The DOST Special Order No. 248 Series of 2017 initially established the Regional Ethics Monitoring Board (REMB) in three regions, namely Ilocos (Region 1), Western Visayas (Region VI), and Davao (Region XI).

To assist the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) in protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of human participants in health and health-related research, PHREB needs regional arms for a comprehensive and consistent implementation of its policies. The PNHRS Law of 2013 has supported PHREB “to establish or designate Regional Ethics Board (REMBs)”. This provision will allow PHREB to extend its updates in the accreditation processes, ethics training dissemination, patient engagement mechanisms, and advocacy in all the regions of the country.

The REMBs shall be lodged within existing regional DOST, DOH, and CHED offices or any designated institution with the following functions:

• Information dissemination, training and advocacy of PHREB;
  
  
• Monitor the performance of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in their respective regional areas. They shall submit annual reports to PHREB;
  
  
• Assist in the development of quality assurance in review of RECs in the region;
  
  
• Assist in the implementation of policies and directions for health research ethics set by PHREB;
  
  
• Perform other functions or tasks as deemed necessary by PHREB.