COMPLIANCE OF VSU FACULTY RESEARCHERS WITH RESEARCH

ETHICAL STANDARDS IN THE CONDUCT OF STUDIES INVOLVING

HUMAN PARTICIPANTS

A Thesis Manuscript
Presented to the Faculty of the
College of Nursing
Visayas State University
Visca, Baybay City, Leyte

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

ALCARAZ, ROQUE JOSE P.

APAO, FRANCES ABBY H.
CAINTIC, ANGELLE FAITH N.
NAMIA, REINA LYNN FEB A.

February 2024
 2ii

RESEARCH APPROVAL SHEET

2nd semester AY 2022 - 2023

Compliance of VSU Faculty Researchers with Research Ethical Standards in the

Conduct of Studies Involving Human Participants

Proposal / Outline Manuscript

Name of Students : Alcaraz, Roque Jose P., Apao, Frances Abby H.,
Caintic, Angelle Faith N., Namia, Reina Lynn Feb A.

Degree Program : Bachelor of Science in Nursing

APPROVED : Janet Alexis A. De Los Santos, PhD, RN, MAN ___________

Adviser Date Signed

REVIEWED : College of Nursing Student Research Committee:

Dr. Janet Alexis A. De Los Santos Chairperson

Date Signed

Dr. Michelle C. Tolibas Member

Date Signed

Dr. Joel Rey U. Acob Member

Date Signed

APPROVED:

Dr. Michelle C. Tolibas College Dean

Date Signed
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iii

RESEARCH TRANSMITTAL

The undergraduate thesis attached hereto entitled, Compliance of VSU Faculty

Researchers with Research Ethical Standards in the Conduct of Studies Involving
Human Participants prepared and submitted by Alcaraz, Roque Jose P., Apao,
Frances Abby H., Caintic, Angelle Faith N., and Namia, Reina Lynn Feb A. in partial
fulfillment of the requirements in Nursing Research II for the degree of Bachelor of
Science in Nursing 2nd semester AY 2022 - 2023 is hereby accepted.

Janet Alexis A. De Los Santos, PhD, RN, MAN

Adviser

____________
Date

Student Research Committee:

Dr. Michelle C. Tolibas Dr. Joel Rey U. Acob

Member Member

____________ ___________
Date Date

Dr. Janet Alexis A. De Los Santos

Chairperson

_______________
Date

Accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements in Nursing Research II for the

degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Dr. Michelle C. Tolibas

Dean
College of Nursing

____________
Date
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL SHEET ii

TRANSMITTAL LETTER iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF FIGURES
vii

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF APPENDICES ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT x

ABSTRACT xi

CHAPTER

I INTRODUCTION 1

Nature and Importance of the Study

1

Objectives
5

Assumptions
5

Significance of the Study 6

Scope and Limitation of the Study 7

Definition of Terms 8

II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 12

International Related Literatures 12

Local Related Literature 14

International Ethical Guidelines 18

Local Guidelines 22
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Philippine Laws, Policies and Guidelines 28

v

III THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK & UNDERPINNINGS 30

Theoretical Frameworks 30

Theoretical Underpinnings 32

Conceptual Framework 34

IV METHODOLOGY 35

Research Design 35

Participants of the Study 36

Sampling 38

Locale of the Study 38

Research Instrument 42

Data Gathering Procedure 42

Data Analysis 44

Qualitative Rigor 46

Ethical Considerations 48

V RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 51

Theme 1: Perspectives of VSU Faculty Researchers

on Research Ethics Compliance 51

Pro-incentives 51

Against the idea of incentives 56

Adherence to Research Ethical Guidelines and Principles 59

Beneficence 60

Nonmaleficence 62

Autonomy 64
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Justice 65
vi
Financial Cost 66

Ethical Dillemas 67

Theme 2: Notions of the faculty researchers about the barriers in

complying with the ethical standards 70

Nonexistence of Research Ethics Committees (REC) 70

Lack of knowledge 73

Prolonged research process 75

Attitude of researchers 77

Theme 3: Impression of the faculty researchers on the idea of the creation

of an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU System 79

Maintaining Quality of Research 79

Improving and Innovating the University through the REC 83

Challenges Posed by the REC 87

Recommendations in the Creation of the REC 89

Discussion 90

Perspectives of VSU Faculty Researchers on

Research Ethics Compliance 90

Notions of the faculty researchers about the

barriers in complying with the ethical standards 96

Impression of the faculty researchers on the idea of the

creation of an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU System 97

VI SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS,

AND RECOMMENDATIONS 100

Summary 101

Conclusions 101

Implications 102
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Recommendations 104

REFERENCES vii
105

LIST OF FIGURES

1 Conceptual Framework of the Study 33

2 Visayas State University Baybay Campus Map 39

3 Visayas State University Tolosa Campus Map 40

4 Visayas State University Isabel Campus Map 40

5 Visayas State University Alang-alang Campus Map 41

6 Visayas State University Villaba Campus Map 41

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viii

LIST OF TABLES

1 Profile of Informants 36
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ix

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix A: Research Proposal Approval Sheet 115

Appendix B: EVHRDC Clearance 116

Appendix C: Transmittal letter to participants 119

Appendix D: Informed Consent 120

Appendix E: Guide Questions 124

Appendix F: Transcripts 125

Appendix G: Data Analysis 328

Appendix H: Curriculum Vitae of the Researchers 340

Appendix I: Curriculum Vitae of Research Adviser 344

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors of this study would like to express their sincere gratitude to those

who have contributed in seeing this project through to its conclusion.

First and foremost, the authors would like to thank the College of Nursing of

Visayas State University for providing a supportive academic atmosphere, and for their

dedication to excellence in research and education.

To our authors’ adviser, Dr. Janet Alexis de los Santos, for her constant

supervision and guidance. Her support and expertise have been crucial in determining the

course of the study, and improving the caliber of the authors’ work.

To the panelists, for their insightful suggestions and helpful critiques that greatly

enhanced the quality and the depth of the study.

To the informants, for giving their time and wisdom in providing vital

information for this research. Their willingness to share their insights has been invaluable

in shaping the outcomes of the study.

To the authors’ family and friends, for their unwavering support. Their

encouragement has been a constant source of inspiration and strength during this

academic pursuit.

Without each of the aforementioned people's support and contributions, this study

would not have been possible.

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xi

ABSTRACT

Thesis title: Compliance of VSU Faculty Researchers with Research

Ethical Standards in the Conduct of Studies

Involving Human Participants

Month and Year of Graduation: August 2024

Thesis Supervisor: Janet Alexis A. de los Santos, PhD, RN

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established ethical standards to uphold the
integrity of the research process and protect the rights of research participants. In the
Philippines, the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) ensures the
adherence of health research to universal ethical principles to protect the rights of the
research participants. Since 2007, there have been numerous mandates that emphasize the
need for Ethics Review Committees (ERCs), and it was just in 2019 that HEI’s were
required to do so. The Visayas State University is a known research university in the
country, but noted is the lack of an established REC. Thus, this study aimed to (1)
identify the thoughts of the faculty researchers in complying with the ethical standards,
(2) determine the notions of the faculty researchers about the barriers in complying with
the ethical standards, and (3) discern the impression of the faculty researchers on the idea
of the creation of an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU system. The study was
conducted on all campuses of the Visayas State University, and the participants included
faculty researchers of the institution. Purposive sampling was utilized in the study, and
data gathering was conducted through face-to-face interviews. The data gathered was
analyzed through the Braun & Clarke method. Results showed that there exists a notable
variance among faculty researchers with regards to their perspectives on research ethics
compliance. The study also revealed that noncompliance with ethical standards is a
multifaceted challenge. However, the faculty researchers are hopeful for the creation of
the REC, but with the appropriate policies and guidelines in place.

