Two teams representing Meralco got top recognition during the 33rd International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) held at the Cebu International Convention Center, Mandaue City, Cebu last October 22-24, 2009.

The event is an annual affair which brings various quality circles of companies from different countries all over Asia to showcase work improvement ideas to other groups. It also hosts seminars and workshops that provide information on how to manage diverse situations often associated in the work place. The highlight of the event was the presentation of participating teams where their own problem-solving ideas are showcased and judged by convention officials.

During the event, the two representative teams from Meralco – the Lucena Business Center and the Corporate Wellness Center (CWC) – both took the gold award which is considered the highest rating for the presentations.

"The recognition is the first international award for Meralco’s Quality Circle (QC) teams. And we are very proud of what the teams have accomplished," said Ms. Leonisa C. de la Llana, Senior Vice President and Head, Human Resources and Corporate Services of Meralco.

She added: "We used to compete in the regionals of Quality Circle competitions, but this is the first time our QCs were able to get an international award." The two groups who joined the event were chosen from Meralco’s roster of QC teams, and are considered the best in their field.

“GnR Wit Child of 9” Team of Lucena Business Center, presented the problem: ‘Reduction in customers with BA Bill that visited Lucena Business Center beyond the 30-day standard’ while the “Wellness WIT @ Work” Team of CWC presented the case, ‘Reduction of unserved antibiotic prescriptions.’

“The Meralco teams all did very well that even participants from other countries sought them out after the convention to benchmark their ideas,” Ms. de la Llana said. Some of the countries who joined were: South Korea, China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia. Other teams from the Philippines also joined the convention.

The International Convention of Quality Control Circles is managed by the Japan Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE). Hosting of the annual event is rotated among member countries of the ICQCC Coordinating Committee. The Philippines has hosted the 1984, 1999 and 2009 conventions.