The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) was recently invited by the Department of Trade and Industry Competitiveness Bureau (DTI-CB) to be part of the agency’s pioneering Regional Philippine Quality Award (PQA) this 2022. In a letter addressed to President Benjamin E. Antonio, III, the Chamber has been “included in the committee that will evaluate, validate, and endorses nominated organizations for PQA Levels 1&2 recognition to the DTI-CB”.
Specifically, the SBFCC will be part of the Central Luzon cluster of the DTI-CB’s pilot run of the regional PQA, which aims to decentralize the Award and create more regional recognition for nominees.
“Our inclusion in the evaluating committee of the Central Luzon PQA is a testament to the immense role our local business community plays in the economic development, not just of this region, but of our country. Nonetheless, I hope that this paves the way for the much-needed recognition of our MSMEs in the Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City, Bataan, and Zambales,” shared Pres. Benjamin Antonio, who serves as the SBFCC’s representative to the committee.
Recently, Antonio also participated in the DTI-CB’s half-day orientation to provide committee members with the details of the stringent vetting process of the Regional PQA.
In addition to regional recognition, the pilot run will also serve as a qualifying mechanism for the National Level of the PQA- the highest level of commendation for exemplary organizational performance, mandated by E.O. 448 (1997). It was enacted into law in 2001 through the Republic Act No. 9013 “An Act Establishing the Philippine Quality Award in Order to Encourage Organizations in both the Private and Public Sectors to Attain Excellence in Quality in the Production and/ or Delivery of their Goods and Services.”
