TRADE AND COMMERCE

PHILIPPINE QUALITY AWARD 2004, 22 February 2005

FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2004 PHILIPPINE QUALITY AWARDS; UNITED LABORATORIES, INCORPORATED (UNILAB), FIRST SUMIDEN CIRCUITS, INCORPORATED, MOOG CONTROLS CORPORATION AND NEDA REGION 1. AS RECIPIENTS OF THE HIGHEST AWARD FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN THE COUNTRY, I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FULFILL YOUR ROLE AS NATIONAL MODELS FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS. FOR OUR COUNTRY’S ECONOMY TO SURVIVE, WHAT IT NEEDS RIGHT NOW ARE WORLD-CLASS AND GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE YOU, WHICH CAN CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN AND GENERATE MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED. I AM HAPPY TO NOTE THAT THE PQA PROGRAM HAS FOR ITS ULTIMATE GOAL THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

I. INTRODUCTION

THE CONTINUED EFFORTS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND OUR GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN HIGH QUALITY IN THE PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY OF GOODS AND SERVICES WILL NOT ONLY MAKE US COMPETITIVE IN THE WORLD MARKET BUT LIKEWISE ENCOURAGE FOREIGN INVESTORS TO OUR COUNTRY, THUS, GENERATING NEW JOBS. FOR THIS, I SAY THAT YOU ARE TRULY PATRIOTIC, HAVING HELPED THIS ADMINISTRATION IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, FULFILL ONE OF ITS LEGACY PROGRAMS.

II. THE PQA AND COMPETITIVENESS

MY PRESENCE HERE IS A VERY CLEAR MANIFESTATION OF MY FULL COMMITMENT AS YOUR VICE PRESIDENT TOWARD THE PURSUIT OF ORIGINAL EXCELLENCE AND THE COUNTRY’S OVER-ALL COMPETITIVENESS. THE PQA IS REALLY AN ADVOCACY PROGRAM WHOSE FULL IMPACT WE CANNOT MEASURE IN THE SHORT TERM. BUT WHILE THE EFFECT IS NOT IMMEDIATE, THE PROGRAM BY ITSELF IS SUSTAINABLE AND PERHAPS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE SHALL HAVE GATHERED A CRITICAL MASS OF PQA RECIPIENT AND PQA ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS TO START THE IRREVERSIBLE TREND TOWARDS A MORE COMPETITIVE PHILIPPINES.

LET ME ALSO POINT OUT THAT SINCE THE PQA IS PATTERNED AFTER THE BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY PROGRAM OF THE U.S., WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINES THE COMPETITIVENESS TEMPLATE THAT IS IN USE IN SEVENTY SEVEN (77) COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD. I CHALLENGE EVERYONE TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN BY USING THE PQA SYSTEMS AS YOUR TEMPLATE FOR COMPETITIVENESS.

III. THE PQA ROADMAP FOR THE PHILIPPINES

A NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS PROGRAM CAN BE CRAFTED ON THE PQA. BUT FOR IT TO HAVE A LASTING EFFECT IN THE COUNTRY, IT HAS TO SPREAD ITS INFLUENCE TO INCLUDE KEY SECTORS IN THE COUNTRY SUCH AS THE GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, NGO’S AND CIVIL SOCIETY, MEDIA AND ACADEME. WE HAVE TO DEVELOP A ROADMAP THAT WILL INVOLVE ALL THESE SECTORS TO ATTAIN A VISION OF EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY OF WORKLIFE.

AS YOUR VICE PRESIDENT, I WILL ASSIST THE PRESIDENT IN ENSURING GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR BETTER QUALITY AND IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND COMPETITIVENESS. THE NGO’S, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE AVERAGE FILIPINO CONSUMERS CAN HELP BY PROPAGATING THE PRACTICE OF PERSONAL DISCIPLINE. THE MEDIA MUST FOCUS MORE ON THE POSITIVE ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST; THOSE MATTERS THAT CAN UPLIFT THE HEART AND SPIRIT OF THE FILIPINOS. THE ACADEME, ON THE OTHER HAND, MUST GIVE EMPHASIS IN EDUCATING THE YOUNG FILIPINOS ON THE BASICS OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EACH ONE OF YOU TO DRAW UP BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR YOUR OWN RESPECTIVE ROADMAP TOWARDS EXCELLENCE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE ALSO PREPARING A PQA TEMPLATE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO IMPLEMENT THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT OF THE PQA TO THE SME SECTOR WHICH CONSTITUTE THE BULK OF LOCAL ENTERPRISES.

