President Aquino Lauds Success Story of APO Production Unit in Batangas

Malvar, Batangas –President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday praised the APO Production Unit, Inc. for transforming from being a government agency that “suffered from the highest forms of inefficiency” to one that is now “contributing to the national coffers”.

“The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Production Unit was first authorized in 1974 to undertake printing jobs for government agencies. Unfortunately, for more than 30 years, it was unable to fulfill its mandate and suffered from the highest forms of inefficiency,” President Aquino said during the unveiling of the inaugural marker of APO’S high security printing plant here.

He noted that the situation then was so bad that the APO, a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC), could not even solicit printing jobs from its fellow agencies in government.

“Given the APO’s condition in 2010; the decision could have been made to cut our losses and start anew. Instead, we all chose the path of reform,” he said, adding that measures were undertaken to ensure that printing continued, among them streamlining and computerizing operations, enhancing the skills of the workforce, and acquiring new printing equipment.

“Today, we can see that these efforts are literally paying off: from operating at a loss just a few years ago, to finally fulfilling your mandate and contributing to the national coffers,” he said, noting that in 2014, the agency turned over P2.7 million to the government.
The APO, which acquired the three-hectare security printing facility at the LIMA Technology Center in Batangas in July 2014, currently produces excise stamps for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Internal Revenue Stamp Information System.

It has also partnered with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to improve the production of ePassports.

The service level agreement forged between the DFA and the APO will help ensure that the current system runs smoothly, both through maintenance and technical support provided by APO, and through the printing facility, the President said.

“I am certainly looking forward to seeing this plant’s operations in full swing, so that the rest of the country can benefit from APO’s services. That is, after all, what reform is about, whether undertaken in the national government or in an institution like this one,” he said.

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the APO was established in Tokyo by eight governments of the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines, back in 1961 “to contribute to the sustainable economic development of Asia and the Pacific through enhancing productivity”.

Coloma said the APO first became part of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) before it was transferred to the Office of the Press Secretary, then to the Philippine Information Agency, and back to the Office of the Press Secretary, now known as the PCOO.

“Isa sa mga mahalagang tagubilin ni Pangulong Aquino sa simula ng aming panunungkulan ay: ‘focus on doing the right things right’. Para hindi sayang ang kilos, kailangang suriin at alamin ang tunay at tamang problema o sitwasyon. Correct analysis leads to correct solutions and actions. Kaya nga po Ginoong Pangulo, nagpasya kami na ang pokus ng APO ay sa high security printing jobs, dahil dito po sa larangang ito maaaring maging epektibo ang APO sa pagganap ng tungkulin sa pamahalaan at sa mga mamamayan,” he said in his speech during the program.
Thanking the DFA, BIR, Social Security System, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Budget and Management, all clientele of APO, Coloma said, “Dahil sa kanilang tiwala at suporta, nalagpasan namin ang maraming balakid at natugunan ang mga hamon ng pagbabago.” PND (ag)