With the leadership of its Quality Manager, BSWM Director Dr. Gina P. Nilo and Deputy Quality Manager and the Division Chief of Laboratory Services Division (LSD), Ms. Maribel R. Jalalon, the LSD victoriously completed its First Surveillance Visit with Special Assessment conducted by the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) last January 17-19, 2023.  

The three-day surveillance consisted of the compliance of LSD with PNS ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 Requirements for Chemical Testing laboratory such as: General, Structural, Resource, Process, Management System Requirements and follow-up of actions on previous findings. Technical assessment includes personnel competency, facilities and environmental conditions, equipment, metrological traceability, and process requirements from selection and method verification to reporting and ensuring the validity of test results. Assigned PAB auditors were Ms. Meden Jojemar Peneyra (Integrated Chemists of the Philippines), Ms. Leticia Pangilinan (Phil MSTQ) and Mr. Roel Dela Vega (San Miguel Brewery Inc.). The Surveillance was conducted on the 25 accredited parameters of the laboratory which includes chemical and physical analyses for soil, water and fertilizer, and technical witnessing on the approved signatories and eight (8) new applicant signatories to various accredited parameters. 

The PAB assessors ended with the positive note, commended BSWM-LSD for its compliance with PNS ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 and approved all eight new applicant signatories for various parameters on soil, water and fertilizer chemical testing. Director Gina P. Nilo and Ms. Maribel R. Jalalon were approved as signatories for all parameters on soil, water and fertilizer analyses; while Ms. Lyra Espectacion, Mr. John Adrian Pascua, Mr. Neil Ivan Baribe, Mr. Chino Manuel Antonio, Ms. Sheila Mae Bautista, Ms. Shirley Buduan and Ms. Mary Claire Pras for various accredited parameters.

LSD met its fourth quality objective which is to sustain the PNS ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 practices in all testing activities. Sustenance via limiting external audit nonconforming works to less than 5 Major Findings and less than 20 Minor findings and maintained its commitment to provide excellent services with highest quality that conforms to accepted local and international standards, and provide quality and timely services towards excellent customer satisfaction.