Manila – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) successfully passed the second surveillance audit for its ISO 9001:2015 certification by representatives from SOCOTEC Certification Philippines, Inc., on July 17 at the ILS Office, Intramuros, Manila.

The audit started with an Opening Meeting attended by the Institute’s top management, together with process owners and employees, followed by the audit proper. The audit was conducted to ensure conformity of the Institute to its certified management systems and fulfillment of the requirements between recertification audits.

All process owners were interviewed to examine the Institute’s conformance to the registered process areas in the certification scope, namely: the Employment Research Division, Labor and Social Relations Division, Internal Quality Audit, Finance, Customer Satisfaction and Feedback, Human Resources and Training, Control of Documented Information, and the Management Review.

The Institute was found to be compliant by auditors from the SOCOTEC Certification Philippines Inc. and was endorsed for certification by the audit team composed of Ms. Fatima Mercurio, Lead Auditor, with Mr. Arcel Andres as Support Auditor. ILS auditees were commended for their knowledge of established process deliverables and internal controls, as well as their preparedness in presenting the necessary documents that led to the smooth and swift conduct of the audit. The auditors also cited the persistence and commitment of the Institute in achieving its target deliverables despite its transitioning to a new administration in 2022, reflecting the organization’s openness to change and improvement. The top management’s knowledge of Quality Management Systems was also evident and denoted leadership in ensuring its effective implementation.

In her closing remarks, Atty. Mary Grace Riguer-Teodosio, Deputy Executive Director III, extended her gratitude to the auditors and the employees of ILS for the successful conduct of the second surveillance audit. “We are all in this together, whatever the findings may be, whether positive or negative, we will own all of those. I encourage the audit team to provide the management with a root-cause analysis and recommendations as to how we can address the gaps and improve our processes moving forward,” she underscored.

ILS received its ISO 9001:2015 certification in September 2021 with a validity of up to three years and is set to begin its preparation for its recertification audit come 2024.