ZAMBOANGA CITY — After a full day of virtual surveillance audit of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9’s programs and services implementation, Certification International Philippines (CIPI) Audit Team Leader Lyn Angela M. Cayetano announced that DOLE 9 is recommended for another year of continued certification under the Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015. Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe said that it is an honor to be considered for the continued certification as it shows how DOLE 9 was able to hurdle operational challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cayetano mentioned that she was impressed with how quickly DOLE 9 was able to adapt to the volatile situation in the year 2020 and to transition into full use of online systems. 

Among the functional areas or processes audited in the Regional Office include context of the organization, actions to address risks & opportunities, Technical Assistance, Internal Audit/ Nonconformity/ Corrective Action, Customer Satisfaction, Management Review and Competence.

Zamboanga del Sur Field Office and Zamboanga del Norte Field Office were audited on Context of the Organization/ Actions to Address Risks & Opportunities, Organizational Outcomes 1 and 3.

As a result of the audit, DOLE 9 is found to be in full conformance with ISO standards. However, CIPI Auditors raised opportunities for improvement on continuous monitoring of risk registers and effectiveness indicators particularly on livelihood assistance. But overall, DOLE 9 is able to sustain its certification under the ISO 9001:2015. 

ISO 9001 is defined as the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. Because ISO 9001 specifies the requirements for an effective quality management system, organizations find that using the standard helps them organize a QMS, create satisfied customers, management, and employees and continually improve their processes to save on costs. END