The Benguet State University-Research Ethics Committee (BSU-REC) held a Basic Research Ethics Training (BRET) on September 9-10, 2025 at the Research and Extension Everlasting Hall as part of the University’s 109th Foundation Anniversary celebration.

Executive Assistant Maridel P. Langbis representing BSU President Kenneth A. Laruan stressed that ethical research requires respecting participants, safeguarding communities, reporting truthfully, and properly crediting others. Langbis asserted that without ethics, research can produce information but not trust. She further urged the participants to cultivate integrity and responsibility, ensuring that every study not only generates knowledge but also upholds human dignity, protects the vulnerable, and serves the greater good.

Ruth Batani, Vice-Chair of BSU-REC, introduced the training’s resource speakers and the focus of the session. The goals of the training were to discuss: the ethical principles and elements of research ethics involving human participants; environmental ethics and values safety; and the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) accreditation, policies, guidelines, and principles. She also shared that as a member institution of the Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium (CRHRDC), which has been granted Level 1 accreditation by PHREB, the BSU-REC is allowed to conduct the BRET.

Four invited speakers delivered their lectures on the training. The speakers are Marina Sagandoy, Judith Magliwang, Pelin Belino, and Dr. Robert Tolentino of the REC CRHRDC chaired by Sagandoy.

The speakers delivered 11 lectures throughout the training. The lectures highlighted crucial points for any research that involves people regardless if they are health related or not should be approached with ethical responsibility. That responsibility does not fall solely to the researcher. As Sagandoy put it, “All stakeholders must be considered in ethical conduct to make research useful and worthwhile.”

Magliwang laid out the principles researchers should have: ‘do good’ and ‘do no harm’. This is not just about avoiding missteps, it is about a consistent and proactive effort to ensure your work is honest, respects your participants, and protects their well-being. When this is done, the research itself becomes more trustworthy.

A crucial part of this process, as detailed by Belino, is informed consent. It is the bedrock  of ethical research, a testament to the participant’s  autonomy. It is a transparent conversation where researchers recognize the right of participants to freely decide if they want to be part of a study. It is a commitment that participation can never be forced.

To ensure that the process is fair and unbiased, one of Tolentino’s lectures was focused on just and credible selection of research subjects. He stressed that a researcher’s duty includes complete transparency. This builds on the idea that every step of the research, from selecting participants to sharing the final results, should be open and fair.//WL.Siblawan-BA History/UPAO intern