SBMA gains ISO certification

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines   -- The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has been awarded an ISO certification with “zero minor and major non-conformities” on its first audit,  as it described this development “a rare feat that no other Philippine government agency has ever achieved.”

“We began paving the way not only for sustained world-class quality management system, but also toward superior financial performance. We started working to meet the requirements for an ISO 9001:2008 certificate from AJA Registrars in October 2012,” noted SBMA Chairman and Administrator Roberto  Garcia. 

He said “quality management is one of the reasons why 2013 became a banner year for the SBMA.”  

Garcia said that “ to the various departments that toiled hard to meet the standards, they were also working on something that would soon yield a record-shattering net income of P1 billion in 2013, the biggest in SBMA’s 21-year history.” 

“On the surface, we were aiming for quality certification, but deep down in the core of the organization we were building something more significant—a better system, and a culture of excellence that helped us achieve something big,” Garcia added. 

“Now, with the quality management system in place and the SBMA reporting a net profit of P1.2 billion last year, more investors are showing interest to invest in Subic,” he also said. 

Meanwhile, SBMA Total Quality Management (TQM) manager John Aquino said that the “zero major non-conformity, zero minor non-conformity” findings by AJA Registrars on its first surveillance audit “can be considered a legacy in the history of government offices.” 

“It is a very rare situation that a government agency could maintain this level of conformance,” said Aquino, who is also an assessor of the Philippine Quality Award, a presidential project to recognize public and private institutions committed to quality and excellence.