MANILA, Philippines – A book rescued from a pile of scrap after Typhoon Ondoy changed the course of Joseph Planas' life, proving that hope can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
In an exclusive interview with The Summit Express, Planas recounted the hardships, sacrifices, and life-changing moments that took him from collecting scrap materials to becoming a Certified Public Accountant, entrepreneur, and technology innovator.
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| Then and now: Joseph Planas with his sister during his elementary graduation (left) and as a CPA, CMA, and founder of tech company (right). |
Long before he became a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and the founder of a software company, Planas spent his childhood selling vegetables and collecting recyclable materials to help his family survive.
The 31-year-old, who was born in Marikina and now lives in Rizal, grew up as the ninth of 11 siblings in a household where every peso mattered and finishing college seemed like a distant dream.
What seemed like an ordinary discovery soon became the foundation of his future, igniting a passion for accounting that eventually inspired him to pursue it as a profession.
"I did not know anything about accounting, but reading that book opened my eyes to the importance of financial knowledge," he recalled.
His experience as a vegetable vendor also taught him that proper accounting could determine whether a small business would survive or fail, inspiring him to pursue a degree in accountancy.
College, however, was far from easy as financial hardship forced him to work part-time at a fast-food chain while attending classes.
When he could not afford to build a required software project, he taught himself programming instead of giving up.
The skill eventually became another source of income after he developed software systems and sold them to classmates to support his education.
After graduation, another challenge emerged when his father became bedridden, leaving Planas to immediately enter the workforce to help support his family.
Without enough money to enroll in a CPA review center, he worked full time during the day and reviewed borrowed materials every night.
"Despite working full-time, I made it a habit to study every day and remained committed to achieving my goal of becoming a CPA," he said.
His perseverance paid off when he passed the June 2017 CPA Licensure Examination (CPALE) through self-review.
The victory, however, was bittersweet because his father was in critical condition during his CPA oath-taking ceremony and passed away shortly afterward.
"Before his last breath, he was proud to see his son become a Certified Public Accountant," Planas shared.
Becoming a CPA marked the beginning—not the end—of his journey. He completed an MBA, passed the U.S. Certified Management Accountant examination in 2023, and combined his accounting expertise with his programming skills to establish CPAlly Business Solutions Inc., a SaaS company that helps Filipino entrepreneurs simplify accounting and tax compliance while reducing manual work.
"I did not create CPAlly simply because I wanted to build a technology company," he said. "I created it because I understand the struggles of entrepreneurs."
Beyond business, Planas regularly conducts free seminars because he believes financial education should be accessible to everyone as his way of giving back to the community.
His life remains anchored on one belief: "Everything that happens in our life is either a blessing or a lesson," a reminder that humble beginnings never dictate how far determination, continuous learning, and faith can take a person.
— The Summit Express
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