Brief History of CLMMRH RERC and Membership Profile – Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital

The thrust to further improve our research, comes from the Medical Center Chief and the legal basis for the mandate stems from the following codes found in (Roman numeral V) that requires all researches to undergo ethical review for the protection of research participants and as a requirement for publication of the research.

Part of the mandate includes the responsibility of the institution to provide the following:

A supportive environment and adequate quality facilities for research.
Maintain an efficient recording system of research studies being done, their status and investigators involved in the study
Establish an independent and competent RERC and provide administrative support for it.
Establish a standard operating procedure regarding research studies to be done in the institution including fees to be charged.
Establish a safety monitoring system for research studies being done in the institution.
Be updated regarding national and international policies and regulations and comply with them.
Ensure that a system for education and protection of human participants is in place in the institution.

In the institution’s utmost desire to have all research published, the first ethics committee was formed in September 2012, headed by Dr. Ricardo L. Gallaga Jr. as Chairman and Dr. Hans Francis D. Ferraris for Vice-Chairman.

Dr. Hans Francis D. Ferraris became OIC upon the retirement of Dr. Ricardo L. Gallaga. Upon the recommendation of Dr. Ferraris, Dr. Evelyn Reinoso-Lacson became Chairman of CLMMRH Research Ethics Review Committee (CLMMRH RERC). Her appointment was approved by Dr. Julius M. Drilon and she assumed office in May 2014. The CLMMRH RERC was granted PHREB Level 2 Accreditation in March 2016 and subsequently, PHREB Level 3 Accreditation and FERCAP-SIDCER Recognition in November 25, 2016 . During her retirement in October 2018, Dr. Lacson was succeeded by Dr. Emmanuel Prudente as Chairman. Dr. Lacson remained with the RERC as a consultant.

CLMMRH RERC Level 3 accreditation expired last January 3, 2020 during the pandemic and extensions were given up to September 30, 2020. However, the RERC was unable to comply with the recommendations and requirements of the PHREB.

Last April 5, 2023, according to the CLMMRH Hospital Order No. 0439 S. 2023, Dr. Michelle V. Lemoncito-Tolosa was appointed as the Chairperson of RERC, Dr. Emmanuel S. Prudente was appointed as Vice-Chairperson of the RERC, and Dr. Larissa Jane M. De Leon was appointed as the Member Secretary of the RERC. The same Hospital Personnel Order appointed new Regular members, Alternate members and expanded the Independent Reviewers to include the fields of Public Health, Pharmacology, Nursing, Pulmonology, General Surgery, and Medical Oncology.

Last May 10, 2023, Dr. Sonia Bongala advised the CLMMRH RERC to reapply for Level 3 reaccreditation, however instead the CLMMRH RERC applied for Level 2 accreditation for RECs through the Regional Ethics Monitoring Board VI (REMB VI) last July 31, 2023 to expedite the accreditation status.

In the interim, while the CLMMRH RERC was undergoing accreditation, the RERC was advised to partner with other hospitals with accredited Research Ethics Committees (RECs) for the continued review of research protocols of the residents performing researches involving human participants or using human data.

On August 14, 2023, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was established between the CLMMRH-RERC and the University of St. La Salle – Research Ethics Review Committee (USLS – RERC) to review research protocols with not more than minimal risk from our residents (the priority were residents in-training performing researches involving human participants or using human data) while the CLMMRH RERC was undergoing reaccreditation. The said MOA will be effective for a period of one (1) year or terminate earlier once the CLMMRH has regained its accreditation.

On September 19, 2023, another MOA was established between the CLMMRH-RERC and the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital – Research Ethics Review Committee (DPOTMH-RERC) to review research protocols from residents conducting research involving human participants or using human data from the Department of Pathology and Department of Imaging and Radiologic Diagnostic Sciences (DDIRS). The said MOA will last for a period of one (1) year or terminate earlier once the CLMMRH has regained its accreditation

The CLMMRH RERC was granted PHREB level 2 accreditation on January 29, 2024 to January 28, 2025 for a period of 1 year and may be extended for 2 more years once the protocol submission requirements are fulfilled within 6 months.

Vision

“By 2026, CLMMRH is the premiere tertiary healthcare, training-teaching and research facility at the forefront of excellent, responsive, and people-centered health services.”

Mission

“Provide excellent and people-centered and tertiary healthcare services that are accessible, safe, equitable, affordable, and responsive through adequate generation of resources, continual improvement and upgrading of facilities, training and empowerment of human resources, utilization of relevant researches and effective networking with other institutions.”