Napocor’s Pulangui power plant gets ISO certification

National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) Pulangui IV Hydroelectric Power Plant recently became the first-ever power facility in Mindanao to be conferred the prestigious ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification for Integrated Management System (IMS).

At the same time, Pulangui IV also became the first hydroelectric power plant of Napocor to bag an IMS certification, which consists of the ISO 9001:2000 certification for Quality Management, the ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management, and the OHSAS (Occupa! tional Health and Safety Assessment Series) 18001:1999.

The triple ISO certification was formally awarded to Pulangui IV by TUV Phils. Inc., an ISO-certifying agency, in simple rites at the power plant complex in Maramag, Bukidnon last Nov. 15.

The triple ISO is the latest feather in the cap of the 20-year-old Pulangui IV, which was Napocor’s ISO pilot project in the Mindanao region.

Among other accomplishments, Pulangui IV had bagged the ISO 9002:1994 in 1997, and had reaped various awards from Napocor in the areas of safety and good housekeeping, energy conservation, and plant operations.

The power plant had also been given the Pag-asa Award (Group Category) by the Civil Service Commission in 2002, and had been named "Healthy Workplace" by the Department of Health for three consecutive years.

With the IMS certification, Pulangui IV has become the second power plant of the Napocor to receive the triple ISO.

Earlier this year, LGPP in Bgy. Kananga, Tongonan in Leyte became the first government-owned power plant in the country and the first National Power facility to be conferred the much-coveted ISO certification for IMS.

Speaking at the ISO awarding rites, Napocor vice president for Mindanao Generation Pasayud Macarambon commended Pulangui IV for being "a showcase of efficiency, effectiveness and high productivity in Napocor in the area of operations".

"The acquisition of an ISO certification on IMS is a product of the commitment, tenacity, perseverance, aggressiveness, industry and teamwork of the men and women of Pulangui IV and those who in one way or the other contributed to its realization," Macarambon said.

"Truly, the successes of Pulangui IV have become an inspiration for other plants to also strive for an ISO certification."

Built in 1985, Pulangui IV has a rated capacity of 255 megawatts, consisting of three units with a capacity of 85 MW each.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ISO is an international organization for setting standards in operations and management. The benchmarks set by the prestigious group serve as guides for implementing effective quality management systems.