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April 6, 2022 – The Department of Education-Schools Division Office of Balanga City on Wednesday was recognized as the first-ever city division to receive the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) for exemplary commitment in attaining quality management.
“We are celebrating a momentous occasion, the conferment of the Philippine Quality Award to SDO Balanga City. This conferment validates our existing quality policies in schools and field offices and the competitive edge through improved performance results,” Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.
“I congratulate the division for their utmost efforts in providing quality education to learners while going beyond ordinary public service productivity,” Secretary Briones added.
Being a recipient of meritorious achievements such as the ISO 9001:2005 certification and the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) Level II accreditation, SDO Balanga has elevated its quality management practices, leading to recognition in the virtual 24th Assessment Cycle of the PQA.
Balanga Schools Division Superintendent Ronnie S. Mallari explained that their initiatives do not only translate to system furtherance measured through the external accreditors’ perspectives but also equate to improving public service productivity.
“This endeavor has led the SDO to realize that public service productivity can mandate doing less while yielding more results. It also contributes to quality outputs, innovation, and empowerment of people, the bedrock of self-pride of the employees,” SDS Mallari shared.
Meanwhile, Balanga Assistant SDS Ilyne S. Samonte emphasized that PQA cannot be achieved by the division alone but rather through the conglomeration of stakeholders such as LGUs, private citizens, and non-government organizations, among others.
Champions from the different fields who have passed the PQA Criteria for Performance Excellence, namely ASDS Ilyne S. Samonte (Leadership), Merlinda T. Tablan (Strategy); Marlyn B. Gerio (Customers/Citizens), Gemma Rose D. Loyola (Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management); Renato T. Yuzon (Human Resource), Flordeliza A. Del Rosario (Operations), and Ellen C. Macaraeg (Results) have contributed to the success in sustaining and improving quality management and overall organizational performance.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez expressed hope and gratitude to organizations that have fostered global competitiveness.
“With the strong support that the PQA is receiving from all of you, I am positive that our countrymen will be inspired to strive for global competitiveness and help us shape the innovative Philippines, and create the desired association of attributes such as high quality,” Secretary Lopez shared.
The DTI – Philippine Quality Award Program is a global competitiveness template that aims to encourage and engage public and private organizations and other stakeholders to strive for and attain performance excellence.
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