REITERATION OF PHREB ACCREDITATION AND DA RULES AND REGULATIONS ON THE CONDUCT OF SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES USING ANIMALS

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office 1 has issued the CHED Regional Memorandum Order No. 02, s. 2019 which reiterates the: (1) Philippine Health Research Ethics Board’s (PHREB) policy on the registration and accreditation of all Ethics Review Committees (ERCs) in the Philippines, and (2) Department of Agriculture’s rules and regulations on the conduct of scientific procedures using animals.

These two policies encompass the need to establish an institutionalized rule that protects the safety and welfare of the subjects of research participants (both animal and human participants) and the need to accredit such institutions to ensure that these policies are being implemented in the highest standards of quality.

Thus, this memorandum is being issued as a reminder to all researchers and research institutions in region and to implement these rules as soon as possible.

To access the documents, please click “Reiteration of PHREB Accreditation of All ERCs in the Philippines and Department of Agriculture’s Rules and Regulations on the Conduct of Scientific Procedures Using Animals”.

REMB-1 First Ever Accreditation Training

The Regional Ethics Monitoring Board – Region 1 (REMB-1) together with the Committee on Standards and Accreditation (CSA), in partnership with the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, conducted for the first time ever a two-day Accreditation Training and Workshop on How to Accredit Research Ethics Committees on October 23-24, 2018, at the Board Room, Main Building of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, City of Batac, Ilocos Norte. The activity was primarily aimed at relating the roles and functions of REMB with the PHREB mandate and to rationalize the accreditation process according to the PHREB policies, accreditation standards and classification of RECs. 

Dr. Marita Reyes of the National Ethics Committee (NEC), served as the trainer for the training-workshop. Dr Reyes refreshed the participants on the REMB functions and gave a comprehensive lecture on the accreditation policies and standards for RECs. She emphasized the need to effectively employ the principles based on the National Ethical Guidelines which is considered as the bible of all ethics committees in the country.

The two sets of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) from the University of Northern Philippines, Vigan City, Ilocos Norte and Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, were used by the participants who were divided into two groups. The two groups were composed of three (3) REMB members and (2) CSA members. The groups checked on the completeness of the documentary requirements and evaluated the SOPs. Although it was only a training, the results of the evaluation of the applications of the RECs of the two institutions served as basis for the findings that were transmitted to them for compliance.

Furthermore, during the latter part of the training- workshop, the members of the REMB-I showed their full support and supervision every time the CSA conducts an accreditation. They also expressed their gratitude to PHREB and PCHRD for the conduct of the said training-workshop.

---This article was also published at the R1HRDC Website