As one of the 25 best business jobs in the world, based on 2020 US News & World Report, becoming an actuary is not something that can be easily done and quickly achieved. To become one, a person needs to have a lot of patience, dedication, and commitment. But, in the end of it, everything will be worth it because this can provide you a very interesting & stable occupation and potential high salary in the future.
 
On this content you will be given brief explanations of the steps needed to become an Actuary in a Philippine setup.
 
	1. Earn a bachelor’s degree.
 
The first step you need to do is to earn your bachelor's degree. In PH, there are several Universities and Colleges that offer degrees in actuarial science. The University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University, University of Sto Tomas, Dela Salle University and Polytechnic University of the Philippines are some of these schools that have degree programs such as Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Mathematics, and Actuarial Science. It usually takes 4-5 years to finish this degree but this will help you understand the basics of insurance and other actuarial concepts that you need in your future exams and work.
 
 
	2. Get an Actuarial Job

The next step is to obtain an Actuarial Job. In the Philippines, the graduates of the above-mentioned courses, who aspire to become an actuary, usually land in a job in insurance companies and actuarial firms. Typically, they will start as Actuarial Assistants/Specialists, who are being assigned in different departments in finance, actuarial, product development, and valuation doing minor and supporting roles. Eventually, after passing and certifying several exams and having work promotions, they'll become Actuarial Analysts, Actuarial Supervisors, Actuarial Managers and even become the Chief Actuary, who handle more complex and sophisticated roles. This job opportunity equips these aspirants the knowledge and the work experience needed to become effective and dependable actuaries in the future. It is also recommended to look for employers which will support you progress in career thru your enrollment in its own actuarial study program which could help you achieve becoming an actuary. However, this is not always the case and this may vary across different companies and organizations.

	3. Take and Pass Exams
 
The last step is taking and passing actuarial exams. This one is the hardest step because taking an actuarial exam is easy but passing an exam is quite difficult and expensive. You must pay an exam fee and must exert months of review sessions just to pass it. However, failing an exam is inevitable and when someone does he/she just need to get up and take another. There's no limit in taking an actuarial exam, however you just have to bear the expense of it. 
Actuarial exams are comprised of many different topics ranging from basic probability and financial mathematics to more complex topics such as Foundations of Corporate Finance & Enterprise Risk Management. These exams are only offered and must be certified by international actuarial organizations like Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). But, there is also a local organization, the Actuarial Society of the Philippines (ASP), which provides local actuarial certifications and membership.

As an example, ASP requires an applicant to have passed at least one of the SOA preliminary exams to become an affiliate member. For Associateship, the requirements are 7 SOA preliminary exams, 3 Validation by Education Exams (VEES) and 1 ASP seminar. For Fellowship, it requires all SOA preliminary exams, VEE Requirements, SOA Fundamentals of Actuarial Practice, FSA Module 1 and 2/CAS Online Course 1 and 2, 1 SOA or 1 CAS Fellowship Exam, All ASP Fellowship Exams, and ASP Seminars. Lastly, the international societies have different requirement for certifications and membership.
 
I know it's quite a lot but after you’ve accomplished these steps, you can now reap your success and become a certified actuary. 

You can further read more information about actuarial certifications and career paths thru the following links:

http://www.actuary.org.ph/
https://www.soa.org/
https://www.casact.org/