Keywords: compliance, research ethical standards, human participants, REC

 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the nature of the study and the importance of its

implementation in the study locale. Presented in this chapter also include the objectives,

assumptions, significance of the study, scope, and limitations, as well as the definition of

terms used in the study.

Nature and Importance of the Study

The Office for Human Research Protections (2017) defined research as the

"systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation,

designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." Ethical guidelines have

been established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to protect the rights of the

research participants and preserve the integrity of the research process. To ensure this, the

NIH Clinical Center identified seven main principles to guide the conduct of ethical

research: social and clinical value, scientific validity, fair subject selection, favorable

risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for potential and

enrolled participants. In line with this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also

set standards and operational guidance for health-related research with human

participants for their ethics review. Further, other international ethical guidelines have

also been implemented, including the Nuremberg Code (1947), the Belmont Report

(1979), the Declaration of Helsinki (2013), the International Council for Harmonization

of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP), the Council for International Organizations of

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Medical Sciences (CIOMS) Guidelines, as well as Guideline 1 of the CIOMS

International Ethical Guidlines for Health-related Research Involving Humans (2016).

The aforementioned ethical guidelines all contribute to the creation of ethical health

research, and each one will be further discussed in the next chapter.

In the Philippines, strides for ethical health research were primarily initiated in

2003 by the Department of Health (DOH) through the institutionalization of the

Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) in partnership with the Philippine

Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). A Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Secretary of Health and the Secretary of

Science and Technology, which became the basis for the activities conducted under the

PNHRS. In 2006, a national policy-making body on health research ethics was formally

created through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Special Order 2006-

91. Called the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), this ensures the

adherence of health research to universal ethical principles to protect the rights of the

research participants.

The requirement for ethical review of all health research involving human

subjects has been implemented through the issuance of DOST Administrative Order

2007-001. The order emphasizes that all institutions that engage in biomedical and

behavioral research involving human participants need to establish an Ethics Review

Committee (ERC) for coordination, comment, guidance, and approval, whereby the

composition and procedures must be in accordance with the guidelines in the 2006

National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research. In the same year, the Commission on

Higher Education (CHED) endorsed the aforementioned administrative order and

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mandated the enhancement of the research functions for higher education institutions

(HEIs) through its CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 2007-34. In 2008, the PNHRS

emphasized the need for institutions with Ethics Review Committees (ERCs) or similar

groups to register at the PHREB as mandated by DOST Administrative Order 2008-001.

Four years later, the four core agencies of the PNHRS, including the DOST,

DOH, CHED, and a component unit of the University of the Philippines System, the

University of the Philippines Manila (UPM), mandated the Joint Memorandum Order

2012-001, which requires all health research that involves human subjects to undergo an

ethical review and clearance prior to its actual conduct to ensure the safety, dignity, and

well-being of the participants. This initiative paved the way for the enactment of

Republic Act 10532, otherwise known as the PNHRS Act of 2013, which crafted its

Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). This administrative order strengthened the

mandate of PHREB to fully work towards “improving the health status, productivity, and

quality of life of Filipinos.” This Memorandum Order emphasizes that all research

involving human participants must undergo a mandatory ethical review by a REC duly

accredited by the PHREB. In 2015, a memorandum from the Chairperson was released

requiring HEIs to undergo registration and accreditation of RECs by PHREB. This was

further strengthened in 2019 when the CHED released CMO 2019–15, which mandated

the development of RECs among HEIs doing research involving human participants as

one of the minimum requirements to operate a graduate degree.

The Visayas State University is a known research university in the country. It has

long produced and published studies from its faculty researchers, and students, some

involving human participants. For instance, studies examining vulnerable groups such as
 4

at-risk learners (Godoy & Gravoso, 2008), high school and university students (Pardo &

Gravoso, 2011; Casinillo, 2019), older adults (Acob, 2020), local community partners

(Pasa et al., 2016), small-scale farmers (Caintic et al., 2018; Velarde et al., 2007), and

children (Nakayama et al., 2017). Likewise, other studies involving human participants in

the form of active faculty members (Villalino & Cagasan, 2017); pre-retiring employees

(De los Santos et al., 2020), and nurses (De los Santos et al., 2020). These, among others,

are research outputs published in various peer-reviewed journals. Notably, it was found

that some have not stipulated ethical review processes, while others obtained ethical

clearance from outside institutes that have an established REC.

As a research university, the institution ensures the inculcation of its core values,

including relevance, integrity, truth, and excellence. The use of ethical practices is highly

anchored on integrity, whereby the most crucial tool for the university’s search for truth

is based on firm adherence to an upright moral code and ethical standards. However,

despite the existing policies mandated by the CHED for HEIs to comply with the PNRHS

standards in the conduct of researchers with human participants, noted is the lack of its

implementation and minimal practice among faculty researchers within the VSU system.

Currently, the university does not have an established REC that supposedly aims to

ensure the ethical standards and scientific merit of research that involves the participation

of human subjects. Due to this, the authors of the study aimed to assess the compliance

of VSU faculty researchers with research ethical standards in the conduct of studies

involving human participants.

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Objectives

This study sought to assess the compliance of faculty researchers at VSU with

research ethical standards in the conduct of studies involving human subjects,

specifically:

1. To identify the opinion of the faculty researchers in complying with the ethical

standards.

2. To determine the barriers of faculty researchers in complying with the ethical

standards.

3. To discern the impression of the faculty researchers on the idea of the creation of

an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU system.

Assumptions

In conducting this study, the following assumptions were made:

1. The participants will fully understand the questions they will be asked.

2. The participants will provide clear and cohesive answers about their thoughts on

complying with the ethical standards.

3. The participants will provide their notions to the authors of the study on the

barriers to complying with ethical standards.

4. The participants will discuss their impressions of the idea of creating an ethics

review committee in VSU system.

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Significance of the Study

This study is regarded as important as it would bring benefit to the VSU system in

the conduct of studies involving human participants as well as to the different higher

education institutions similarly situated in the country.

Specifically, the study would be beneficial to the following sectors:

The Administration. The findings of this study will uphold the university's

obligation to guarantee the caliber, excellence, and integrity of its faculty members'

research.

The Faculty Researchers. The findings of the study will serve as input into the

compliance with research ethical standards among the faculty researchers to uphold the

core values of VSU, which serve as a guide for excellence in research. This also requires

the faculty researchers to be ethically compliant with national and international standards.

The Nursing Practice, Education, & Research. It is imperative that nurses take

an active role in interdisciplinary collaboration by offering their distinct viewpoints to

ensure that study design, implementation, and interpretation are thorough and ethical.

After all, the integrity of the nursing profession and the welfare of study participants are

contingent upon the application of ethics in nursing research.

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Authors of the Study. The researchers will be able to contribute to the creation

of the VSU Ethics Review Committee to enhance the conduct of quality and ethically

compliant research projects and publications at VSU.

The Students. The faculty members shall integrate the highlights of the findings

with the students. This approach will broaden the knowledge of students about

compliance with research ethical standards while upholding the university’s core values

at the same time.

Other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), The results will help other HEI’s

literature citations and provide the basis for the creation of an Ethics Review Committee

at the institution level. This also serves as a basis for planning and policy interventions to

assist faculty and staff in enhancing their performance in research.

