For the fourth year in a row, the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City secured a certification for environment management system (EMS) from the Switzerland-based International Organization for Standardization or ISO.
DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the DENR was once again issued ISO 14001:2015 certification for persistently incorporating environmental aspects into its operations, particularly at its main office located on Visayas Avenue in Diliman.
“This ISO certification is consistent with the DENR’s mission of promoting the conservation, management and development of the country’s natural resources, and the protection of the environment,” Cimatu said.
He added: “This also demonstrates the commitment of each and every official and employee of the DENR to be a role model in environmental management, and in promoting sustainable development.”
In 2015, the DENR became the first institution or agency in the country to receive ISO 14001:2015 from the ISO, an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from national standard organizations of over 140 member-countries.
Since then, the ISO has been reissuing the certification to the agency based on the recommendation of the Philippine arm of SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification firm.
ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
Last December 13, Cimatu signed the DENR’s Environmental Policy Statement in which the agency reaffirmed its commitment to promote environmental consciousness among Filipinos.
According to Rolando Castro, director of DENR’s Human Resource Development Service and vice chair of the EMS Audit Team, the DENR passed a re-certification audit after having successfully implemented an effective EMS.
An EMS allows an organization to identify and reduce all environmental impacts of its operations or activities in the delivery of its services. It also calls for the management of environmental aspects and ensure their conformity to compliance obligations while addressing risks associated with threats and opportunities.
The DENR had identified nine environmental aspects, namely, energy use, health and safety, disposal to land, discharge to water, water usage, air emissions, paper usage, fuel usage and legal non-compliance. (DENR-PR)
