MAKATI CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s Competitiveness and Innovation Group held the first “Competitiveness and Innovation Gear-Up Talks” (CIG Talks) for 2023 on 07 June via Zoom webinar platform and livestreamed via the official DTI and CIG social media platforms.

Entitled “Getting to Know PAB: Its Mandate and Accreditation Services,” the said CIG Talks provided valuable insights on the essential role of PAB and its various accreditation services. It kickstarted PAB’s line-up of activities prepared for the whole month of June, in celebration of the World Accreditation Day, which is held every 9th of June.

DTI-CIG Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba opened the event, underscoring the importance of accreditation and how PAB plays a pivotal position in meeting and maintaining high standards among the Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) they accredit. She said, “Accreditation serves as a cornerstone for establishing and maintaining high standards across various sectors. It promotes consistency, transparency, and continuous improvements, thus enabling organizations to enhance their competitiveness and meet the evolving needs of consumers and markets.” She also recognized PAB’s authority in accreditation matters. As she puts it, “PAB’s outstanding regional and international memberships and its participation in highly esteemed mutual recognition arrangements with the European Union countries and multi-lateral recognition arrangements under the international accreditation forum are testament to its credibility and expertise.”

The management team of the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), led by Director James Empeño, served as speakers, providing in-depth insights into PAB’s history, mandate, accreditation schemes, and noteworthy contributions in promoting quality and standards across diverse sectors. Dr. Ena Bernal of Monde Nissin Corporation facilitated the panel discussion and open forum.

Director Empeño emphasized accreditation’s support for the global vision of free trade and the numerous benefits it brings, mentioning that, “Accreditation facilitates international free trade by eliminating technical barriers, realizing the goal of competence, acceptance, equivalence. A single worldwide program of conformity assessment, which reduces risk for business regulators and consumers, by ensuring that accredited services can be relied upon.”

Upon laying down the key advantages of accreditation, Director Empeño further underscored accreditation’s role in fostering trust and public confidence, as it provides organizations a competitive edge, facilitates global trade by assisting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and eliminates technical barriers to trade. He added that accreditation supports regulators and stakeholders in upholding quality and standards across diverse sectors.

During the panel discussion, Director Empeño shed light on the voluntary nature of accreditation and its implications for consumer protection, pointing that accreditation follows the international system, where accreditation bodies worldwide adhere to voluntary certification processes, similar to ISO certification. He explained that the decision to seek accreditation is driven by competitiveness, and it remains a choice for organizations. However, if a government agency mandates accreditation for a particular Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), it becomes a mandatory requirement.

Ms. Michelle Esteban of PAB Laboratory Accreditation Division shared that the list of PAB-accredited testing and calibration laboratories and inspection bodies is available online. Engr. Juanita Carpio of PAB Management System Accreditation Division responded to queries about guidelines for Certification Bodies (CB) complying with ISO 17065, which specifies conformity assessment requirements. Engr. Carpio echoed that, “For these product certification bodies, the mother standard that they need to comply with is the ISO 17065 plus the specific certification scheme… what we have is the procedure on how are we going to assess the CB to determine that they will comply with our accreditation criteria.”

PAB Assistant Director Ernani Dionisio formally closed the session as he conveyed their hope that the session was able to enrich the participants’ appreciation of PAB and its initiatives. “It is our deepest honor to introduce the national accreditation body of the Philippines, to you, our stakeholders,” he concluded.