DFA Recommended for Maintenance of ISO 9001:2015 Despite Pandemic

PASAY 10 December 2020 –Despite the challenging times this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been recommended for the maintenance of its ISO 9001:2015 certification based on the remote audit done by TUV Nord Philippines, Inc. - a third party certifying body. ISO 9001:2015 is an international standard which provides specific requirements for Quality Managements System (QMS) and certification to it means the DFA has consistently achieved effective, quality management as an organization.

Covering the frontline services and processes such as  the provision of regular passport and authentication services, diplomatic and official passport services, visa application, and assistance-to-nationals (ATN) migrant workers walk-in clients, the certifying body commended the Department for its best practices, notably in its successful implementation of the remote internal audit, standardization of its monitoring system in its ATN processes, and its paperless transactions, among others.

Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. affirmed the Department’s collective understanding and appreciation of the quality management system (QMS) as an effective tool in organizational development by committing inclusion of more frontline services, in particular, assistance to national processes in next year’s QMS Scope for audit.

DFA officials in attendance were led by Undersecretary J. Eduardo Malaya, the Department’s Quality Management Representative.

Furthermore, the Department will pursue expansion of the QMS scope by rolling it out in four consular offices outside Metro Manila and in the foreign service by next year. END