Luna, Apayao - The province’s lone Higher Education Institution (HEI), Apayao State College (ASC), passed the International Standard Organization (ISO) 9001: 2015 Stage 1 certification audit held yesterday, February 22, 2023 and is now ready to undergo full certification audit come April 13-14, 2023.
The assessment was made by DQS Certification Phils. Inc., the third-party Certifying Body (CB) based in Germany that distinguished ASC as ‘Generally Ready’ to go through the Stage 2, the last and final stage of ISO certification.
College President John Cabansag, in an inteview, said that submitting ASC to ISO certification is one of his administration’s agenda owing it to his mother institution, Isabela State University (ISU), an ISO certified HEI, as a model. Cabansag said such is an important part of development in the province's educational progress “knowing the fact that we need to establish process in all our operations in the college along our four-fold functions namely, instruction, research, extension and production”
“Kung ano man ang magandang ginagawa [ng ISU], I want ASC to do the same thing. I can see the potential of the College, a very promising one,” Cabansag said, adding that such development “can help achieve the vision of Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr. to make government agencies in the province efficient and effective in the delivery of their services.
The President attributed the achievement to the teaching and non-teaching staff of ASC for their support to such initiative and for taking the initial steps in organizing the Quality Management System (QMS).
With the overwhelming support of all ASC stakeholders, Cabansag expressed hopes to establish intact processes in ASC “so that in turn, we can also satisfy [the services needed by] our clienteles that include our municipal and provincial Local Government Units (M/PLGU), our students, parents, the community, national line agencies and all other stakeholders.”
Looking forward to the scheduled Stage 2 certification audit in April, Cabansag said that only minor gaps are needed to be addressed and the challenge rests on sustaining such development gain, making the best of what ASC can offer in the coming years.
As part of the continuing compliance with the national government’s mandate to align all agencies and institutions to international standards and ensure quality and excellence, efficiency, and effectiveness of government operations, President Cabansag said that, for next year, the College is eyeing to grab the Philippine Quality Award (PQA), the highest to be conferred by Malacañang to recognize the achievements of public and private sector organizations in their journey towards performance excellence.
For his part, Vice president for Academics, Research & Development and Extension services Dr. Ronald O. Ocampo said “this is a manifestation of excellence and a mark of quality. A trademark of an institution that blooms.”
Ocampo, together with Vice president for Administration and Finance Jemmarie S. Kotoken and ASC Luna and Conner campus Quality Assurance (QA) Directors, Luningning Aribbay and Mary Ann Galande, respectively, led the the Internal Audit Team in pursuit of said ISO certification.
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