By observing the international standards of transparency, predictability, accountability, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte was granted certification by the International Organization for Standardization recently.
The ISO certification (9001:2015) gave the local government the distinction of being the first province nationwide to receive the global standard accreditation.
“I’d like to congratulate our provincial employees, led by Treasurer Josephine Calahate… Tayo ang kauna-unahang government agency sa buong Pilipinas na nakakamit nito,” Gov. Imee Marcos mentioned as PGIN started its annual “Open Capitol” held early this week.
“And I am certain that the endless pursuit of excellence by Ilocanos everywhere will persist, as we continue to produce heroes, pioneers, and genuine game-changers in all aspects of accomplishment. Marcos added in her speech.
In 2013, Ilocos Norte had also been the first province nationwide to receive ISO 9001:2008 certification. The accreditation was granted just in time, as the province celebrated its 199th foundation anniversary last Feb. 2.
ISO is a non-governmental organization composed of experts in products, services, and systems who create standards of management to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency.
Compared to earlier versions of ISO accreditation (2000 and 2008), which focused on managing processes, the 2015 version “is less prescriptive, focusing instead on performance,” overall guiding organizations or units to be more efficient and improve customer satisfaction.
Provincial Treasurer and ISO Facilitator Mrs. Josephine Calajate shared, “If not for Governor Imee Marcos’ hands-on leadership, her vision, and her achievements, we never would have been inspired to do all of these things,” adding that it took collective effort from every Capitol department to undergo and pass the accreditation process even amidst other PGIN activities.
A major difference was also the focus on risk-based thinking or risk management, which required each Capitol department to strategize office procedures based on weaknesses and risk of failure in order to identify opportunities for improvement.“