Subic Bay Freeport—DQS Certification Phils. Inc. has certified anew the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for compliance with strict security standards.
According to Vicente Evidente, Jr., SBMA planning and development manager and the agency’s quality management representative (QMR), the third-party surveillance audit was the DQS’s first face-to-face audit here since the pandemic, with the previous audit held online.
“We just had the second surveillance audit by the DQS, our first face-to-face audit since the pandemic. It entailed a more rigorous inspection than the online audit,” Evidente said.
“The DQS audit team found that the SBMA is compliant with the ISO standards, with special mention of the Seaport department for its compliance with the International Ship & Port Facility Security (ISPS) that contributed to its high compliance ratings,” he said.
Evidente also explained that an ISPS code establishes essential security requirements for ships, ports, terminals, carriers, seafarers, and cargo as a means to prevent maritime security hazards or any mishaps.
During the two-day audit of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, the agency’s frontline departments were scrutinized for their compliance with the standards of Quality Management System and Environmental Management System, respectively.
Meanwhile, SBMA chairman and administrator Jonathan Tan lauded the men and women of the agency for successfully fulfilling the requirements for the said standards.
Tan added that this would boost the agency’s thrusts namely, to attract more investments, create more employment and earn revenues.
“The SBMA’s compliance with the international standards of Quality Management and Environmental Management would definitely translate to higher investor confidence and the achievement of our objectives,” Tan said.
Tan also announced that another certification, the ISO 45001:2015 or the Occupational Health and Safety Management, was being documented by the SBMA Public Health and Safety Department (PHSD).