Strengthening Systems, Sustaining Excellence: SLSU conducts Capacity-Building Workshop for Prospective IQAs
Southern Leyte State University (SLSU), in its continued effort to institutionalize a culture of quality assurance, remains steadfast in advancing excellence in the implementation of its Quality Management System (QMS). As part of this commitment, the University conducted an Orientation and Capacity-Building Workshop for Prospective Internal Quality Auditors (IQAs) on February 18, 2026, with participants representing the Tomas Oppus, Maasin, and Sogod campuses. This initiative reinforces SLSU’s strategic direction toward systems-driven governance, operational effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
To set the tone of the event, Dr. Francis Ann R. Sy, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension Services, emphasized in her message that quality is not merely a compliance requirement but a deeply embedded institutional culture. She highlighted that SLSU is steadily progressing toward excellence through collective passion, accountability, and shared responsibility. The University’s ongoing digitalization efforts, alongside its commitment to process optimization and data-driven decision-making, demonstrate how quality is intentionally integrated into everyday operations.
Moreover, the consecutive benchmarking engagements hosted by SLSU in the previous weeks, where best practices and institutional innovations are shared with partner universities, affirm that the University’s quality initiatives are producing measurable results and enhancing its glocal visibility.
The technical training was facilitated by Ms. Mona Rea Cabalo-Cagurol, a pioneer and pillar in SLSU’s quality assurance journey. Drawing from extensive experience and aligned with ISO 9001:2015 standards, she provided comprehensive discussions on internal audit principles, risk-based thinking, evidence-based evaluation, and best practices in audit implementation. The session fostered active engagement among participants, generating insightful discussions and real-world scenarios that deepened their understanding of internal audit mechanisms.
In the afternoon session, prospective Internal Quality Auditors were immersed in the actual conduct of audits in selected offices, undertaken with the offices’ consent and readiness. This hands-on exercise not only strengthened participants’ technical competencies in audit planning, execution, and reporting, but also reflected the confidence of University offices in the integrity and transparency of their systems and procedures. Such openness demonstrates SLSU’s maturity in governance and its commitment to accountability and performance excellence.
This activity significantly contributes to the University’s broader sustainability and governance agenda. By strengthening institutional capacity in quality management, SLSU advances Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 – Quality Education, particularly in ensuring effective learning environments and institutional resilience. It also supports SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions by reinforcing transparent governance, accountability mechanisms, and ethical leadership. From an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) perspective, the initiative strengthens the Governance pillar through structured internal controls, compliance monitoring, and risk management systems, while also enhancing the Social dimension by promoting organizational learning, stakeholder trust, and institutional integrity. Through sustained quality assurance efforts, SLSU continues to align operational excellence with sustainable development, reinforcing its commitment to responsible and future-ready higher education.