LIGHT Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), has renewed two ISO certifications of its compliance to international standards in quality management and environmental management systems.
The company said in a statement Tuesday it received an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification from third-party auditor TUV Rheinland.
Receiving an ISO 9001:2015 certification means the company was able to “consistently provide products and services that meet…statutory and regulatory requirements.”
Meanwhile, an ISO 14001:2015 certification means that a company promotes systems that focus on enhancement of environmental performance, fulfillment of compliance obligations and achievement of environmental objectives.
“We are happy to share this achievement because it is a result of our teamwork and commitment to quality. LRMC is committed to pursuing initiatives to modernize and improve LRT-1…,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Alfonso was quoted as saying in the statement.
Specifically, LRMC said it was commended for improved passenger queueing, shorter train headway, reduced cycle time and increased daily trips.
“With the privatization of the country’s oldest railway system, we were able to improve the safety, security and cleanliness of the stations as well as the quality and efficiency of services offered to customers,” LRMC Director for Health Safety Environment and Quality (HSEQ) Andrea Mellind C. Madrid said.
LRMC holds the 32-year concession to operate, maintain and develop LRT-1, which it took over in September 2015.
The company is a consortium of Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s (MPIC) Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd.
MPIC is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Denise A. Valdez
