THE GLOBAL call for ethical research has never been stronger, and three professional researchers based in the Cagayan Valley Region made sure to throw in their support in a Tagaytay City conference on Nov. 23-26.

Members of the Cagayan Valley Health Research and Development Consortium (CVHDRC) checked in at Taal Vista Hotel for theForum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific’s (FERCAP) 14th International Conference, an annual gathering on the dos and donts in health research.

“During the past decade, there has been a growing awareness about the importance of research ethicsamong various research sectors including sponsors, investigators, academic institutions and medicalspecialty associations,”the event’s introductory notes said.

It added: “There is increasing evidence that ethics in research is becoming institutionalizedin many Asian countries as shown by the increasing number of ethics research guidelines, accredited/recognized institutional review boards and the number of training programs in good clinical practice andresearch ethics.”

FERCAP was conceived in Thailand back in 2000 by bioethicists and medical experts to establish guidelines for thereview of behavioral and biomedical researches in the region.

The Department of Science and Technology’s Victoria B. Mabborang, Senior Research Specialist; Dr. Julius T. Capili, Dean of the Cagayan State University’s College of Allied Health Sciences; and Dr. Josephine Joy D. Lorica, faculty member of the St. Paul University of the Philippines’ Graduate School of Nursing represented the consortium,established in 2005 as a network of government agencies, state universities and colleges, and private institutionsengaged in research.

They joined a host of participants from all over Asia and the Western Pacific optimistic about an international linkage to enforce well-integrated and harmonized regulations on the treatment of human participants in research practices.

Nationalhealth authorities, ethics committees, researchers, academic institutions, pharmaceutical industry representatives and evenresearch participants shared their thoughts and stirred the discussions during breakout and plenary sessions, reportings and panel presentations.

Topics ranged from the ethical issues in research grants policy to gray areas inthe management and implementation of interdisciplinary researches. The researchers also discussed minimizing and possibly eliminating unethical practices, and ways toimprove consent forms filled out by research subjects. 

Themed “Embedding Ethics in National Health Research Systems,” the meeting also incorporated hands-on activities so the participants would end up scientificallycompetent, sufficientlyinformed and ethicallydriven when they head back to their communities.

Jointly observed with the first-ever national conference of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), founded in 2003 as the country’s policy-making body in health research ethics, the convention also provided a platform for stakeholders in the local health sector to discuss hot-button issues still aligned with the treatment of human subjects.

The gathering was co-organized by PHREB and FERCAP, with the help of the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, the Department of Health, the Commission on Higher Education and the University of the Philippines Manila-National Institutes of Health.

“When we use people-centered approach in our programs and initiatives, we show people that they are important, that they are the lifeblood of everything that we do. We show them that we are here, all partners in the health research community, to produce meaningful solutions to improve their lives” read Dr. Amelia P. Guevarra,, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development, the supposed speech of Secretary Mario G. Montejo on the opening ceremonies of the 7th Philippine National Health Research Systems Week at Plaza del Norte, Ilocos Norte, August 7-9.

This year’s celebration was themed “People at the Center of Health and Health Research”thus the relation of what Sec. Montejo said in his speech on becoming people centered. He further elaborated that the people-centered approach focused on “listening to people, respecting them, allowing them to make informed decisions, and involving them in crafting realistic and meaningful policies and actions”. Sec. Montejo stressed that the country is assured with better and more efficient health care delivery and services and also prompt and appropriate response to Filipinos needs. It was also mentioned that the Philippines will be hosting the Global Forum for Health Research in 2015.

According to Dr. Ma. Lourdes K. Otayza, Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium chair, the said celebration was aimed for the different stakeholders in health to interact, share information, voice concerns, and contribute research-based solutions to health problems.

The three-day event featured activities on Indigenous People’s Health, National Peer Review and health system shapers seminars, plenary sessions, Consortia staff meeting, research paper oral and poster exhibit competition for student and professional categories and fellowship night. The delegates were a blend of employees, teachers, students, and key officials from various health and research institutions belonging to the different regions in the Philippines.

Cagayan Valley researchers, scientists and experts attended a one-day seminar workshop on Basic High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Seminar Workshop at the Cagayan State University – Carig Campus, September 16.

The seminar was collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology Region 02 - CVHRDC, Cagayan State University – Carig Campus and the DKSH Group of Companies.

“Researchers and scientists too can now be rich and famous” stressed Dr. Maria Nilda P. Muñoz, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik Scientist on her talk about Quality Control and Instrumentation during the said seminar.

Dr. Muñoz said that by exploring research, one can be famous of producing good and quality products. Thus, she encouraged the country’s scientists and researchers to write more proposals specifically focusing on the priority areas for research of the Cagayan Valley Health Research and Development Consortium (CVHRDC) which includes herbal medicine. She then mentioned the main difficulties faced by researchers in herbal medicine research including the lack of equipment or facility, lack of research data, lack of appropriate control mechanisms, lack of education and training and lack of expertise.

The Diethelm Keller Siber Hegner or popularly known as the DKSH is situated at Zurich, Switzerland is known in the Philippines as one of the leading distributors of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) machines which Dr. Muñoz mentioned in her talk is essential in performing more quality and significant researches. HPLC is an analytical process to separate compounds dissolved in a solution.

The seminar was an answer to the problem on the lack of equipment in herbal researches which then featured the use of the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and its various applications on analyses.

Ms. Lisa T. Capsa, Account Executive on Life Sciences of DKSH, introduced the vision and mission of the company while Ms. Eileen Valeri P. Cruz, Applications Specialist, differentiated Gas Chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). She said that a right configuration is needed due to the high cost of HPLC.

“Teach everyone what you know” a tip shared by Dr. Muñoz to the participants on how better researches can be developed in the Region 2. Dr. Muñoz added that there should be no secrets within the consortium and that whoever knows a certain analyses technique should share within the members.

The intensive demands of parenting require huge adjustments from both parents. However, the study, Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey, suggests that men undergo extra adjustment to cope better with child rearing. Encompassing three generations of participants in Cebu from the 1980’s up to the present, the survey collected data on various aspects of human health and nutrition including, reproductive health and sexuality.

During the presentation of the results of the study at the Department of Health (DOH) 13th National Health Forum for Action, Dr. Nanette Lee-Mayol, Research Associate at the University of San Carlos (USC) - Cebu City, shared that the level of testosterone in men is affected by courtship, marriage and subsequent fatherhood.

Researchers measured morning and evening salivary testosterone level of the 624 single, adult male participants. Baseline data were first collected in 2005. The test was repeated after four years in 2009 when some of the participants were already married. Study showed that levels of morning and evening salivary testosterone of men who became fathers declined by 26% and 34%, respectively, whereas single non-fathers only experienced a decrease of 12% and 14% in their respective morning and evening testosterone level. Researchers also discovered that the men who spend most time with their kids are likelier to get lower testosterone levels than the others. These fathers whose youngest child was less than a month old experienced the most drastic decline in testosterone levels. Dr. Mayol revealed, “The more involved you are in taking care of the children, especially the very young ones, the lower your testosterone.”

Though there were researches made on primates showing similar results, no other paper has been published yet that links child rearing with decline in testosterone in human males until the Cebu longitudinal study. The study was the first to conclusively connect child rearing to lowered testosterone levels in men.

While traditionally, child rearing has always been designated solely as a woman’s responsibility, the study proves otherwise. The researchers explained that while high testosterone ensures mating success in men, the steep decline in testosterone level showed that men are innately wired to actively help in the child rearing.  Dr. Mayol stressed, “Testosterone is often high during mating periods but then declines to allow for caregiving of the resulting children.”