Other Government Agencies. The results of the study will be useful to other

agencies, such as the Department of Education and TESDA, for linkage research and

other collaborative undertakings.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study aimed to assess the compliance of research ethical standards by faculty

researchers at VSU with the conduct of studies involving human subjects. This study was

conducted within Visayas State University to include the main campus and four satellite

campuses. Descriptive qualitative research was used as the research design in the study,

which focused on discovering the nature of the specific events under the study. The

Braun & Clarke method (2006) was used in data analysis because it offers an accessible
 8

theoretically flexible approach to analysing qualitative data. Moreover, the participants

included all faculty members of the VSU, regardless of department, field of expertise, or

tenure. The following inclusion criteria were observed in the selection:

Inclusion:

1. All faculty researchers in the VSU system who have conducted, are currently

conducting, or have pending research proposal involving humans as participants.

2. This includes faculty researchers who utilize human tissues, cells, or specimens as

in vitro samples of their study

3. Willing to participate in the study

Total purposive sampling was utilized in the study. Furthermore, the output of this

study was interpreted as a basis for the creation and institutionalization of an ethics

review committee. This will allow the faculty researchers to be ethically compliant with

national and international standards. Doing so will make VSU an institution compliant

with ethical research standards. It will subsequently increase the number of publications

in high-impact journals that usually require an ethics review clearance.

Definition of Terms

Authors. The researchers who are conducting the study.

Ethics. Moral principles or standards that govern a person’s behavior in conducting an

activity.

Ethical review. Process of reviewing research for approval or clearance prior to its actual

conduct to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of the participants.

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Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The Philippine government agency is

responsible for promoting equitable access and ensuring higher-quality education for

HEIs and their programs. It is one of the four core agencies of the PNHRS.

Core Values of VSU. (1) Relevance. It emphasizes the pertinence and applicability of

the university to the social well-being of its stakeholders; (2) Integrity. The firm

adherence to an upright moral code and ethical standards in the university’s search for

truth; (3) Truth. It is in accord with facts and reality and connotes sincerity in action,

character, and utterance; and (4) Excellence. A value that centers on the imminent

goodness of the quality of services, systems, and outputs of the university that

consistently lives by excellent standards in anything that it does in its search for truth and

delivery of socially relevant, scientific, and technological contributions.

Department of Health (DOH). The principal health agency in the Philippines. Its duties

are to create public health initiatives, carry out illness surveillance, keep track of health

data systems, and conduct studies intended to support and assess policy. It is one of the

four core agencies of the PNHRS.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It is the country's main science and

technology institution, and it is responsible for enforcing the state policy of assisting

regional efforts in science, technology, and research and development. Responsible for

making sure that all biomedical research involving human subjects complies with

international ethical guidelines and norms that uphold respect for the value of human life

and human dignity. It is one of the four core agencies of the PNHRS.
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Ethics Review Committee. The committee is officially designated to coordinate,

comment, guide, and approve biomedical and behavioral research involving humans. An

ERC may also be referred to as a Research Ethics Committee (REC), an Ethical Review

Board (ERB), a Research Ethics Board (REB), or an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Faculty Researchers. The faculty researchers at VSU who have conducted studies

involving human participants.

Philippine Health Research Ethics Board. This board ensures the adherence of health

research to universal ethical principles to protect the rights of the research participants

involved.

Philippine National Health Research System. The system is responsible for

establishing health research that is linked to the needs of the health system in the country.

It has four core agencies, including DOH, DOST, CHED, and UPM.

Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013 (RA 10532). Strengthened

the mandate of PHREB to fully work towards improving the health status, productivity,

and quality of life of Filipinos. This institutionalized the memorandum of understanding

among the DOH, DOST, CHED, and UPM.

Research. A systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and

evaluation, is designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.

Research Ethics. Conducted in accordance with the seven main ethical principles of the

NIH, including social and clinical value, scientific validity, fair subject selection,
 11

favorable risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for

potential and enrolled participants.

University of the Philippines Manila (UPM). It is a state-funded medical and research

university in the Philippines and one of the four core agencies of the PNHRS.

Visayas State University (VSU). A state university in the Philippines with the vision of

being a leading center for science, research, and technology in its region. The university's

mission is to generate information and technologies that increase knowledge and help

achieve national goals for innovation, economic growth, social development, and

environmental sustainability.
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter covers the related literature of the study. Presented in the review are

the international and local studies and theories, the purpose of assessing compliance with

research ethical standards, international and local ethical guidelines, as well as other

related laws and policies. These data are vital so as to serve as a basis throughout the

course of the study.

International Related Literature

Alrabadi et.al., (2021) conducted a study on the awareness of the national

research code of ethics among pharmacy researchers in Jordan. Purposive sampling was

utilized to select 20 participants for the study, ensuring that the participants had excellent

research backgrounds based on their publications, grants, and citations. A qualitative one-

on-one in-depth interview method was used, and the interview lasted between 30 minutes

to one (1) hour for each session. Among the 20 selected participants, 18 staff members

participated in the study. Three themes emerged: (1) lack of awareness regarding the code
 13

of ethics; (2) the need for clear guidelines for pharmacy researchers; and (3) the need for

further workshops and training courses for pharmacy researchers.

In the cross-sectional survey conducted by Bockhold et.al., (2022) 285

researchers who studied research ethics systems, processes, and awareness of researchers

across Europe were conducted. Results reported that 95 % of the surveyed participants

acknowledged the importance of ethical approval, 87% reported the presence of an ethics

application process within their organization, 77% of the respondents stated the presence

of REC in their organization, 8% were not sure if there was an ethical application

process, and 10% were unsure of the presence of REC in their organization. Specific to

the aggregate population, only 88% of the researchers that involve the patient population

affirm that they require ethics approval despite having the most comprehensive ethical

requirement.

Also, a questionnaire-based observational cross-sectional study was used on 70

participants by Das et.al, (2016) to investigate the awareness of teaching faculty about

ethics committees in a medical college in Kolkata. Twenty questions were administered,

and the mean of the questions that were answered correctly was 11.87 and a standard

deviation of ± 2.32. The result shows that participants overall quality of knowledge and

awareness of the function and structure of IECs were below average as compared to other

studies conducted elsewhere.

Meanwhile, a study presenting a model of the impact of research ethics on the

quality of research by faculty members conducted by Damavandi et.al., (2019)

demonstrates the impact of research ethics on the quality of the research. The study used
 14

a cross-sectional method on 320 faculty members of Medical Sciences Universities that

were selected by random sampling. Researcher-made questionnaire was administered,

consisting of 65 questions and two dimensions of individual and social responsibility, as

well as nine components (trustworthiness, responsibility, professional commitment,

knowledge and perseverance and patience, respect for the rights of the subject, teamwork

morale, responsibility for disseminating results, and attending to community needs).

Results indicated that research ethics have a significant impact on the research quality of

faculty members at Medical Sciences University. Among all other dimensions of research

ethics, trustworthiness, responsibility, subject rights, and teamwork had a more

significant effect on research quality.

Local Related Literature

Bernadette et.al., (2022) investigated the non-existence of REC in ten higher

education institutions located in south Manila using key informant interviews among

research directors and group discussions with the faculty researchers. The following are

the themes that emerge during key informant interviews and group discussion of this

study in line with the noncompliance of ten HEI with the Memoranda Order of CHED in

REC creation: (1) Financial Impact of REC Creation. The release of the memoranda

coincides with the implementation of K-12 program, which reduces the number of

enrollees, resulting in a loss of revenue for private institutions. The creation of the REC

requires a substantial amount of money for the maintenance and personnel of the

committee. (2) Perceptions on Research Ethics Committee. Inadequate knowledge among

researchers about the ethical clearance process and such measures is viewed as near

perfection.
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Compliance on Research Ethical Standards

The requirement that research be subject to an ethical assessment by a capable

Ethics Review Committee (ERC) is a fundamental element of all modern research ethics

guidelines to ensure that proposed research will adhere to the ethical standards and

procedures outlined in the guidelines set by the REC. Observing these guidelines not only

strengthens and protects the rights and well-being of research participants and

communities, but also promotes the ethical conduct of research.

