THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District’s (MCWD) Water Quality Laboratory has earned the prestigious PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, strengthening the water district’s commitment to safeguarding public health in Metro Cebu.
The certification affirms the competence, impartiality, and consistent operations of MCWD’s laboratory, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of its testing and calibration results.
It confirms the laboratory’s adherence to international standards for quality and accuracy.
The certificate was awarded during a ceremony on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at the MCWD Water Quality Laboratory in Talamban, Cebu City.
Representatives from the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) arrived in Cebu for the occasion.
In her speech, Laarni Joya, accreditation officer and trade and PAB industry development analyst, said the achievement reflects MCWD’s strong commitment to quality, technical competence and continuous improvement.
“Your efforts help ensure accurate and reliable testing, which is vital in protecting public health and the environment,” Joya added.
The MCWD laboratory conducts daily water testing to monitor chemical and bacterial contaminants in all its water sources, various sampling points across the distribution system and even in consumers’ service lines.
Guided by its commitment to provide safe and potable drinking water, MCWD ensures that all regulatory requirements for water quality are strictly observed and complied with.
The water district said test results consistently meet, and even exceed, the standards set by the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.
The ISO accreditation reaffirms MCWD’s strict adherence to quality standards and ensures that the water it supplies is safe for drinking.
MCWD general manager Edgar Donoso thanked the MCWD ISO certification committee, led by Internal Audit Department manager Elmer de Guzman, for making the milestone possible despite the challenges.
“This achievement is another significant milestone in MCWD’s commitment to excellence, quality and customer satisfaction in our service,” Donoso said.
De Guzman recalled that MCWD first expressed its intent to pursue ISO accreditation in November 2023. After two and a half years of hard work and compliance with stringent requirements, the accreditation was
finally granted.
De Guzman said the journey toward accreditation was far from easy, with numerous requirements that had to be met.
However, through the dedication of the team and the full support of management and the Board of Directors, they were able to overcome the challenges and achieve their goal, he added.
“Let us be inspired by what this accreditation truly represents: a shared promise to serve with excellence and integrity,” he said in closing. / PR