The Commission on Higher Education – Regional Office 1 (CHED-RO1) and CHED Office of Planning, Research and Knowledge Management (OPRKM) conducted an Online Orientation-Seminar on the Establishment and Accreditation of Research Ethics Committee (REC) and Institutional Animal Care and Use (IACUC) on May 25, 2021, with the aim of capacitating HEIs and researchers to overcome difficulties in establishing and subjecting their RECs and IACUCs for accreditation.

In a recent survey done by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office 1 and Regional Ethics Monitoring Board-1 (REMB-1) chaired by Dr. Mayrose L. Quezon, there were only seven (7) higher education institutions with established institutional Research Ethics Committees (RECs) out of thirty-six (36) higher education institutions (HEIs) offering graduate and health program. Two (2) of which are accredited by the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB). Meanwhile, only three (3) out of eleven (11) HEIs conducting animal studies have Laboratory Animal Facilities that are registered with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Speakers were Dr. Marita V. Tolentino-Reyes, Ethics Trainer of PHREB and Dr. Marlon G. Mendez, Veterinarian II of the Department of Agriculture- Regional Field Office I. Chairpersons of REC and IACUC of HEIs that are accredited by PHREB and BAI also shared insights and experiences for the participants to benchmark on.

A total of 141 participants attended from public and private HEIs offering graduate and health programs, composed of head of institutions, members of REC and IACUC, and from government agencies conducting research.

Expected output of the orientation-seminar is the submission of an application for REC and IACUC accreditation.