An ERC’'s main responsibility is to evaluate research procedures' ethical practices

and the documentation that supports them. The rules for these ERCs should follow the

idea that research involving people should not break any universal ethical standards.

They should also recognize that cultural values must be taken into account when applying

the ethical principles in certain situations, like when it comes to individual autonomy and

informed consent, while still following the ethical standards in their entirety.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set Standards and Operational

Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-Related Research with Human Participants

for RECs to anchor their guidelines into as follows:

● Standard 1: Responsibility for establishing the research ethics review system

Ensuring that the established research system is appropriate and

sustainable to monitor the effectiveness and quality of all health-related research

through a legal framework and consistency on guidelines set internationally and

locally.
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● Standard 2: Composition of research ethics committees

The selection of the chair and committee members should be equitable to

all social and cultural diversity, and they should be competent and have strong

research backgrounds.

● Standard 3: Research ethics committee resources

The institution creating the REC provides sufficient funding for it,

comprising personnel, infrastructure, and funding to enable the REC to fulfill its

obligations proactively.

● Standard 4: Independence of research ethics committees

There should be an established policy that all REC members should

withdraw themselves from reviewing any study in which they or a close relative

have a conflict of interest.

● Standard 5: Training the research ethics committee

All committee members should receive training on a regular basis while

serving. The use of human subjects, the application of ethical principles to various

categories of research, and the methods used by the ERC to review research are

topics that should be included.

● Standard 6: Transparency, accountability, and quality of the research ethics

committee
 17

The institution creating the REC uses trustworthy methods of evaluation to

determine whether the REC's employees and participants consistently adhere to

the REC's policies, regulations, and written instructions.

● Standard 7: Ethical basis for decision-making in research ethics committees

When making decisions, the REC should be explicit about the exact

ethical standards it follows and make these standards easily accessible to

researchers. When one REC establishes reliance agreements for the assessment of

research from another REC, the latter is required to undertake research that is

within its purview and uphold the same ethical standards.

● Standard 8: Decision-making procedures for research ethics committees

A thorough and inclusive debate and deliberation process is used to make

decisions regarding research protocols that the convened REC has identified for

assessment.

● Standard 9: Written policies and procedures

Written policies and procedures outline the REC's composition, committee

governance, review processes, decision-making, communications, follow-up,

monitoring, recording, and archiving, training, quality assurance, and protocols

for working with other RECs.

● Standard 10: Researchers’ responsibilities

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Only those with the required scientific, clinical, or other relevant

qualifications for the project may conduct research. They must also be aware of

the ethical standards that apply to their work, submit the necessary paperwork to

the REC for review (including the research protocol and disclosures of any

potential conflicts of interest), and carry out the study in accordance with the

REC's established guidelines.

These standards discuss the basis for the ethical acceptability of the

research, including its social value and scientific validity, an acceptable ratio of

potential benefits to risks of harm, the minimization of risks, adequate informed

consent procedures (including cultural appropriateness and mechanisms to ensure

voluntariness), measures to ensure protection of vulnerable populations, fair

procedures for REC and participant selection and worthiness, and consideration of

the impact of research, which are all basis for ethically-grounded research.

International Ethical Guidelines

Nuremberg Code (1947) (JAMA Network, 2021). The Nuremberg Code is one of

the very first policies implemented in response to unethical experimentation among

humans. The code is influential and served as a basis for succeeding laws and policies

protecting human rights, including the UNHCR move against subject experimentation

without consent, the Declaration of Helsinki, and the Geneva Convention on the

protection against unwanted biological or medical experimentation. The code is

composed of ten (10 points that must be complied with for permissible medical

experiments. This includes:

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1. The voluntary consent of the human subject

2. Experiment results should be for the good of society

3. Experiment on humans should be based on animal experimentation

4. The experiment should avoid unnecessary physical and mental suffering/injury

5. The experiment should not be done if it will cause death/disability

6. Risk must not exceed the humanitarian importance of research

7. Proper preparations and adequate facilities

8. An experiment was done only by qualified persons.

9. Subjects should be free to end participation.

10. The scientist must be prepared to terminate the experiment at any stage if needed

Belmont Report (Office of the Secretary, US Department of Health, Education

and Welfare, 1979). The US National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects

of Biomedical and Behavioral Research prepared the Belmont Report: Ethical Principles

and Guidelines for Protection of Human Subjects of Research on April 18, 1979. The

report identified Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice as the three unifying

ethical principles and guidelines when studying human participants. In this report,

informed consent, risk and benefit assessment, and selection of subjects must be applied

in a study.

Declaration of Helsinki 2013 (JAMA Network, 2021). The Declaration of

Helsinki was initially developed in 1964 by the World Medical Association (WMA),

which served as guidance among doctors researching their patients. The Declaration

served as a basis among many other national and international guidelines such as the

CIOMS, WHO Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice for Trials, the ICH Tripartite
 20

Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice, and the Council of Europe. The guidelines include

the following:

1. Guidelines for medical doctors conducting research

2. Difference between therapy and research

3. Review by an independent committee

4. Use of Informed consent

5. Medically/scientifically qualified researchers

6. Risks should not exceed benefits

7. Review on human research that makes use of human data or material

8. Review of biomedical and behavioral research

9. Add ethical consideration section in the protocol

10. Justify the use of placebo

11. Provide some form of post-trial access to successful products

Section 23 of the 2013 amendment strengthens and empowers Research Ethics

Committees. The revision requires all REC should be qualified, independent and

transparent. The protocol should undergo review before a study begins to comply with

national and international norms. The REC has the right to monitor ongoing studies for

amendments, serious adverse events and require a final report from its principal

investigator.

International Council for Harmonization of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-

GCP). “The ICH-GCP is an international ethical and scientific quality standard for

designing, conducting, recording, and reporting trials involving human subjects'

 21

participation. Compliance with this standard provides public assurance that the rights and

safety, the well-being of trial subjects are protected, consistent with the principles that

have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki and that the clinical data trial are

credible."

The ICH-GCP also covers guidelines to Institutional Review Board and

Independent Ethics Committees, Investigators, Sponsor, Clinical Trial Protocol and

Protocol Amendments, Investigator's Brochure, and the Essential documents for the

conduct of a clinical trial

Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS)

Guidelines. CIOMS is formally known as the International Ethical Guidelines for

Biomedical Research involving Human Subjects, is jointly supported by WHO and

UNESCO and was first created in 1993 and later revised in the year 2002. On the year

2009, the CIOMS International Guidelines for Epidemiological Research was

established. The guidelines stipulate the following:

1. Need for ethical justification and scientific validity

2. Local ethics review of externally supported research following local laws and

regulations

3. Guidance about community research and protection of vulnerable subjects, and

4. Capacity building for ethical and scientific review.

The CIOMS International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research

Involving Humans in 2016 highlighted the following:

 22

1. Heightened emphasis on the importance of translational research

2. Need to clarify what counts as fair research in low-resource settings

3. More focus on community engagement in research

4. Awareness that exclusion of potentially vulnerable groups in many cases has

resulted in a poor evidence base

5. Ethical justification for undertaking health-related research involving humans is

its scientific and social value; the prospect of generating the knowledge is

necessary to protect and promote people's health.

6. Ensure that all research is carried out in ways that uphold human rights and

respect, protect, and are fair to study participants and communities in which

research is conducted.

Guideline 1 of CIOMS International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related

Research Involving Humans in 2016 emphasizes the scientific, social value, and respect

for rights in the conduct of health-related research involving humans wherein it must be

able to produce sound information in realizing the objectives, and the rights and welfare

of the subject/s should be respected.

