The Philippines may soon expand its electronics testing market to the United States as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized recently the testing capabilities of the DOST’s Electronics Product Development Center (EPDC).
In an email, Jihad Hermes of the FCC informed EPDC that it recognizes the ISO 17025 accreditation it obtained from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation last September 2019.
The recognition allows the EPDC to perform compliance testing on equipment subject to the FCC’s Declaration of Conformity (DOC) and Certification rules for Unintentional Radiators.
Peter Antonio B. Banzon, chief science research specialist at DOST-ASTI and project leader for EPDC, commended its team and industry partners at the Electronics Industries Association of the Philippines Inc. (EIAPI), which manages the operations of the EPDC, for their hard work in making the achievement possible.
“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,” Banzon said.
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. 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.
Earl Lawrence S. Qua, president of EIAPI, also cited the EPDC Team for getting 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,” Qua said.
