2007 to 2008 after which she returned to the University of the Philippines to resume the position of Professorial Lecturer in Taxation at the UP’s Cesar Virata College of Business Administration. So effective was she as a teacher and mentor that her pedagogy resulted in a 100% passing rate at the CPA Licensure Examinations for her students over several years, earning her the UPBA Teaching Excellence Award in 2012.
The Art of Teaching