III. THE ROLE PLAYERS IN THE PQA PROGRAM

I COMMEND THE AWARD MANAGER, IN THE PERSON OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY SEC. JUAN B. SANTOS; THE AWARD ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR – THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY FOR QUALITY; AND THE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES, THE AWARD ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR. YOU HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB, AS ALWAYS.

THE PQA PROGRAM IS THE RESULT OF TEAMWORK AMONG SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PRIVATE SECTORS SUCH AS THE PHILIPPINE QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY MOVEMENT AND THE PHILIPPINE QUALITY AWARD FOUNDATION. THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE SYNERGY THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WORKING HAND IN HAND TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.

LET ME MAKE A SPECIAL MENTION OF THE CRUCIAL ROLE THAT THE PQA ASSESSORS PLAY IN THE ENTIRE AWARD PROCESS. OUR POOL OF HIGHLY TRAINED ASSESSORS COMPRISES THE BACKBONE OF THE PQA PROGRAM. THEY SPEND 400 TO 600 MAN-HOURS, AND AS VOLUNTEERS, THEIR SOLE MOTIVATION IS THEIR LOVE FOR OVER COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PATRIOTIC DUTY QUIETLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

LET ME ALSO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF JUDGES, CHAIRED BY MR. FELICIANO L. TORRES. THEY ARE COMPOSED OF SOME OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MANAGERS AND CEO’S FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

CLOSING STATEMENT

IN CLOSING, ALLOW ME TO ONCE AGAIN COMMEND ALL OF YOU FOR THIS VERY WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR. BUT LET ME BE HONEST, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO EXCEL; BEYOND THE CORPORATE BOTTOMLINE IS AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AND NOBLE END, THAT IS, TO DO GOOD FOR A GOOD REASON; TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SOCIETY, TO MAKE SURE THAT AS YOUR ORGANIZATION MOVES UP, NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND, THUS FULFILLING OUR VISION OF EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY LIFE FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

IN THIS RESPECT, I WOULD LIKE TO THROW A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF YOU TO AIM FOR THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE YEARS TO COME. ONLY THEN CAN WE CLAIM THAT WE HAVE A PHILIPPINE ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS FIT TO BE CALLED A “GLOBAL ROLE MODEL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE.”

WHILE MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED COME FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IT IS REFRESHING TO KNOW, THAT FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE A RECIPIENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF OUR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL LINE AGENCIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND GOVERNMENT-OWNED AND CONTROLLED CORPORATIONS BECOME PART OF THE ROSTER OF PQA RECIPIENTS. YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT BY ADAPTING THE PQA AS A TEMPLATE FOR EXCELLENCE. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR MUST SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE ON QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY EXCELLENCE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PQA COMMITTEE TO SEE TO IT THAT THE PQA IS BROUGHT DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF OUR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES SO THAT MAJORITY OF OUR ENTERPRISES CAN ATTAIN WORLD-CLASS STATUS.

AS VICE PRESIDENT I AM WILLING TO BE THE PQA CHAMPION FOR THE COUNTRY TO HELP UPLIFT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. MY VISION FOR ALL LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IS FOR THEM TO AT LEAST REACH LEVEL ONE, THE PQA LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT. LET US DO THE BEST WE CAN. IN THE END, IT WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY THE POOR WHO ARE IN NEED OF GOOD JOBS.

ITAGUYOD NATIN ANG PRODUCTIVITY MOVEMENT SA ATING MGA OPISINA – SA PRIBADONG SEKTOR AT SA GOBYERNO – SAPAGKAT KUNG HINDI NATIN TUTUGUNAN ANG PAGTAAS NG ATING PRODUCTIVITY, BAKA MAIWANAN NA TAYO NG ATING MGA KARATIG BANSA. AKO AY NAGAGALAK NA MAKITANG NAPANATILI NATING MATAAS ANG KALIDAD NG ATING SEMI-CONDUCTOR PRODUCTS NA ISA SA MGA RECIPIENT NG PQA NOONG 2002. NAWAY MAITAGUYOD NATIN ANG PQA SA IBA PANG PRODUKTO NG ATING BANSA.

LET US THEREFORE JOIN HANDS IN NATION BUILDING VIA THE PHILIPPINE QUALITY AWARD.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO AT MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!

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