Local Guidelines

Philippines Health Research Ethics Board. A Workbook for Developing

Standard Operating Procedures. The SOP Workbook, gives an overview on how REC

operates by providing standard operating procedures. The said workbook recommended a

template for each SOP consisting the name and logo of the Institution, name of the REC,

title of the SOP, the SOP Number, Version Number, Date of Approval, and Effective
 23

Date. Each SOP should also indicate the policy statement, objective, scope, workflow,

detailed description of procedures, glossary, forms and history of the SOP.

SOP No. 05: Full Review

This standard operating procedure discusses the process of the in-depth review of

a submitted research. It includes the following steps:

Step 1 - Assignment of primary reviewers or Independent Consultants.

Members with the relevant experience are given the role of principal reviewers by

The Chair. Alternatively, if none of the members have the necessary skills, choose an

unbiased consultant. A non-scientist person may also be included to the chair's team to

assess the informed consent process and form.

Step 2 - Notification of primary reviewers and/or Independent Consultants.

By email or official letter, primary reviewers and/or independent consultants are

informed of their assignment by the REC staff. Reviewers/Consultants are asked to

confirm their acceptance and availability within three days, or as otherwise specified by

procedure.

Step 3 - Provision of protocol and protocol-related documents and

assessment forms to primary reviewers/independent consultants

Once confirmation or approval is received, copies of the protocol and/or protocol-

related materials are prepared by the staff and sent for delivery to the principal reviewers

and/or independent consultants.

 24

Step 4 - Provision of protocol and protocol-related documents to the rest of

the committee members:

Three (3) days prior to the committee meeting, at the latest, or in accordance with

procedure, the staff distributes an executive summary of the study proposal to the other

REC members (included among the application forms, Form ## Application Form).

Step 5 - Presentation of review findings and recommendations during a

committee meeting:

Three (3) days prior to a called meeting, The Chair should receive the results and

recommendations from the principal reviewers, who then present them at the meeting. If

a principal reviewer is unable to attend, the chair may exercise his or her right to fill the

function in order for the meeting to continue

Step 6 - Discussion of technical and ethical issues

The protocol assessment checklist, the informed consent assessment checklist,

and the evaluation of the principal reviewers are used by the chair to facilitate an orderly

discussion of the technical and ethical concerns.

Step 7 - Summary of issues and resolutions

The Chair provides a summary of the technical and ethical difficulties that were

found, along with recommendations for any issues that were not handled.
 25

Step 8 - Committee action

Possible responses to the submission are being considered (e.g. approval, minor

modifications, major modifications, disapproval). The majority decision is taken by

RECs when voting is used to make decisions. Other RECs operate by consensus,

meaning that if a strong objection is raised, the discussion continues until the strong

objector is persuaded.

Step 9 - Documentation of committee deliberation and action:

The REC staff is responsible for creating the meeting minutes. According to the

notation of the draft minutes of SOP# 20, real-time documenting of proceedings in line

with the agenda is carried out as follows:

● Date and venue of meeting

● Members attendance (members present and absent)

● Presence of Independent consultants, primary investigators, guests, and

observer’s attendance (if any)

● Time when the meeting was called to order

● Declaration of Quorum

● Name of Presiding officer

● Conflict of Interest (COI) declaration

● Items discussed, issues raised, and resolutions

● REC decisions and recommendations

● Name and signature of person who prepared the minutes

● Name and signature of the Chair and date of notation

 26

Step 10 - Communication of Committee Action to the researcher

A REC staff handles the protocol and special needs for notifying researchers and

investigators of REC decisions or actions. To describe essential modifications to the

protocol or to its approval, the REC frequently employs an Approval Form or a

Notification Form. According to SOP #21, the following steps and documents/forms that

should be included in the review process:

● Step 1 - Finalization of recommendations of the committee (in case of full

review) or reviewers (in case of expedited review)

● Step 2 - Transfer of information from meeting minutes to REC decision

forms or templates

● Step 3 - Approval of the REC decision document

● Step 4 - Transmittal of REC decision to researcher

● Step 5 - Filing of the decision document in the protocol file and Update of

the Protocol Database

Step 11 - Filing of protocol-related documents and Updating of the Protocol

Database:

The management of active files ensures accessibility, easy retrieval of current

files, and protection of those that require confidentiality. The following are steps on

managing active files according to SOP # 23:

● Step 1. Classification and coding of active files: The member secretary's

staff divides active files into the following categories.: Initial Submission,
 27

Resubmission, Progress Report, Amendment, Protocol Deviation,

Protocol Violation, SAE Serious Adverse Event (SAE), SUSAR –

Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction, Early Termination,

Continuing Review, Final Report/ Close Out Report

○ The staff gives the original submission a code and uses that code to

identify all subsequent contributions that are connected to it. The

year and the serial member, which denote the order of receipt,

make up the code. A protocol that is submitted in 2019 as the tenth

submission of that year, for instance, will be coded as 2019-010.

● Step 2. Preparation of the Protocol Folder: The staff files every study-

related document in a vertical folder that is labeled with the following

information: Protocol CodeStudy Title - Proponent's Family Name -

Sponsor or Funding Agency. On the inside of the front cover, the staff

staples a protocol index that lists the folder's contents.

● Step 3. Periodic Updating of the Protocol File: The staff checks that the

files are organized chronologically, with the most recent records at the top.

These papers comprise the following: Protocol (Original and Revised)

versions, Informed consent (Original and Revised) versions, Reports:

Progress, Protocol Deviation/Violation, SAE/SUSAR, Final, Amendment,

Early Termination, Site Visit Reports, Assessment Forms for each of the

submitted and reviewed reports which should be signed and dated,

Excerpts of Minutes of Meetings when the protocol and reports were

included in the agenda, Decision and Approval Letters, Communications

 28

○ Each time a new file is added, the staff updates the protocol index.

The orderliness and completeness of the protocol folder are

periodically reviewed.

Philippine Laws, Policies and Guidelines

Anchored on the aforementioned international laws, policies and directives are the

different Philippine regulations on the conduct of ethical research released by head

agencies in the country:

Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 34 s. 2007 known

as the Policy Requirement on the Conduct of Health Research Involving Human

Subjects/Participants. The memorandum endorses DOST Administrative Order No. 001s.

2007 known as Requirement for Review of all Health Researches involving Human

Subjects/participants.

Joint Memorandum Order No. 2012-001 of the DOST, DOH, CHED and UPM

known as Requirement for Ethical Review of Health Research Involving Human

Participants. The said memo suggests that an ERC duly accredited by PHREB must

review all health research involving human subjects. Such ERC shall have its SOP, which

includes a reasonable timeframe for completing a review process. ERCs are given the

authority to charge a reasonable review fee. The said memorandum was later followed by

an IRR of RA 10532, otherwise known as the Philippine National Health Research

System Act of 2013.

 29

Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Law of 2013 is the legal

basis for institutionalizing the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), a

national policy-making body for the ethical practice of research in the country. On the

other hand, PHREB was established to 'ensure adherence to the universal principles for

protecting human participants in the study.

Commission on Higher Education. Memorandum from the Chairperson. Dated

March 30, 2015, known as the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board-Registration and

Accreditation of all Ethics Review Committees in the Philippines. The memo requires all

HEIs to have Research Ethics Review Committees, which PHREB shall duly accredit.

National Ethical Guidelines for Health and Health-related Research 2017. The

Philippine Health Research Ethics Board prepared this national guideline, particularly the

Ad Hoc Committee for Updating the National Ethical Guidelines. The guidelines present

the General guidelines on ethical review of health research and the Special guideline on

specific research areas, methodology, and populations.

