With the aim to support the strengthening of the country’s labor workforce and enhance the recognition of Filipino professionals and skilled workers, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) is now offering the accreditation of certification bodies for persons. DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez issued Department Order 18-101 approving the accreditation scheme on 30 July 2018.

Various certification schemes for persons have been developed locally and internationally in response to the growing technological innovation and specialization of personnel. Persons are certified as to provide assurance that they meet the requirements of the appropriate scheme. The role of the certification body is crucial in ensuring the integrity of the certification granted to certified individuals.

The accreditation of certification bodies for persons based on ISO/IEC 17024:2012 – (Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons), ensures that organizations offering certification schemes for persons, operate in a consistent, comparable and reliable manner worldwide. This international standard, harmonize the various procedures and requirements around the world in certifying the competence of personnel in different occupations or professions.

Through an accredited certification based on this international standard, individuals will be ensured that they were certified with a globally accepted benchmark for certifying an individual by means of a globally accepted process of assessment and periodic re-assessment paving the way for global recognition of the person’s skills and qualification.

As of 30 June 2018, DTI-PAB has accredited a total of 248 conformity assessment bodies (CABS) that include 188 testing laboratories, 46 calibration laboratories, 7 medical laboratories, 7 inspection bodies and 18 certification bodies. To know more about PAB accreditation, please contact DTI-PAB at +632 917-8142-344 / 0917-811-1946 or e-mail at pab@dti.gov.ph.