The Philippine Normal University (PNU) proudly announces that its Research Ethics Board (REB) has successfully achieved Level 1 accreditation from the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) as of April 23, 2025. This achievement marks a significant milestone for PNU as one of only 35 higher education institutions in the Philippines with national PHREB accreditation. It also solidifies PNU’s commitment to fostering a culture of ethical and responsible research across its academic community.

Since the establishment of the PNU Research Ethics Committee in 2015 (now officially known as the PNU Research Ethics Board, approved by BOR Resolution No. U-3760, s. 2024), the university has steadfastly championed adherence to the highest ethical standards in research involving human participants. Initially reviewing the theses and dissertations of graduate students, the Board has expanded its scope to include the research projects of faculty members across the PNU System.

The path to Level 1 PHREB accreditation required the PNU-REB to demonstrate competency in conducting ethics reviews, adherence to established standard operating procedures, and the presence of a strong administrative support system. Recognizing the need to align with PHREB’s requirements, the PNU Board of Regents, in its April 2024 meeting, approved key updates to the ethics review guidelines, renamed the PNU REC to the PNU Research Ethics Board, and formalized the composition of its officers and members.

Effective October 4, 2024, the PNU-REB leadership includes Dr. Rene C. Belecina as Chairperson, Dr. Gilbert S. Arrieta as Vice-Chairperson, and Dr. Edna Luz R. Abulon as Member-Secretary. The Regular Members are Prof. Benilda R. Butron, Dr. Zhanina U. Custodio, Dr. Armina B. Mangaoil, Dr. Christ John M. Pastor, and Mr. John Paul C. Sapiño. Administrative support is provided by Ms. Lorephil P. Carlman of the Research Management Office (RMO), while Dr. Joseph Balaoing of Adamson University serves as the Board’s non-affiliated Regular Member.

With this accreditation, the PNU-REB is set to launch a series of orientation sessions and webinars to disseminate the University’s approved ethics review processes for all academic research outputs. A comprehensive Manual on Standard Operating Procedures and newly ISO-coded forms will also be rolled out.

The PNU-REB is administratively supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Quality Assurance and the Research Management Office.