 30

CHAPTER III

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in the study.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS

The following theoretical frameworks describe the grounds for the

formulation of the conceptual framework of the study.

The Consequentialist framework

The Consequentialist framework's classic proponents were Jeremy Bentham

(1789), John Stuart Mill (1861), and Henry Sidgwick (1907). This framework focuses on

the future consequences of potential courses of action, taking into account the individuals

who will be affected either directly or indirectly. In this theory, ethical behavior is

defined as whatever achieves the best results. Hence, this gives emphasis to researchers
 31

who aspire to achieve the maximum good. This framework includes the utilitarian

approach, the egoistic approach, and the common good approach, which uniformly has a

theme in which the moral rightness of acts, is determined by the consequences of that act

or anything relevant to that act, such as the purpose behind the act or a general norm

requiring deeds seems to be ideal or right makes the world better in the future. Yet, this

framework may state the idea that the end justifies the means, but it also does not include

a declaration that some things are always immoral, because even the most atrocious

crimes may end in a positive outcome for some people, and this framework permits these

behaviors to be ethical.

The Duty Framework

Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, is most associated to the duty-based

approach. The duty framework focuses on our duties and obligations in a given scenario,

as well as our ethical responsibilities and what we must never do. Doing one's duty and

doing the right thing is characterized as ethical behavior, and the purpose is to

accomplish the correct action. This framework offers the advantage of establishing a set

of standards with uniform expectations for all people; if an act is ethically right or a

responsibility is necessary, it would apply to everyone in a particular situation. This

fairness promotes treating everyone else with equal respect and dignity.

This framework emphasizes following moral principles or obligation independent

of results, hence it allows for the possibility that one performed ethically even if the

outcome is negative. As a result, this theory works best when there is a sense of

obligation or when we need to understand why duty or obligation demands or bans

specific courses of conduct. Each participant in a study has the right to know that the
 32

informed consent he should sign and all potential advantages and hazards to be

undertaken in a research are reasonably examined. This indicates that the study must

follow acknowledged ethical principles, such as respecting the dignity, rights, safety, and

well-being of all participants, which is the primary reason for forming a Research Ethics

Committee.

It was stipulated on the Visayas State University's (VSU) Quality Policy

Statement that “firm adherence to an upright moral code and ethical standards is vital in

the university's search for truth” as part of its core value of integrity. Students and

faculty, as constituents of the university, are mandated to adhere to the institution’s

demand to follow ethical standards.

THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS

The following are theoretical underpinnings that describe the grounds for the

compliance assessment of our participants on research ethical standards.

Utilitarianism

The roots of the Utilitarian Approach goes back to the philosophical school of the

ancient Greek Epicurus of Samos (341-270 BCE), who proposed that the best life is one

that inflicts the least suffering and pain. British philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-

1832) developed a system applying a similar standard to individual actions that could be

classified as good or bad based on the degree of pleasure and/or pain they would cause.

Jeremy Bentham (1806-1873) altered this paradigm by substituting the standard for the

good with the more subjective concept of “happiness”, as compared to the more

materialist concept of “pleasure”. This approach generally seeks the best action to do the
 33

most good or do the least harm. For a utilitarian, the choice that produces the greatest

benefit to the most people is considered to be ethically correct.

This approach was relevant to the study as utilitarianism puts major emphasis on

considering the greater good when conducting a research. Causing incalculable harm to

our subjects negates their own fundamental rights which explains why it is of paramount

importance to consider the general welfare of the participants.

Virtue Ethics

Individual integrity of character is a defining quality of Aristotle’s virtue of

ethics. In the virtue ethics approach, the actor’s character, motivations, and intentions

serve as its foundation. Essentially, the combination of character and goodness in an

individual creates the concept of virtue ethics.

This approach was relevant to the study considering that the creation of an

institutional ethics review board is a potential objective upon assessment of the ethical

compliance of the participants in research. Adapting appropriate virtues and habits of

excellence are self-reinforcing behaviors that can produce discerning REC members who

not only act virtuously but are also compliant with research protocols and regulations,

and are capable of resolving ethical dilemmas.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 34

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

The conceptual framework of this study was guided by an Input-Process-Output-

Outcome-Impact outline. The compliance with research ethical standards of faculty

researchers in VSU who have conducted studies involving human subjects is the input of

this study. Using descriptive qualitative research as the study's research design, the

process serves to explain the research methodology. The following are the stages in more

detail: Initially, the authors designed an interview guide questions that are grounded on

the study's objectives and theoretical frameworks. The study was then put through a

process known as pilot testing, during which the authors determined how to improve their

interaction with their participants and added new relevant questions to the study. The

document was then finalized after any necessary adjustments. Then, individual

interviewing process was then followed. Following that, the Braun and Clarke Method

was used to analyze the data. Data then was presented and appropriately interpreted by

the researchers. Furthermore, the anticipated Output of this study will be

the contribution to the creation of the VSU Research Ethics Committee. As Outcome of
 35

the study, a Research Ethics Committee will be created in the VSU Research and

Development system in response to the study's findings. This will eventually have an

Impact on the caliber of VSU research publications; as they improve in quality and

qualify for publishing as high impact journals, the university's standing rises

and influence grant possibilities, funding, and accreditation of the University in the

future.

CHAPTER IV

METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the research design, participants of the study, sampling,

locale of the study, research instrument, data gathering procedure, data analysis,

qualitative rigor, and ethical considerations of the study.

Research Design

Descriptive qualitative research was the research design of the study in order to

focus on discovering the nature of the specific events under the study because it

acknowledges the subjective nature of the issue, the diverse range of participant

experiences, and presents the findings in a way that directly reflects or closely resembles
 36

the terminologies used in the research questions. It only aims to identify the explicit or

surface meanings of the data; thus, the authors did not examine beyond what a respondent

has said or written.

This design was used in order to produce semantic codes and themes, which is the

nature of descriptive qualitative research, which is aimed solely at presenting the content

of the data as communicated by the respondents. The purpose of this study was to assess

the compliance of faculty researchers at VSU with research ethical standards when

conducting studies involving human subjects. Moreover, this type of inquiry requires

flexible research processes in line with descriptive data analysis that are inductive and

dynamic but do not transform the data beyond recognition from the context being studied.

Participants of the study

The participants included faculty members of the VSU system from different

departments, fields of expertise, and tenures. The following inclusion criteria were

observed in the selection: (1) All faculty researchers in the VSU system who have

conducted, are currently conducting, or have pending research proposals involving

humans as participants. (2) This includes faculty researchers who utilize human tissues,

cells, or specimens as in vitro samples for their study; (3) and those who are willing to

participate in the study.

Table 1. Profile of Informants

Informantn Campus Field of Research

 37

o.

1 VSU Baybay Nursing Education, Social Sciences and Nursing

Management

2 VSU Baybay Management, Business Administration

3 VSU Isabel Industrial engineering

4 VSU Alangalang Teacher Education

5 VSU Tolosa Criminology, Law Enforcement

6 VSU Tolosa Environmental Science, Health

7 VSU Tolosa Teacher Education

8 VSU Baybay Philosophy, Social Science, Literature, Education

9 VSU Tolosa Food Technology

10 VSU Tolosa Criminology

11 VSU Baybay Development Economics, Environmental Economics,

Sustainable Development

12 VSU Baybay Statistics, Data Science, Biostatistics

13 VSU Baybay Development Communication, Educational

Communication

14 VSU Baybay Risk Communication, Health communication,

Environmental communication

15 VSU Baybay Environmental Philosophy, Environmental Studies

16 VSU Baybay Public Health, Community Education

17 VSU Tolosa Teacher Education

18 VSU Alangalang Teacher Education, English Language Studies

19 VSU Villaba Agriculture

 38

20 VSU Isabel Teacher Education

The study encompassed informants from the five distinct campuses of Visayas

State University: Alangalang Campus, Baybay Campus, Isabel Campus, Tolosa Campus,

and Villaba Campus. Specifically, 9 informants (Informants 1, 2, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,

and 16) originated from Baybay Campus, 6 informants (Informants 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 17)

represented Tolosa Campus, 2 informants (Informants 3 and 20) were affiliated with

Isabel Campus, 2 informants (Informants 4 and 18) came from Alangalang Campus, and

1 informant (Informant 19) was associated with Villaba Campus. The distribution of

informants was determined based on the proportional representation of faculty

researchers at each campus.

