Civil Defense Administrator, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno guaranteed that the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) will continue to implement best practices and sustain improvement of its services for the interest of the public, after earning recertification under the ISO 9001:2015 .
“Recently, we passed the recertification audit conducted by TUV Rheinland Philippines, Inc., an independent third-party test organization. We are pleased that we were able to maintain the agency’s ISO certification with zero nonconformities. This was achieved through the hard work and dedication of our colleagues. We remain committed to delivering better civil defense and DRRM services,” said Usec. Nepomuceno.
In January 2021, the OCD received the ISO certification that has a three-year validity. To revisit the conformities of its processes, the recertification audit was conducted on January 29, 2024.
Among the notable observations during the audit were the upgraded facilities and communication capabilities of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (NDRRMOC) which is manned and managed by OCD; the conduct of the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) led by the agency.
The monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for NDRRM Fund projects; the digitalization of planning and budget management; digitalization of the Local Government Units’ self-assessment and scoring in compliance with Republic Act 10121 through the Gawad Kalasag Management Information System; launching of the Enhanced Local DRRM Plan formulation guidebook; and the technical support for the updating of guidelines in the Implementation and Operation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) evacuation center projects for turnover to LGUs.
Awards and recognitions received by the agency were also tackled during interviews and examination of documents. One of the awards noted by the auditors was the Senate of the Philippines Resolution No. 53, a resolution “Commending the Philippine Government Contingent for Their Valor and Service in the Rescue and Recovery Operations Conducted Following the Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake that Struck Turkiye and Syria.” OCD led the formation of the contingent and deployed two of its personnel.
The audit was participated by various OCD services led by Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
Meanwhile, the awarding ceremony for recertification will be held in April this year.
OCD, as the executive arm of the NDRRMC, is mandated to administer a comprehensive national civil defense and DRRM program by providing leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches.
