D&V Philippines Concludes First Nationwide Accounting-centered Sustainability Challenge

D&V Philippines finally reached the pinnacle of its first-ever Sustainability Challenge with the final round of the student business case competition held on April 11 at the Manny Reyes Hall of San Beda College Alabang.

Among the Pioneers of Sustainability in the Finance & Accounting Field

D&V Philippines is among the first to establish an accounting and sustainability-focused business case competition in the Philippines. This initiative is a result of the company’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles and sustainable business practices.

The student champions of the D&V Philippines Sustainability Challenge 2026—Ervi Lowell Doble, Athena Francine Langi, Arianna Alexa Arnaiz, and Jose Manuel Pongos—shared that this challenge is unique since sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles are new topics in their academic curriculum and case competitions they have encountered.

“Our biggest takeaway from this is our experience and our learnings about ESG that we can take to our real-world finance and accounting experiences,” Arnaiz noted.

Alfe Daro, USC professor and mentor of the student champions, commented on the event’s value in the finance and accounting field, “Sustainability does not stop with financial. It succeeds to environment, social, and governance. This challenge should be an opener to everyone, especially in the accounting field, that we need to move forward.”

Atty. Jose Calsas, Jr., D&V Philippines Chief Financial Officer, Head of Legal and Compliance, and Vice President of Global Operations said this event marks a key milestone for the company. “This reflects our intention to build a continuing platform that inspires future finance and accounting professionals to lead with ESG‑driven thinking,” he added.

The Participating Teams and Semi-finalists

In partnership with San Beda College Alabang, the D&V Philippines Sustainability Challenge 2026 attracted 15 teams from various colleges and universities around the country. Participants were tasked to address real‑world business challenges using accounting and finance concepts anchored on ESG considerations.

NOTE: The list below is in no particular order. Those with asterisk (*) made it to the Top 8 semi-finalists. 

1. 4Sprouts* – De La Salle Lipa

2. Nature’s HAUrmony –Holy Angel University

3. Green Quotient* – Mapua University

4. Team PCCJ – Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

5. Sustainabili-TEAM* – Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)

6. Pylon* – Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila (PUP Manila)

7. Tanglaw – Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila (PUP Manila)

8. Bedan Blueprints* – San Beda College Alabang (SBCA

9. The Greenprint – San Beda College Alabang

10. Team Eco Assets* – University of San Jose - Recoletos

11. Team BiPIOp* – University of San Jose - Recoletos

12. Sustainabelles – Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan

13. UB JFINEX – University of Baguio

14. DVisionaries* – University of San Carlos

15. Plant Parenthood – University of San Carlos

Meet the Winners

After a three-month selection process, the Top 3 teams—DVisionaries from USC, Pylon from the PUP Manila, and Sustainabili-TEAM from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM)—advanced to the Finals. The panel, consisting of D&V Philippines’ President and CEO Stefan Vermeulen and fellow C-level executives, assessed and deliberated on the teams’ final presentations.

3^rd Place — Pylon from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila

Pylon from PUP Manila ranked third and received Php 20,000 cash prize for the team and Php 5,000 for their university’s sustainability initiatives.

2^nd Place — Sustainabili-TEAM from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Sustainabili-TEAM from PLM placed second and received Php 30,000 cash prize for the team and Php 5,000 for their university’s sustainability initiatives.

Champion — DVisionaries from the University of San Carlos

DVisionaries from USC reaped the Championship spot and received Php 60,000 cash prize for the team and Php 10,000 for their university’s sustainability initiatives.

Continuing the Challenge

D&V Philippines plans to continue the Sustainability Challenge as part of its ESG initiatives and aims to involve more students and academic institutions in future editions of the competition.

To partner with D&V Philippines in the next Sustainability Challenge or receive more information, you can reach out to D&V Philippines’ ESG-Technical Working Group.