These URC Plants Were Awarded the Holy Grail of Quality Certifications

Being certified by the ISO, or the International Organization for Standardization, is just about the equivalent of winning the Academy Awards or the Grammy for companies in almost every kind of industry.

In July 2017, three Universal Robina Corporation – Sugar and Renewables Division (URC SURE) plants—namely URC-SURE Tolong, URC Distillery, and Kabankalan Biomass Fired Powerplant – were awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management Systems (QMS), by the Certification International Philippines (CIP). CIP is one of the Philippines’ top certification bodies.

ISO 9001 QMS is the world's leading quality management standard. It aims to demonstrate a company's ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for improvement of the system.

URC-SURE (Tolong), located in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, provides sugarcane milling service and trades raw sugar and molasses. URC-Distillery, on the other hand, is located in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, producing fuel-grade ethanol from molasses and beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide from the fermentation process. Kabankalan Biomass Fired Powerplant, meanwhile, is located in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, and provides power to the National Grid using bagasse, a by-product of sugar-milling, as fuel.

Panch Maniquis, URC SURE’s QMS Manager, said the awarding of the certification is a testament to each of the plant’s commitment to Quality Management System by conforming with the ISO 9001:2015 standards, which emphasize risk-based thinking, the process approach, the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, and continuous improvement among others.

Such an achievement only celebrates URC SURE’s absolute commitment to quality, especially as one of the most dynamic sugar mill complex in Southeast Asia.

“This accreditation means that URC SURE has put together a system to continuously monitor and improve quality for all aspects of the business. It is also a reassurance to our customers that we are serious on delivering a higher standard and quality of service by approaching all of our tasks in a systematic and process-driven manner,” said Rene P. Cabati, Vice President and Business Unit General Manager, of the Sugar and Renewable Group.

With the ISO 9001:2015, URC SURE can only go to greater heights to ensure the best quality products and services for its customers.