Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez has hailed Ormoc City's ISO 18091 certification--the first such distinction in the Philippines--as a milestone.
"I am thrilled to get this news. This is a milestone for our city, which we were able to achieve because of the hard work and sincere public service of our leaders with the cooperation and participation of the people of Ormoc City," Gomez said in a statement.
Before winning a House seat in the May 9 polls, Gomez served as Ormoc City mayor from 2016 to 2022.
"I assure the people of Ormoc City that me and my wife, Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, will continue to serve them with excellent service and bring our city more honor. The welfare of our constituents will always be our primordial interest," Gomez also said.
In a letter addressed to Gomez, Multi Fold Links, Inc. Managing Editor Karl Favila said he and other representatives from Multi Fold Links, Inc and the certification body SGS will visit Ormoc City on July 8 to turn over the city's ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 18091:2015 certificates.
"I am proud to inform you that Ormoc City is the first ever in the Philippines to be awarded a certification in both ISO 9001 and ISO 18091," Favila said in his letter dated June 30.
ISO 18091 is the application of quality management systems specific to local governments.
"This is a remarkable feat made possible by your leadership, commitment and by the tireless efforts and commitment made by your LGU team," Favila also said.
From its notorious tag as the drug capital of Eastern Visayas before Gomez became mayor in 2016, Ormoc City was named the safest city in the country in 2018 and 2019 by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Research and Analysis Center. It claims to remain drug-free.
Ormoc was also one of the last areas in the country to be reached by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gomez invested on Covid-19 vaccines to protect his constituents. Ormoc was the only city in the region that bought its own vaccines and later on shared free jabs to nearby municipalities to boost their immunity from the virus.
Gomez was a popular movie actor before he entered politics.