The Department of Trade and Industry – Philippine Accreditation Bureau (DTI-PAB) provided refreshers and training, exclusively to its accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) by organizing a weeklong Forum and Capability Program. The virtual event, held from June 19 to June 23, 2023, served as a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, updates, and capability building for over 300 personnel of CABs accredited by PAB under the Laboratory Accreditation Division (LAD).
The program commenced on June 19 with the PAB-LAD Conformity Assessment Bodies’ Forum. This annual refresher provided a comprehensive review of PAB policies, procedures, and standards for the participating CABs. Led by Michelle P. Esteban, the Division Chief of PAB-LAD, the virtual forum offered an excellent opportunity for participants to discuss important updates from PAB, address challenges, and contribute suggestions to enhance PAB’s accreditation processes and system.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in a series of informative sessions. On June 20, attendees took part in the “Internal Auditing Webinar,” which equipped them with the necessary tools to competently assess the performance of their CABs’ management systems. The following day, June 21, featured two events: the morning session focused on “Quality Assurance/Quality Control for Microbiological Testing,” providing insights and best practices in this important area of laboratory testing, while the afternoon session covered “Basic Calibration Principles,” introducing the principles and correct calibration practices as a major requirement of ISO standard quality system.
On June 22, participants attended a webinar on “Review of the Strategies in the Computation and Evaluation of Uncertainty of Analytical Measurements,” where they gained knowledge on computing uncertainty of measurements in the laboratory to ensure quality assurance and accurate result interpretation. This webinar, in partnership with DOST-ITDI, allowed participants from specific professions to earn CPD units. For instance, Medical Technologist professionals could earn 12 CPD units, Chemistry professionals could earn 6 CPD units, and Chemical Engineering professionals could earn 7 CPD units. Other professionals could also utilize the training from this capability building program to obtain CPD units by submitting it as self-paced training to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
The final event of the week, scheduled on June 23, was the “Validation and Verification of Analytical Methods” webinar. This session explored the distinctive features of validation and verification, as well as the requirements outlined in ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory accreditation.
Throughout the program, PAB had the privilege of hosting experts from related fields of learning and relevant organizations to discuss specific webinar topics. These experts include Engr. Aldwin B. Tagapan, a freelance consultant and assessor who discussed the topic Internal Auditing based on ISO/IEC 17025:2017; Ms. Abigail E. Marcos, an R&D Specialist – Microbiologist at Monde Nissin Corporation, who focused on QA/QC for Microbiological Testing; Engr. Arlene Estacio, the Head of Instrumentation and Metrology at DOST-MIRDC, who discussed Basic Calibration Principles; Mr. Admer Rey C. Dablio, RCh, CCPQM, Quality/CPD Manager at DOST ITDI, who provided insights on the Uncertainty of Analytical Measurements; and Mr. Cristopher Millena, RCh, CCPQM, the Laboratory Head of DOST-RO5, who shared his expertise in Methods Validation and Verification.
These knowledgeable and competent professionals shared invaluable insights and expertise during various webinars and training sessions in June 2023. The events offered exceptional learning opportunities, enabling participants to stay abreast on industry developments and enhance their professional competencies.
These activities are a testament to the bureau’s commitment to providing its accredited conformity assessment bodies with the necessary tools, guidance, and support to achieve excellence in respective conformity assessment services.
For more information about the Philippine Accreditation Bureau and to stay informed about the latest updates, please visit its official website: www.dti.gov.ph/pab.
Release Date: 30 June 2023.
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