ESTELITA AGUIRRE

Deputy Commissioner Estelita Aguirre has the enviable track record of almost 40 years of solid work in government, in auditing and management levels. Born in Pulilan, Bulacan on December 11, 1943, Aguirre has been with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) since 1965 and has spent the best years of her career as a dedicated public servant.       

A woman known for her persistence and tenacity, Aguirre joined the government service soon after she graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1963.

Aguirre became a certified public accountant in 1964, bagging the tenth place in that year’s accountancy board exam.

She entered the BIR as a revenue examiner, moving on to become Revenue District Officer, Chief of the Value-Added Tax division, Assistant Regional Director of the BIR Region 7 and then, as Regional Director of Region 7.

The demands of her job did not stop Aguirre from pursuing further studies and in 1981, she earned her master’s degree in Management, also at the country’s premier State University.

By 1983, Aguirre received the Commissioner’s Award as topnotcher among Revenue District Officers (RDO) of the Philippines, BIR supervisory exam.

Over the years, she has attended various international training courses for junior executives and local examiners in countries like Spain, Germany, Italy, England, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.

In 1998, Aguirre served as head of delegation of the BIR’s Study Tour Group on Asian Tax Administration and Research (SGATAR) in Beijing, China.

A multi-awarded civil servant, Aguirre was awarded the “Most Outstanding CPA in Tax Administration” given by the Government Association of Certified Public Accountants in 1996.

Aguirre first became deputy commissioner in 1995, during the incumbency of Pres. Fidel V. Ramos. She was re-appointed to the post by Ramos’s successor, Pres. Joseph Estrada.

Aside from being deputy commissioner, Aguirre is likewise a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines’ College of Business Administration.

She also served as president of the Philippine Association of Revenue District Officers (RDOs), the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)-Cebu chapter, the Cebu Capitol Lioness Club, Cebu Toastmasters’ Club, and the Government Association of Certified Public Accountants-Cebu chapter.

Many would assume that numbers and taxes are the main fare of this committed tax expert. But for Estelita Aguirre, the world of literature holds just as much charm as the demanding field of business and taxation.

On her free time, Aguirre has managed to venture into poetry – writing books like “Abutin Mo ang Bituin.,” an Anthology of Tagalog poems chronicling her childhood and student life. This was followed by “Kay Sarap Mabuhay,” a poetic book dealing with her lifelong experiences as daughter, sister, wife and mother.

Perhaps, it can be said that Aguirre’s brilliant career can only be matched by her accomplishments as mother to her four children.

A widow since the death of her husband Honorato in 1985, Aguirre has seen through the upbringing of daughter Leilani, an Industrial Engineer; Lora Mae, a surgeon; Honorato, a businessman; and Hannah, a student.

Source: PHILIPPINE GRAPHIC