The DTI’s Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) experienced its first Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) peer re-evaluation through virtual means from January 25, 2021 to March 05, 2021.
DTI-PAB underwent a thorough peer re-evaluation for all its accreditation schemes which includes: Management System Certification (QMS, EMS), Product Certification, Inspection, Testing including Medical, and Calibration. The Bureau was also peer evaluated for its new scheme on Product Certification.
This activity was necessary to maintain DTI-PAB’s signatory status to the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) to mutual recognition arrangements (MRA).
In general, the conformity and competence of the accreditation body to run an accreditation schemes based on international standards is recognized and assured by being a signatory to mutual recognition arrangements (MRA). To be a signatory, the accreditation body like PAB is subject to a peer evaluation and periodic re-evaluation by other accreditation bodies that are MRA signatories in order to confirm its conformity and competence continuously.
When accreditation bodies become signatories to MRA, the certification/inspection/measurement/test results of accredited CABs (Conformity Assessment Bodies) become more reliable and appealing. This does not lead directly to remove TBT (technical barriers to trade) but it is a helpful information for importers to evaluate whether the certification/inspection/measurement/test result of exporter’s economies is acceptable. (https://www.nite.go.jp/en/iajapan/aboutus/kokusai/mra.html)
DTI-PAB is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), and Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) of Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC), International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), for Quality Management System (QMS) and Environmental Management System (EMS), testing, calibration, medical, and inspection, respectively.
For more information about DTI-PAB, please visit www.dti.gov.ph/pab.
Release Date: 09 March 2021