The Philippines’ Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC) testing facility’s ISO accreditation has received the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognition, effectively opening the American market for the country’s electronics testing.
In an email to the EPDC, Jihad Hermes of the FCC confirmed that the U.S. independent communications regulation agency recognizes the center’s ISO 17025 accreditation it obtained from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation last September 2019.
The EPDC report says the recognition allows the center to perform compliance testing on equipment subject to the Commission’s Declaration of Conformity (DOC) and Certification rules for Unintentional Radiators.
The ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation demonstrates technical competence for a defined scope and the operation of a laboratory quality management system.
It also helps facilitate cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries.
Test reports and certificates can be accepted from one country to another without the need for further testing, which improves international trade.
EPDC Project Leader Peter Antonio B. Banzon, Chief Science Research Specialist at Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), commended the EPDC team and industry partners at the Electronics Industries Association of the Philippines, Inc. (EIAPI) for their hard work in earning the recognition.
“We are very happy with this development as not only does it open up the EPDC to foreign clients of its testing services but more importantly, it opens up and lowers the barriers for local companies and innovators to enter the US market with our very own innovative products. Expensive tests that used to be performed abroad can now be done much faster and more economically here in the Philippines,” said Banzon in the DOST release.
DOST – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit lauded the recognition as it opens new international opportunities for the facility.
“We welcome this development and we hope more electronics companies here and abroad avail of the EPDC services. As a leader and partner in enabling innovations, we encourage our industry partners to collaborate with us and come up with new opportunities in the country,” stated Dr. Paringit.
Earl Lawrence S. Qua, President of EIAPI, also congratulated the EPDC Team for attaining the accreditation.
“EIAPI is thrilled with the accreditation; it is a great validation of the hard work of the men and women at the EPDC who are offering certified world-class services. This means that test results coming from EPDC will be recognized by the FCC.
“Thanks to the leadership of DOST Secretary Dela Peña, Undersecretary Guevara, and the support and collaboration of Dr. Paringit of DOST-PCIEERD and the staff of DOST-ASTI, these tools are now made available to every Filipino innovator. The EPDC provides services and the use of facilities that are normally only available to large companies. We hope the EPDC becomes a catalyst for the enablement of the Philippine Electronics Design and Manufacturing Industry to scale and to ensure that more Filipino-designed products are successfully brought to market, locally and globally.
“In addition to its PCB Design, Prototyping and Testing, The EPDC is in the process of expanding its prototyping capability to include a PCB wet processes lab,” shared Qua.
The EPDC team said it hopes the US FCC recognition will help drive Filipinos to create original designs and pursue development activities in the Philippines so the facility can cater to the bigger market of manufacturing and assembly of electronic products.
Local entrepreneurs are also given access to DOST laboratories and equipment financing while a new program for Filipino women social entrepreneurs provides technology support from DOST.
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