As part of its efforts to achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Central Office officially kicked off the implementation of its Quality Management System (QMS) on January 12, 2026.
This day also marks the effective date and commencement of the implementation of the DA Operational Procedures (OPs), Quality Procedures (QPs), and forms.
One of the highlights of the activity was the launch of the DA QMS Portal, which aims to keep DA employees well-informed about the agency’s ISO QMS initiatives. The portal contains relevant information on the DA Central Office’s ISO QMS activities, including the QMS structure, applicable forms and templates, conducted activities, policies, and special orders related to ISO standards.
“Ang QMS natin ay tungkol sa quality service at sa pagbuo ng isang maayos na sistema. Because quality is never an accident—it is a commitment. Kaya dapat tayo bumuo ng de-kalidad na sistema kung ano ang dapat gawin, at lahat ng ito ay dapat naka-record,” said Assistant Secretary for Finance and Quality Management Representative Telma Tolentino.
Asec. Tolentino added that after three months of implementation after the kick-off, the agency will conduct an internal quality audit and a mock audit in coordination with the DA’s consultant. This will be followed by a third-party certification audit leading toward ISO certification.
The DA’s QMS journey began in 2022. However, due to the wide scope and complexity of operations within the DA Central Office, the QMS Working Team opted to initially focus on selected core and support processes to ensure a more manageable and sustainable approach toward full certification—thus marking the significance of the official QMS kickoff.
Initially covering 12 offices, including core service providers and support services, the DA is adopting a piecemeal approach to ISO certification. The core processes will involve the Market Development Division and the Food Development Center-Industry Services Division, supported by 10 other divisions, namely: the Accounting Division, Budget Division, Personnel Division, Human Resource Development Division, General Services Division, Records Division, Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division, Procurement Division, Network and Operations Management Division, and the Research and Regulations Division.
