By Hazel P. Villa, PAMCO Director
Photos by John Felip Gerasol and Joseph Nebres
“The West Visavas State University Quality Management System will be recommended for continued certification to ISO 9001:2015.”
The above was the conclusion of the 5-member team of auditors of SOCOTEC Certification Philippines, Inc. that audits the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems that WVSU uses to develop mechanisms for continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
The audit sites on Sept. 19 were the following campuses: WVSU Main, Pototan, and Janiuay.
The Lambunao campus and the continuation of the main campus audits were done on Sept. 20, 2023.
WVSU getting the certification means that it has demonstrated its commitment to implementing and maintaining a quality management system (QMS) that conforms to the standards set out in ISO 9001:2015.
It generally signifies the following: ensuring the quality of its education, services, and processes; continual improvement; consistency in processes; meeting customer expectations; having a robust system for documenting its processes and procedures; and likely enhancement of the university’s reputation both nationally and internationally.
The “2nd Surveillance Audit” means that the university has undergone at least two rounds of audits to verify its compliance with ISO 9001:2015. Passing these audits, according to the SOCOTEC, means that the university’s QMS has demonstrated its effectiveness over time.
The Opening Meeting was held on Sept. 19, 2023 from 9 a.m to 10 a.m. at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) with Lead Auditor Anna Theresa Manlangit explaining the conduct of audit and the schedule.
With Manlangit were support auditors Jose Emmanuel Thomas Diel, Maria Fatima Mercurio, Michael Matundan, and Arcel Andres.
As OIC president of WVSU, Dr. Porfirio Barlas said that the University takes the SOCOTEC’s findings seriously and will thoroughly review and address them.
On the other hand, Dr. Celina Gellada, Vice President for Medical and Allied Sciences, said in her closing remarks that WVSU stakeholders are subjecting their system to the audit “in the spirit of partnership for the betterment of our University and to achieve our set goals and objectives.”
“This visit gave us the opportunity to re-examine, reconcile and modify our processes not only to improve our efficiency, productivity, and performance but also give higher visibility, brand image, and enhanced reputation to WVSU,” said Dr. Gellada.
ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems (QMS). It sets out the criteria for a QMS and is used by organizations of all types and sizes to demonstrate their commitment to delivering quality products and services. The “2015” in the name refers to the year it was last updated.