The Regional Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Unit (RFIQU) of the Department of Fisheries-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Region 2, successfully conducted the 2025 System and Performance Audit from September 23 to 26, 2025, at the Regional Government Center, Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

In his opening message, RD Angel B. Encarnacion emphasized the importance of the activity to check the effectiveness and efficiency of the Unit as well as its compliance to state policies and regulations especially in the fisheries sector.

The conduct of the audit primarily aimed to verify compliance with ISO/IEC 17020:2012 and ISO 9001:2015 standards, as well as other relevant national and international food safety regulations. It also sought to assess the implementation of the documented manual of procedures governing official controls on the inspection and certification of fish and fishery products.

Furthermore, the audit served as an avenue to strengthen and harmonize the implementation of inspection and certification systems between the Central and Regional Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Services.

Spearheaded by Dr. Emma L. Ballad, Officer-in-Charge of the RFIQU, together with the staff from the Quarantine Monitoring Stations, Inspection, and Certification Unit. The audit was carried out in close coordination with the Fisheries Auditors from the Fisheries Audit Section of the Central Office, who served as the official evaluators of the unit’s operational systems and performance.

The activity reaffirmed BFAR’s steadfast commitment to ensuring quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and food safety in the fisheries sector in line with its mandate to safeguard public health and promote the integrity of fish and fishery products. (Joefrey Usigan, RFIQU)