DBM Usec. Lilia Guillermo delivers her speech during the 5th GQMC Recognition held in Tagaytay City.
The achievement of ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) certification entails a rigorous journey that requires the strong commitment of the officers and staff of an agency that pursues it. The processes involved are complicated and challenging, but dedication and persistence have led to the success of the Government Quality Management Committee (GQMC) awardees, who rightly deserve the recognition accorded to them as they proudly shared their experiences in their respective journeys to certification.
This was the message of DBM Undersecretary Lilia C. Guillermo, Chief Information Officer and GQMC Alternate Member of the DBM, when she addressed the awardees at the 5th GQMC Recognition Ceremony of Government Organizations with ISO 9001 QMS Certification held last October 11. Usec. Guillermo represented DBM Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, GQMC chair, in said event which was held at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) Conference Center in Tagaytay City.
The Recognition Ceremony concluded the two-day Asian Productivity Organization (APO)-DAP International Conference on Public Sector Productivity, attended by more than 600 participants from 20 APO member-countries including representatives from various national and local government agencies and the academe.
Acknowledging that the journey was not “a walk in the park,” Usec. Guillermo cited the processes and activities involved, which include documentation of a quality policy, manual and procedures, series of trainings and orientations, meticulous audits and continual improvement of systems and procedures.
Underscoring the importance of the awards, she noted that the Philippines has been designated as the APO Center of Excellence on Public Sector Productivity (COE-PSP), with the Development Academy of the Philippines as the focal organization and implementing institution. As such, it is “expected to share knowledge, innovations and best practices on PSP to the 20 APO member-countries.”
As a Center of Excellence, the country should promote the advancement of the PSP movement in the Asia and the Pacific Region, she explained. It should likewise aim to help address common and critical issues on PSP performance in APO member-countries; foster cutting-edge research, facilitate training and knowledge-sharing, and support APO member-countries in raising productivity of public sector organizations in the Region; and serve as a hub of a ‘web of collaborators’ (physical or virtual) on innovation and productivity in the public sector.
The 5th Government Quality Management Committee Recognition Ceremony for Government Organizations with ISO 9001 certification, meanwhile, showcased the best practices and success stories in promoting quality services from our local public sector. It also highlighted the celebration of the National Equality and Productivity Improvement Month which was declared thru a Presidential Proclamation since 1988.
“Our awardees, which earned the ISO 9001 QMS certification that has been accredited by independent third party Auditors, assure that their frontline services or core processes meet the global management standards and are expected to meet the requirements and satisfaction of their clients, especially the citizens,” she said.
“We are confident that in the near future, public sector productivity would specifically decrease, if not eliminate, long queues in government offices, cracked roads and wasted taxes, among other significant changes,” Usec. Guillermo concluded.
The APO member-countries consist of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