These informants contributed to the study with diverse backgrounds and

expertise, spanning various fields such as nursing, public health, philosophy, education,

criminology, engineering, business, economics, food technology, agriculture,

development communication, and environmental conservation. This intentional inclusion

of a broad spectrum of disciplines ensures a rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives,

enhancing the depth and comprehensiveness of the faculty researchers’ compliance with

research ethical standards in their conduct of studies involving human participants.

Sampling

Purposive sampling was utilized in the study. This refers to the selection of

research participants who can speak to the research aims and who have knowledge and

experience of the descriptions under scrutiny (Ritchie et al., 2014). Furthermore, in order

to achieve the research objectives, purposive sampling helps the authors of the study
 39

acknowledge the range of experiences that exist, especially in assessing the compliance

of research ethical standards by faculty researchers at VSU on the conduct of studies

involving human subjects.

The determination of the final sample size was based on the opportunities the

authors had in their collection of data. No data were collected further when there was no

new information emerging from the data collection, new coding was not feasible, and no

new themes were emerging, which was an indication that data saturation had been

reached.

Locale of the Study

The Visayas State University was established first as the Baybay Agricultural

School (BAS) on June 2, 1924. In 1934, it was renamed Baybay Agricultural High

School (BAHS) and was later converted into the Baybay National Agricultural School

(BNAS). On June 19, 1960, BNAS was converted into the Visayas Agricultural College

(VAC). Following its conversion to Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) on

May 24, 1974 by Presidential Decree (PD) No. 470 and amendment by PD No. 700 on

May 12, 1975, the school saw significant expansion and development. Four higher

education schools in the province of Leyte were united into the College in 1999, resulting

in a five-campus ViSCA system. Later on, ViSCA was renamed Leyte State University

(LSU) on August 11, 2001, courtesy to RA No. 9158. By virtue of RA No. 9437, LSU

became Visayas State University (VSU) on April 27, 2007.

This study was conducted in all campuses of Visayas State University including

Baybay (main), and satellite campuses of Tolosa, Isabel, Alangalang, and Villaba.
 40

The following are the geographical locations of the campuses spread out in the

Province of Leyte, Philippines.

Figure 2. Visayas State University Baybay Campus Map

Visca, Pangasugan, Baybay City, Leyte, 6521-A

 41

Figure 3. Visayas State University Tolosa Campus Map

Barangay Tanghas Rd, Tolosa, Leyte, 6503

Figure 4. Visayas State University Isabel Campus Map

Barangay Marvel, Isabel, Leyte, 6539

Figure 5. Visayas State University Alangalang Campus Map

 42

Brgy. Binongto-an, Alangalang, 6517

Figure 6. Visayas State University Villaba Campus Map

Barangay Cagnocot, Villaba, Leyte, 6537

The authors of the study chose this study locale because it adheres to the goal of

assessing the compliance of the research ethical standards of the faculty researchers at the

university. Hence, this can only be done by taking into consideration all satellite

campuses of the university.

Research Instrument

The research instruments of the study were the interview guide, the audio

recording device, and the authors. The focal points of the interview guide focused on the

opinions of the faculty researchers in complying with the ethical standards, the barriers in

complying with the ethical standards, and the impression of the faculty researchers on the

idea of the creation of an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU system. Moreover, the
 43

audio recording device was used in order to record the narratives of the research

participants, and the authors of the study were the main instrument in conducting the

interview and in the delivery of the interview questions.

Data Gathering Procedure

After the approval of the research proposal, the permit to undertake the study was

secured from the Office of the President at Visayas State University - Main Campus, to

conduct the study in the five (5) campuses of VSU. The authors of the study personally

visited the five (5) VSU campuses to establish rapport with the research participants and

had set a schedule convenient to the research participants’ time. Once the schedules were

set, the authors went back to the respective VSU campuses to conduct individual

interviews and face-to-face. The participants of the study were interviewed at a meeting

place of their choice. Before conducting the interviews, the authors administered an

information sheet and obtained informed consent and a voluntary participation form from

the participants. The process of obtaining consent consisted of the following: consent

should be given freely (voluntary), participants should understand what is being asked of

them, and involved persons must be competent to consent because participants need to be

adequately informed about the research, be able to comprehend the information, and have

the freedom of choice to allow them to decide whether to participate or decline. The

participant’s agreement to participate in this study was obtained only after a thorough

explanation of the research process. The authors also asked for the participants’ consent

that the interview would be recorded using an audio recording device. Before the

interview began, the authors informed the participants of their intent to express their

knowledge, attitudes, and practices of complying with the research ethical standards on
 44

the conduct of studies involving human subjects. The authors explained the risks and

benefits of their responses to the study and notified them that the authors only intend to

take up about 15-25 minutes of their time.

Thereafter, the authors conducted a semi-structured, individual interview using an

interview guide to the participants of the study. The participants were encouraged to talk

freely and to tell stories using their own words and in their own comfortable language.

Semi-structured interviews are normally organized with a predetermined set of questions

in mind and then other questions emerging from a dialogue between the interviewer and

participant (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). Interviews were conducted with the

participants using open-ended questions that are broad and general in nature so that the

participants will be able to describe how they are transformed and what processes they

had gone through. The process of having individual interviews also allows for open-

ended discussion and comfortable dialogue which provided the authors an opportunity to

interact with the participants and freely ask questions, obtaining more information

pertaining to their individual experiences in the context.

According to Moustakas (1994, cited in Hogans, 2017), the interviewer is

responsible for creating a climate in which the research participant will feel comfortable

and will respond honestly and comprehensively. After each interview, the authors

thanked the research participants for their time and further informed the participants that

they would be contacted by the authors once the study is ready for publication.

Data Analysis
 45

The data was analyzed through the Braun & Clarke method (2006) because it

offers an accessible and theoretically-flexible approach in analyzing qualitative data. This

method of data analysis adhered to the following steps:

Step 1: Become familiar with the data. Each transcript should be read and re-

read to get a sense of the overall content.

Step 2: Generate initial codes. Each segment of data that was relevant to the

research questions or has captured something interesting was coded. In this study, open

coding was used, which means that there were no pre-set codes and that the codes were

developed and modified as the coding process was worked on. The coding process is

flexible and organic, and it frequently evolves throughout the analytical process. (Braun

et al. 2019).

Step 3: Search for themes. The codes were examined and organized into broader

themes that appear to be connected to the research questions. Furthermore, the themes

describe patterns in the data that are pertinent to the research questions.

Step 4: Review themes. The preliminary themes identified in Step 3 were

reviewed, modified, and expanded upon. The themes were made to be consistent and

distinct from one another. The following points were considered:

● Are the themes clear?

● Does the data back up the themes?

● Am I cramming too much into a theme?

 46

● Are overlapping themes really separate themes?

● Are there subthemes (themes within themes)?

● Are there any other themes in the data?

Step 5: Define themes. This step was the final refinement of the themes, and the aim was

to identify the ‘essence’ of what each theme was about.'. .(Braun & Clarke, 2006). It

considered the following questions:

● What does the theme say? If subthemes exist, how do they interact with and relate

to the main theme?

