A New Era of Reliability for the Philippines

Suzy Jamieson, ICML

Maintenance practitioners in the Philippines now have the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and learn best practices in their very place of belonging - catering specific for the practitioners in the Philippines and neighboring countries.

Erwin Bernal, a training consultant with the Center for Reliability Excellence (CRE Philippines), is heading the effort in the creation of the Philippines’ own “Association of Maintenance and Reliability Practitioners of the Philippines.” AMRP is an independent, not-for-profit, professional association dedicated to instilling excellence in maintenance and reliability in all types of manufacturing and service organizations by promoting maintenance and reliability excellence in the Philippines and neighboring countries.

ICML just had the pleasure of taking part in the first annual “Reliability Asia Conference and Manila, Philippines,” at their impressive exhibition center, SMX Convention Center. Erwin Bernal and his team offered pre-conference workshops taught by renowned educators from Asia and North America; keynote addresses from Felicitas R. Angocillo-Reyes of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry, as well as Carlos Aguilar Jr. of Holcim Philippines. The event was a multi-stream conference, with technical presentations covering a range of topics of interest, from lubrication best practices, reliability excellence and lean/six sigma disciplines. The conference was complemented by an exhibition and counted on industry delegates and exhibitors from across Asia and beyond.

ICML also presented at the conference, joined by speakers from CJC, NCH Philippines, ISOPur, CEMEX Philippines, Noria, FocusLab Thailand, Le Price, ZENPOWER, Synerflex Consulting, Gerlrad Asia Pacific, Eagles Wings, Hewlett Packard, Fastfill, PdMA, IDCON, John Sample Group, Indian Oil, Manila Water Company and Wyeth.

Exhibitors, speakers and delegates came from as close as Manila and other areas in the Philippines; from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand; as far as Australia, United States, Denmark, India and Saudi Arabia. The Department of Trade & Industry of the Philippines, the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineering, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines were also present and endorsed this milestone event.

During the conference, practitioners were given the opportunity to join AMRP and have a say in the future directions for the emerging association.

If you have an interest in AMRP activities or next year’s Reliability Asia conference, email Erwin Bernal at e_bernal@kwi-ph.com.