by: Melhanie C. Agraam
The Philippine Science High School – Cagayan Valley Campus held a two-day orientation on Quality Management System (QMS) on May 8–9, 2017 at the AVR 2. Serving as resource person was Engr. Dexter T. Chua of CQL Business Systems Consulting.
Said orientation is part of a series of steps being spearheaded by the Management Committee as the Campus aims for an ISO certification this year, in compliance with the Good Governance Conditions of the Memorandum Circular dated May 12, 2016 on the Inter–Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring, Information and Reporting Systems or Administrative Order No. 25, series of 2011.
The International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, is based in Geneva, Switzerland and is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies.
As Campus Director Salvador B. Romo emphasized, we are aiming for a certification on our first application. A certification would be good for three years and a visit could merit a renewal. As ambitious as it may seem, it would also be a persistent thought to include in the target the very prestigious Philippine Quality Award (PQA) given by the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Engr. Chua stressed the following Quality Management Principles: Customer Focus, Leadership, Engagement of People, Process Approach, Improvement, Evidence-based Decision Making, and Relationship Management.
The workshops included small group discussions and several exercises on SWOT analyses as well as presentation of outputs. Another highlight of the activity was an overview and brief hands-on of the 5S Principles in the workplace.
The 5s Principle sets the correct mindset for any agency or institution aiming for ISO certification. It will mean more accountability from the workers while also ensuring a more organized, cleaner, and safer work area. With workers maximizing the available space and time, the efficiency of processes and work practices is likewise guaranteed.
It will be a long and hard way but as Engr. Chua quipped, “The pursuit for ISO certification is a journey toward excellence.”