2019

This is a Finalist in the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Revitalized Records Management Program through the PRMIC

Organization

Provincial Government of Pangasinan

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Social and environmental responsibility, Customer and citizen focus, Process management and improvement

Year Implemented

2011

Summary

This program highlights effective management, preservation, and creative disposal of records in the Provincial Government of Pangasinan. The program institutionalized in 2011 greatly enhanced its records services which feature:

  1. Functional Records Manual
  2. Modified manner of records disposal the “plow under” in support to organic farming
  3. Digitization of records
  4. ISO Certification in Records Management
  5. Dynamic and committed PRMIC members 
  6. A three-floor records and archives center which is about to be completed

This program 1 was initiated by Dr. Irmina B. Francisco, guided by RA 9470 National Archives of the Philippines Act of 2007 and inspired by Former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr.,  who crafted the provincial vision, ”Pangasinan as the best place to invest, work, live and raise a family”.

Background and Problem

The province of Pangasinan for more than 20 years before the Revitalized Records Management Program (RRMP) in 2011 did not have a standard policy on the subject. Provincial records were generally mismanaged. What was worse was the Capitol Complex is prone to “anay” and since it is near the beach, it suffers yearly from typhoons. The Provincial Records Management Improvement Committee (PRMIC), realizing that priceless documents may be permanently lost, stepped up to the problem. The initial challenge was none among the PRMIC members had formal training in records management. Further, there were records officers who were lukewarm to records keeping and some offices do not have records officers. However, with the guidance of the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP), and the valued support of the provincial leadership, the RRMP of the province was adopted in 2011 and it is in its sixth year serving the province with regular records disposal, partial digitized records system, and a creative records disposal. It has also become a best practice of the province with a Records and Archives Center which is about to be completed.

Solution and Impact

Since there was no proper and effective records management program before in the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, the PRMIC has been created to oversee the handling and managing of records. The creation of this committee had a big positive impact on the establishment of a well-organized and systematized records management program.

The committee started from scratch as there were no clear guidelines and policies on how to handle and manage records. The group gained substantial knowledge and confidence through training and networking which resulted in the following:

  1. Established and developed a strong partnership with the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) and the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) signifying the private institution. The group has also attended and benchmarked in Davao City in 2011 & in Cebu City in 2014 which featured speakers on successful records management even in places of unrest in Mindanao.
  2. Records have been properly arranged and classified. Seven pilot offices have digitized their records for easy access and retrieval.
  3. Segregation of documents has become more professionalized assuring saved time and easier identification and faster access to records officers. A more effective turn-over is assured when necessary.
  4. Increased awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment of all concerned employees particularly Records Officers and Custodians on the importance of Records Management in all the operations of the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.
  5. Boosted the morale of the Records Officers/Custodians of the offices and hospitals in the Provincial Government of Pangasinan.
  6. Increased awareness of the importance of proper waste disposal that contributes to environmental protection.
  7. Additional revenue to the province received from the sale of valueless records and free organic fertilizer in our Agricultural Nursery in Sta. Barbara.
  8. Achieved the ISO 9001:2015 Certification. 
  9. Records storage areas have been unclogged and have become more spacious for new official records and documents. The province was freed from further expenses since some of the hospitals and offices previously expressed the need for the construction of additional stockrooms for their overflow records.
  10. Records Officers and Custodians have become more committed and responsible and appreciative in handling and managing records.
  11. Records Management and Records Disposal practice at the Provincial Governor’s Office –Administrative Services Division has become one of the best practices and it is open for benchmarking.

Milestones

As a result, the program has:

  1. formulated its own Records Manual and a dynamic PRMIC.
  2. constructed a building that can store records with an archival value for storage and research.

Note: A bigger building to accommodate the permanent records and archives of the province is near completion.

  1. digitized its records for easy retrieval and back-up.
  2. drafted its Provincial Records Inventory and Appraisal as NAP requirement.
  3. finalized its own Provincial Records Disposition Schedule.
  4. received recognitions and citations such as a Quality Management Award for having been conferred the certification to ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System for its Records Management Services; b. Certificate of Appreciation for its innovative program entitled “Records Management (Organized Records Maintenance and Disposal); c. Plaque of Recognition for introducing the “plow under” method in its Records Management Program which is cited by the National Archives of the Philippines as a best practice and the first in the country. 
  5. Plans to open the Records Center and make the holdings be available to the public.
  6. Plans to Conduct community extension services through training and transfer of learning and technology.