Following a thorough audit by the Technische Überwachungsverein Nord Philippines, the University of the Philippines System Administration was awarded the International Organization for Standardization 9001:2015 certification for its Quality Management System.
“This recognition affirms not only compliance with international standards, but more importantly, it is our commitment to quality, accountability, and continuous improvement in public service,” UP Vice President for Administration Augustus Resurreccion said during QMS Recognition Day, Dec. 15, 2025.
The ISO certification marks a significant milestone in UP’s journey to institutionalize a globally-aligned QMS by 2025, in line with the ninth flagship program of UP President Angelo Jimenez’ Strategic Plan 2023-2029 and the Government Quality Management Program, which aims to advance public sector performance.
Indeed, as UP continues to grow and expand its horizons — not just as the country’s national university but as a regional and global leader in higher education — the university faces the challenge of maintaining efficient management of its processes, systems, and workflows.
UP’s reputation for academic excellence, after all, can only be sustained if complemented by excellent operations.
“We cannot be academically excellent if we are struggling administratively. [These] are intertwined that [one] cannot be left behind if we want UP to succeed holistically,” Jimenez emphasized during the first QMS Forum for UP System administrative employees back in May 2024.
To ensure the consistent delivery of quality services to the university’s constituents and stakeholders, the Office of the VPA led the way toward obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Taking on the challenge
The journey was one and a half years in the making, the wheels already turning even before the launch of Strategic Plan 2023-2029 and its 10 flagship programs.
Right on the heels of the first QMS Forum in May 2024, members of the Development Academy of the Philippines conducted the Initial Quality Performance Assessment the following month.
In succeeding months, DAP facilitated a series of courses, seminars, and workshops to survey and map out the level of existing operations within the university, determine the needs and expectations from UP’s stakeholders and other interested parties, analyze strengths and weaknesses, and identify risks and opportunities.
By December, DAP assessed UPSA on its readiness for the ISO certification process. While the university initially received a conditional passing assessment because of lapses in documentation and gaps in data collection, Resurreccion shared that the UPSA QMS Team took the assessment as “a signal that we need improvement.”
“We started from there and improved our systems in the collection of data and ensuring that the manuals and procedures are in place,” he recounted.
The road ahead
With more than a year’s worth of preparations and a stringent internal audit throughout 2025, UPSA finally underwent the two-stage audit of TÜV Nord Philippines, which covered the provision of administrative, technical, and academic support services to UP’s constituent and autonomous units and key stakeholders, as well as management and support processes.
UPSA successfully passed the first stage of the audit, Oct. 28, 2025, and was recommended for its second stage, which concluded Nov. 25, 2025. TÜV Nord Philippines recommended the issuance of the ISO 9001:2015 certification, which will remain valid for three years from its date of issuance.
Among the good practices cited in TÜV Nord Philippines’ audit report were the visibility of UPSAs top management during the audit and the UP System Media and Communication Office’s utilization of its Service Request Form tracker, launched June 2025.
“I truly believe that the QMS will help us towards quality service, and towards, of course, honor and excellence in service of the nation,” UP Assistant VP for Administration (Organizational Development and Operations) Tiffany Adelaine Tan declared.
The ISO certification, however, is not the end of UP’s QMS journey. Far from the conclusion, it is merely the beginning of the university’s long and continuous journey to uphold its commitment to operational excellence — and Tan hopes that this commitment becomes a “culture” among UPSA’s offices and units.
“It [shouldn’t] take outsiders to come to force us to follow the standard, but it becomes our culture, [and] one of the things we want sa OVPA is that part ng culture natin is we always want to improve,” she said.
For 2026, the OVPA intends to conduct brown bag sessions to address common operational issues throughout the UP System such as campus security and facilities management.
The UPSA is also scheduled to undergo TÜV Nord Philippines’ first annual surveillance audit around October to ensure that UP’s QMS remains compliant with ISO 9001:2015 after the initial certification.
