The University of the Philippines Open University Institutional Research Ethics Committee (UPOU IREC) in collaboration with the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) held the Online Basic Research Ethics Training (BRET) last 31 August to 1 September 2021 via Zoom.
The UPOU IREC serves as the body that implements the university policy of overseeing the ethical soundness of the institutional research produced, including any research conducted by faculty members, students, REPS, and staff. At present, UPOU IREC is a Level 1 accredited Research Ethics Committee (REC) of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) and is working on its application for Level 2 accreditation.
The training was organized to help the UPOU IREC create a pool of reviewers who can help review the ethical soundness of institutional researches produced and improve the existing ethical review process. Particularly, the training aimed to help the attendees analyze important concepts in scientific soundness, informed consent, authorship, and research ethics review, apply the different research ethics principles when conducting an ethical review of research proposals, identify the roles of an Ethics Review Systems, Ethics Review Committees and Members, and Ethical Researcher, and develop the basic skills needed in conducting an ethical review of a research proposal.
These objectives are aligned to Memorandum No. OVPAA 2020-145 dated 30 November 2020, stipulating all institutional research proposals specifically, those research that involves human participants must undergo ethics review. Moreover, this is in adherence to the DOST Administrative Order 001 Series of 2007, CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 34 Series of 2007, and the Joint DOST, DOH, CHED, and UPM Memorandum Order 001 Series of 2012.
The training workshop began with the opening remarks of Dr. Maria Rowena D.R. Raymundo, OIC of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. She briefly discussed the history of the UPOU IREC, the national and institutional mandates regarding the need for researches to undergo ethical review, and the importance of this training.
The expert resource speakers of the workshop were Dr. Rhodora C. Estacio and Dr. Angelica D. Francisco. Dr. Estacio is the Vice Chair of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) Committee on Standards and Accreditation (CSA) of DOST- PCHRD, Professor (retired) and former Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine at University of the Philippines Manila. Dr. Angelica D. Francisco, on the other hand, is the Chair of the Department of Physiology at Centro Escolar University – School of Medicine and a member of the PHREB Committee on Information Dissemination, Training, and Advocacy.
The 2-day training workshop was attended by almost 40 professionals from the UP Open University composed of UPOU IREC members, UPOU IREC independent consultants led by Dr. Myra D. Oruga, faculty members and affiliates from the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, Faculty of Management and Development Studies, and selected research personnel.
The topics included the different principles of Ethics, guidelines and practices from international and national governing bodies of ethics, roles and functions of an Ethical Review Committee, researches during public health emergencies. Trainees were divided into four groups with their different areas of specialization. Plenary discussions and breakout sessions were conducted to guide the participants on how to critically evaluate the ethical soundness of research.
The event concluded by the awarding of certificates of appreciation to the speakers by Asst. Prof. Ria Valerie D. Cabanes, the Chair of UPOU-IREC Committee.
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Marian Tatlonghari
Edited by Dr. Myra D. Oruga and Asst. Prof. Ria Valerie D. Cabanes
Screen Capture by Asst. Prof. Ria Valerie D. Cabanes