Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. lauded the DND Proper's efforts for the continued certification of its quality management system (QMS), the Defense System of Management (DSOM), under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 standards. Teodoro noted that the certification is crucial to his vision of a stronger defense organization. "The Defense Chief congratulated the officials and employees (of) the department for passing the first surveillance audit, and attributed the result to the commitment and hard work of the One Defense Team to sustain the Department's QMS," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement over the weekend. Teodoro also thanked external auditors from the SGS Philippines consisting of Gemma Gimenea, the lead auditor and Joel Portugal, team member, who conducted the surveillance audit on June 9 for their expertise and professionalism throughout the engagement. "Both auditors discussed their findings during the closing meeting attended by the DND officials, concluding that the DND QMS has systematically achieved the requirements of the audit standard. Consequently, they will be submitting a recommendation for the agency's continued certification," Andolong added. Meanwhile, Defense Undersecretary Angelito de Leon, DND Quality Management Representative, thanked the process owners who diligently prepared for the audit that was done on-site, unlike previous third-party audits from 2020 to 2022 that had to be conducted remotely due to the pandemic. 'Our shared dedication and commitment to excellence have fostered an environment that promotes innovation, efficiency, and accountability. Let us inspire the One Defense Team to institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement that will positively impact our organization and most importantly, the people we serve,' he said.
Source: Philippines News Agency