The Makati Medical Center-Institutional Review Board (MMC-IRB) was formally recognized by the Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (FERCAP) during its 13th International Conference held in Sanur Beach Hotel in Bali, Indonesia. The plaque of recognition was received by the four-member delegation headed by Dr. Saturnino Javier (MMC-IRB Chair), along with Dr. Dennis Damaso, Dr. Sonia Bongala and Dr. Romana Borromeo.
The MMC-IRB was one of only five Philippine IRBs recognized during the conference along with 44 other ethics committees from Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
With this recognition, the MMC-IRB then became one of only six tertiary care centers in Metro Manila which was recognized by FERCAP – fully poised and officially mandated in the region to fulfill the mandate of reviewing all research trials in the institution enrolling human subjects.
Responding to the call of FERCAP for networking and collaboration during the conference, the Philippine contingent agreed to form a Philippine Research Ethics Network (PHREN) which would be spearheaded by all FERCAP-recognized IRBs in the Philippines.
