Researchers and research ethics advocates gathered together on 10 August 2010 to better plan the direction and next steps of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), the national policy-making body on health research ethics and one of the six committees of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS).

Participants agreed on the creation of an organization or a national forum for health research ethics which will be comprised of all institutional ethics review committees in the country. To achieve this, a task force will be formed to focus on organizing the forum - its plans, strategies and funding.

This forum will serve as a venue to resolve issues related to research ethics, review existing guidelines, provide training on ethics review, disseminate relevant information and updates, share good practices, facilitate accreditation of institutional ethics review committees with FERCAP (Forum for Ethical Review Committees in the Asian and Western Pacific Region), among others.

Another major activity that PHREB has agreed to undertake is to come up with the 2011 revised edition of the National Ethical Guidelines on Health Research, incorporating new ethical considerations and issues resulting from changes in the landscape of health research. The original version of the guidelines was published in 2006.

"Sustaining Quality Health Research through Ethical Review" is among the five parallel sessions held during the 4th PNHRS Week on 10-11 August 2010, with the theme "Convergence in Divergence: Resource Sharing for More Mileage in Health Research."