A day before the celebration of the agency’s 34th founding anniversary, the National Tobacco Administration passed the 2nd surveillance audit for the recertification of its ISO 9001:2015 QMS on July 28.
The audit was conducted by the international certification body Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) on virtual platform using Microsoft Teams in the Central Office in Ben-Lor Building in Quezon Avenue in Quezon City.
With the continuation of certification, the agency is again recognized by the standard-setting body for its commitment to providing customers with the highest level of products and services within the organization’s policy and objectives.
During the closing meeting, SGS auditor and Team Leader Gemma Jimenea granted the agency continued certification after revealing that the audit resulted in only one minor nonconformities and three observations. Recertified are the agency’s core processes, namely, Research and Development, Regulatory Services, and Technology Assistance, Extension and Production Services.
NTA first earned the ISO 9001:2008 for QMS in 2016 and successfully transitioned to ISO 9001:2015 QMS in 2018 for its core process, which incorporates risk management to enable organizations to identify and provide a systematic approach to risk for more efficient quality management system.
Quality Management Representative (QMR) and Corporate Planning Manager Fortuna C. Benosa and Deputy QMR and Finance Manager Ma. Teresa B. Laudencia head the Core Team of the NTA QMS, with Dinah Pichay (Internal Quality Team Leader), Perla C. Manzon (Documents and Records Controller), Zenaida T. Arrojo (Quality Workplace Team Leader), and Michelle P. Nacpil (Training and Education Team Leader), as members.
Members of the QMS Process Teams are Myrna O. Lozano (Research and Development Services), Atty. Rohbert A. Ambros (Regulatory Services), Imelda N. Rinen (Technology Assistance, Extension and Production Support Services), Dr. Giovanni B. Palabay (Branch Operations) Neyo E. Valdez (Customer Feedback/Satisfaction), and Joseph B. Benosa (Information and Communication Technology Services); with Teresita D. Dela Rosa as Secretariat Chair.Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares, along with the two Deputy Administrators Benedicto M. Savellano (Support Services) and Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana (Operations), leads the Policy and Steering Team that guides the NTA QMS members.