Manila Central Post Office earns ISO certification

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) main Post Office branch at the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio earned its ISO 9001:2015 certification following the successful establishment of its Quality Management System (QMS).

The certification was issued by WQA Phils Inc., an international certification body that provides quality certification services for various kinds of management systems in diverse sectors, in a simple handover of certificate ceremony witnessed by post office officials and employees led by Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio today, November 02, 2022.

The Post Office was regularly and rigorously assessed based on internationally recognized standards to demonstrate the competence, impartiality, and performance capability of post office services.

It underwent a successful 2-stage audit, verifying how the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio operates a management system that has been assessed in conformity with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 with the scope "Acceptance, Processing, Dispatching and Delivery of Mails and Parcels to and from Manila”.

“The Post Office is an important institution created by our forefathers to connect to the world through communication and it should not only be protected and sustained but also improved. We, postal workers, are guardians in ensuring that we evolve and improve the postal experience in this changing world through ISO certification and technology”, Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio said.

He added, “This is a testament to our commitment to strengthen and continuously improve our products and services and to go beyond public expectations”.

Several initiatives such as training of officials and employees on Quality Management Systems and setting up of QMS structures and teams were achieved in assessing and monitoring the compliance of the required standards.

The Philippine Post Office has launched several initiatives to innovate and modernize its services which is timely and relevant, as it facilitates the efficient delivery of communications, payment of services, as well as goods and merchandise, especially now that industries and businesses shift their operations to more modern methods such as e-commerce and online transactions.

“We commit to regularly review and improve our system and processes to ensure continuous compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015”, Fulgencio said.

ISO, or the International Organization for Standardization, is an independent, non-governmental, international organization that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems.

Save the Children Philippines deploys rapid assessment teams to aid children, families affected by Tropical Storm Paeng

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At the onset of tropical storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae), Save the Children Philippines immediately deployed humanitarian response teams on Friday, 28 October, to conduct rapid assessment on impacted areas in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Samar, Panay Island, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Around 4.5 million people, of which 1.4 million are children, have been affected based on initial reports. The figures are expected to increase as Paeng is poised to strengthen and become the 16th typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2022.

In Maguindanao, Save the Children’s response teams are on the ground assessing the situation and needs of children and families. 67 of the 72 deaths recorded so far are from Maguindanao where about 78,000 families were reportedly affected by severe flooding.

Meanwhile, Save the Children’s response teams in Luzon and Visayas, along with teams from civil society organization partners, are currently monitoring and responding to the urgent needs of the affected families and children.

Save the Children is readying the immediate dispatch of prepositioned relief items. These include plastic sheets that can be used as temporary shelters to displaced families, vital household items and family hygiene kits to prevent the spread of diseases, school supplies for children and teachers, and temporary learning spaces to safely resume classes.

Jerome Balinton, Humanitarian Manager of Save the Children Philippines, said: “Speeding up the recovery of affected families and effective disaster preparedness measures are being done to ensure that no children are left behind, in times of emergencies.”

Atty. Alberto Muyot, CEO of Save the Children Philippines said: “In any crisis, children are always the most vulnerable. The message is loud and clear: children are most impacted by the climate crisis. That is why the whole of society must act now to safeguard future generations.”

Save the Children Philippines is relentlessly working with the government and its partners to ensure children’s continued survival, education, and protection every day and in times of crisis.


Caption for photo:

Save the Children Philippines humanitarian team assessing the damage brought by tropical storm Paeng. Photo taken on October 29, 2022. Photo by Save the Children Philippines

Mobile connectivity can supercharge careers, but employers need to do better – Telenor Asia study

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Improved productivity, enhanced career skills and tapping into new business opportunities are just some of the ways people in Asia are turning to their mobile phones to enhance their working lives, according to a study by Telenor Asia.

The study, and second instalment in the “Digital Lives Decoded” series launched in conjunction with Telenor Asia’s 25th anniversary, looks at how respondents across the region are using their mobiles to adapt to changing realities, as new work cultures emerge post-pandemic.

It also examines the changing relationships between employers and employees, highlighting growing concerns over trust and control as hybrid work imposes a physical disconnect between employees and their managers. The study surveyed 8,000 mobile internet users across eight countries (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) in South and Southeast Asia.

"Our research points to mobile connectivity as an enabler of productivity, progress, flexibility and economic opportunity. Yet, we continue to see gaps in how this technology is used between urban and rural populations, large companies and SMEs, between industries and even between C-suite executives and their junior counterparts. In addition, people remain highly concerned about their skills and ability to keep pace with advancing technology. The aspect of trust is also preventing people from realising their full potential through mobile use in the world of work. As time spent working online increases, our survey findings can help identify the right tools and knowledge to close these gaps and improve digital work lives,” said Jørgen Rostrup, Head of Telenor Asia.

 

1. More Women and C-suite executives say they gain from mobile connectivity for work

Echoing the first instalment of the report, where more women reported that mobile usage significantly improves their lives, 54 percent of women respondents compared to 46 percent men, said their mobile phones also connect them to better job and career opportunities. In Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam and Pakistan, women are leading the way in using their mobile to find new ways of generating an income.

More C-suite executives also said they benefit from mobile use at work, as compared to employees at any other level. Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) of C-suite executives say mobile devices have significantly improved their careers and skills development, compared to 47 percent of junior-level employees. They are also more likely to see productivity gains, with 60 percent of C-suite executives as compared to 52 percent of those at a junior level saying productivity has improved by over 20 percent. Despite this, C-suite executives (53 percent) signalled greater concerns than other employees (39 percent average) about their skills becoming outdated in this fast-paced working environment.




2. Workplace policies and practices lag behind

Almost seven in ten (69 percent) respondents believe that mobile connectivity is ‘very important’ to the success of their organisation. However, a similar number of people (62 percent) feel there are untapped business opportunities that could be exploited with better developed mobile technology infrastructure.

People named a lack of skills and knowledge (49 percent), resistance to changing practices and habits (31 percent) and unhelpful workplace policies (28 percent) as key barriers to fully utilising mobile connectivity at the workplace.

This is supported by 62 percent of respondents stating learning and development as an area in which their employer could improve the use and application of mobile technology; while 54 percent also cited HR systems and processes as another area for improvement.



3. Trust issues on the rise

While employees currently value the impact mobile technology has on their work life (only five percent believe that using their mobile device for work reduces their quality of life), establishing safeguards to bolster trust will be critical for organisations in the pivot to a digital-first economy. This will become even more important in the future, as many of the respondents indicated that they expect, a significant rise in their use of mobile phones for work over the next six to twelve months.

Already, privacy and security (60 percent) and lack of trust in technology (40 percent), are the top concerns flagged by respondents that prevent them from utilising mobile technology for greater benefits at work.



4. Singapore most sceptical about benefits of mobile devices at work

On multiple fronts, respondents in Singapore reported the least significant positive impact of mobile usage on their working lives. Just 35 percent (regional average 55 percent) indicate that mobile devices have improved their personal productivity at work by more than 20 percent, while 69 percent (regional average 90 percent) felt that mobile devices have contributed positively to their skills development in the workplace.

While the majority of respondents across the region still believe that using their mobile devices for work improves quality of life, in Singapore only two in ten felt the improvement is significant – the lowest among all markets surveyed. A notable 11 percent of Singaporean respondents said that mobile phones have reduced or significantly reduced their quality of life.