The Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) hosted the Basic Research Ethics Training given to current SLU Research Ethics Committee members, consultants, and selected faculty members with PhDs on March 6 and 7, 2023. The training’s goal was to orient and re-orient the REC members and the other participants who will join the pool of ethics evaluators at the training’s conclusion.
As of AY 2022-2023, the SLU Research Committee comprises the chairpersons, members, and consultants. As ethics review is now required for all research with human participants, there is an overwhelming request for review from our undergraduate and graduate students. Hence the need to beef up the number of evaluators.
In this regard, SLU availed the training services offered by Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB). This is also in preparation for PHREB accreditation, which requires evaluators to undergo basic research training.
The two-day training was delivered through the Zoom platform. The participants consist of 24 current REC members and 16 faculty who are PhD degree holders. The resource speakers from PHREB are Dr. Edna A. Medez and Dr. Ruben C. Mendoza. Both speakers are PHREB accreditors and facilitators. Dr. Mendez is a member of West Visayas State University Unified Biomedical Research Ethics Review Committee and a volunteer Medical Specialist. Dr. Mendoza is a faculty and a former chairperson of the Department of Theology at Ateneo de Manila University.
The topics discussed during the training evolved in identifying and applying general research ethical principles, which include recognizing and applying essential characteristics of ethical research that promote the good of humanity that must be scientifically and ethically sound. The training concluded with an open forum on the remaining issues in the conduct of ethics review.
