The University of the Philippines Manila earns an ISO 9001:2015 certification for its university-wide quality management system. This makes UP Manila the first campus in the UP System to obtain an international external accreditation.
December 15, 2022 — The University of the Philippines Manila earned an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 certification for its university-wide quality management system. This makes UP Manila the first campus in the UP System to obtain an international external accreditation.
The ISO is a system of internationally recognized standards that enhance the quality of service delivery. UP Manila held a series of workshops, assessments, consultations, and university-wide internal audits in its bid to institutionalize quality management systems (QMS) in both the academic and support services of the university.
The staff, directors, and administrators took part in the rigorous process of training, document preparation and management, and auditing to ensure that the university consistently improves and meets the requirements of its clients.
UP Manila passed the first and second stages of external audit conducted by the Certification International in July and September of 2022, respectively. The certification is valid until November 2025, subject to satisfactory results of annual surveillance audits.
Vice Chancellor for Research Edward Wang, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nymia Simbulan, Chancellor Carmencita Padilla, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Arlene Samaniego, and ISO Coordinator Johanna Cañal with the ISO certification plaque.
Earning the coveted accreditation demonstrates UP Manila’s commitment to providing quality education, research, and public service.
With this certification, UP Manila is expected to run all aspects of its operations in compliance with the standards, commit to its QMS procedures, improve the efficiency of its processes, and continually improve as an organization.
UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla, who saw the need to institute quality assurance in the university, said that earning the coveted accreditation demonstrates UP Manila’s commitment to providing quality education, research, and public service.
The pursuit of an ISO certification is imperative under CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, Series of 2012 or the “Policy-Standard to Enhance Quality Assurance (QA) in Philippine Higher Education through an Outcomes-Based and Typology-Based QA.”
This quest is also part of the university’s adherence to Administrative Order No. 161 Institutionalizing Quality Management System in Government that encourages local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), the judiciary, legislature, and constitutional offices to establish ISO-Quality Management Systems and pursue certification.
