LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Another feather has been added to Pangasinan’s cap after being cited by the Government Quality Management Committee (GQMC) as one of the six provinces out of 14 local government units (LGUs) nationwide with ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification.
Aside from the LGUs, certificates of recognition were also conferred to over 400 national government agencies, GOCCs,GFIs, water districts, state colleges and universities recently at the LBP Building in Malate, Manila by Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno who also chairs the GQMC.
The award was then turned over to Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III by some provincial department heads during the flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol Plaza on recently.
The Pangasinan Provincial Government, along with the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) and the Provincial Health Office (PHO), was awarded with an ISO certificate with a process scope that covers the provision of offices and hospitals with administrative and support services which include recruitment and training; information technology; repair and maintenance of buildings and vehicles; electrical and plumbing systems, and carpentry; finance and investment planning.
Support services that were included in the ISO certification were as follows: Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Management Information Services Office (MISO), Human Resources and Management Development Office (HRMDO), General Services Office (GSO), and the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO).
It can be recalled that the PPH was recognized as ISO certified for its provision of quality health care services while the PHO was accorded for its formulation of health plan; capacity building; monitoring and evaluation of health programs.
This proves that the provincial government, the PPH and the PHO now belong to the elite club of public and private firms and organizations that are compliant with internationally-accepted standards and management systems and procedures.
As such, Gov, Espino commended the various department offices further noting that continuous quality service must be given to the public. He said that international standard citation is an added reward for a job well done among the various provincial government offices.
The governor stressed that before adhering to international standard of service, each office/department of the provincial government must first assure that the needed services for the less privileged Pangasinenses must be provided.
The government quality management program (GQMP) of the national government was launched in pursuant to Executive Order No. 605 entitled Institutionalizing the Structure, Mechanisms, and Standards to Implement the Government Quality Management Program.
The program aims to promote and enhance public sector performance through the adoption of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems in all agencies of government and to develop an institutional infrastructure that shall provide certification with international accreditation.
In addition to this, the program aims to establish the citizen’s charter of key government offices that shall be provided to the transacting public as government’s manifestation of service guarantee and recognize citizen-driven government organizations that have attained ISO 9001 certification for other government agencies to emulate.
The GQMC committee was composed of the following national government executives: DBM secretary Benjamin E. Diokno(Chairman); Ramon M. Lopez, Department of Trade and Industry secretary (Co-Chair); Ismael Sueno, Interior and Local Government secretary; Antonio Kalaw, Development Academy of the Philippines president; and Alberto A. Bernardo, Office of the President-Internal Audit Office deputy executive secretary(members).
The goal of the GQMP is to strengthen institutional capacities of public sector organizations in delivering citizen-focused public services and in implementing international-based quality management system.
Vice President Leni Robredo was the guest speaker during the GQMC recognition ceremony.
By Dexter A. See