● What is the relationship between the themes?

Step 6: Writing-up. The fundamental structure of the context was described.

The reflexive approach emphasized the authors’ active role in knowledge

production, the analysis included reflexive thematic analysis. Codes were viewed as

expressing the researcher's interpretations of meaning patterns in the dataset. Reflexive

thematic analysis was regarded as a reflection of the researcher's interpretive data

analysis performed at the intersection of: (1) the dataset; (2) the theoretical assumptions

of the analysis; and (3) the researcher's analytical skills/resources (Braun and Clarke,

2019).

At the end of the data analysis, validation of the findings was sought from the

research participants to compare the authors of the study’s descriptive results with their

experiences.
 47

Qualitative Rigor

This study also involved the unique components of qualitative research in relation

to qualitative rigor.

Credibility

In order to establish credibility in this study, the reflexive approach in data

analysis does not allow predefined themes in order to ‘find’ codes. Instead, the authors

organized codes around a relative core similarity, or "central organizing concept," that

they deduced from the data. Consultations, meetings, and discussions with an expert

qualitative researcher were held to allow for questions and critiques of research activities.

Member checking was also accomplished by constantly verifying data and interpretations

with the participants from whom data was solicited. Furthermore, the participants'

narratives were not transformed, modified, or developed during the course of the study.

Transferability

Transferability was enhanced by using purposive sampling, and the final sample

size was determined when data saturation was reached. This study has provided detailed

and accurate descriptions of the participants' narratives in the context, resulting in rich

data descriptions. Methods to ensure ethical steps was taken during data collection,

identification, and analysis of all data relevant to the study. During the data analysis

phase, all aspects of the analysis was documented, and methodological steps were taken.

An ethics review was undertaken as well to ensure ethical clearance on the conduct of the

study. The data derived from this study will be used as a basis of establishing an Ethical
 48

Review Committee in Visayas State University with the goal to contribute in student,

faculty, and university development in the field of research.

Dependability

Dependability was achieved by having four student nurse researchers who have

been well-taught and trained in conducting a descriptive qualitative study. An established

researcher with a post-doctorate degree, recognized by multiple international journals,

and cited by researchers both nationally and internationally validated the themes and

descriptions that were identified. The Braun and Clarke method of data analysis provided

familiarization with the data by allowing coding and defining themes to be open for

modification and development as the study progressed to improve findings.

Confirmability

To establish confirmability, research subjects were asked to verify the interview

transcript's completeness and accuracy to ensure that the transcript accurately reflects the

meaning and intent of the subject's contribution. Furthermore, a detailed audit trail

maintained by the authors of the study was analyzed by a peer review with an expert in

the field of qualitative research. Throughout the study, the audit trail methodically

describes the step-by-step processes and decision-making. Peer review allows the study

to be critiqued in terms of study methods and validation of the authors' conclusions as a

thorough check on researcher bias.

Ethical Considerations

The study was reviewed by the EVHRDC ERC with the contact information of

the EVHRDC ERC, 888-4203, that participants may call for any queries or complaints
 49

about the research. Furthermore, in this study, the following ethical actions were

considered.

Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation

The authors of the study obtained written informed consent and voluntary

participation from study participants, ensuring that the subject understands each section

of the consent. The research process was thoroughly discussed with the participants, and

they were informed that they have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, even

after signing informed consent, without penalty. Prior to the interview, participants were

asked for permission to record the interview. The participant and the authors each

received a copy of the consent.

Risk

If the discussion is on sensitive and personal issues like personal habits, sexual

health, etc. then an example of text could be something like “We are asking you to share

with us some very personal and confidential information”, and the participant feels

uncomfortable talking about of the topics, the participants can opt not to answer any

question or take part in the interview if they don’t wish to do so.

Benefits

This study will serve as the basis for the institutionalization of a Research Ethical

Committee at Visayas State University; therefore, the involvement of participants will

likely help researchers involving human subjects in the future indirectly.

 50

Reimbursements

The authors emphasized that the research participants were not given any

incentives to take part of the research.

Anonymity

The anonymity of the participants were maintained by withholding their names

and identities through the use of pseudonyms instead of their real names during data

collection, analysis, and reporting of the study results.

Confidentiality

The responses of the research participants in this study were anonymous, and the

authors took precautions to ensure confidentiality, including the following:

1. Creating codes/pseudonyms to be used on all research notes and documents

2. Keeping notes, interview transcriptions, and any other personal identifiers in a

locked cabinet accessible only to the researchers.

3. The audio will be deleted immediately following transcription.

Interview Environment

Each interview was conducted individually in a private and quiet room in the

participant's comfortable interview area, with no outsiders present.

Data Analysis
 51

To avoid the possibility of recordings being heard by others, data transcription

took place in a private room with earphones. During data transcription, the participants'

identities, including their names and any other significant aspect of their identity, were

removed. In the verbatim quotes used to present the study's findings, the participants

were referred to by their pseudonym names.

Sharing of Results

Outside of the research authors, no information was shared during the interview,

and nothing was attributed to the research participants by name. The knowledge gained

from this study was shared with the research participants prior to the research defense and

before this paper was published or made widely available to the public. The research

participants were given a detailed summary of the findings.

Right to Refuse or Withdraw

The authors of the study made it clear to the research participants that they have

the right to withdraw at any time. The authors guaranteed that at the end of the

interview/discussion, the research participants was given the opportunity to review the

authors’ inputs and modify or remove portions of those.

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CHAPTER V

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the results of the study. The discussion below focuses on the

following: (1) perspectives of the VSU faculty researchers on research ethics compliance,

(2) notions of the faculty researchers about the barriers in complying with the ethical

standards, and the (3) impressions of the faculty researchers on the idea of the creation of

an Ethics Review Committee in the VSU System.

Theme 1: Perspectives of VSU Faculty Researchers on Research Ethics Compliance

Research ethics compliance is a crucial aspect of any research study, ensuring that

the rights and well-being of participants are protected. From the perspectives of VSU

faculty researchers, research ethics compliance is seen as an ethical responsibility that

must be upheld throughout the entire research process. Ethical guidelines regulate the

behavior of scientific researchers. It is crucial to adhere to these principles to safeguard

the dignity, rights, and well-being of participants in research. Therefore, any research

involving human subjects should undergo scrutiny by an ethics committee to ensure the

maintenance of the ethical standards (WHO, 2023).

1.1 Pro-incentives

Offering monetary incentives is considered ethically acceptable, as it can be

interpreted as a formal gesture of appreciation for the patient's valuable contributions,

dedicated time, and efforts (Abdelazeem, et.al.2022). However, several researchers

discourage the practice of compensating research participants, expressing worries about

 53

the undue impact on voluntary consent. They stress the need for careful consideration of

the incentive amount to steer clear of pressuring participants, thereby prompting ethical

concerns regarding the appropriateness of financial incentives (Surmiak, Adrianna,

2020).

The faculty researchers are affirmative on their thoughts about giving incentives

because it is anchored on the ethical guidelines. Two research participants have given

similar thoughts:

It is also an ethical guideline that you give incentives to your participants. It is

written on the manual. This was the previous manual way back 2010, not the

2022. (I16)

For me, it is (incentives) okay, in fact, at that time in our clearance in the ethics

review, there was a note there that if you will give incentives, just indicate it in

the informed consent. (I2)

Some faculty researchers have agreed that giving incentives to research

participants is acceptable as long as it is non-monetary:

So I don’t give incentives. I consider giving incentives but not monetary. I gave

later given an incentive but it wasn’t money. It could be of in-kind, because that

is the purpose, because research isn’t a business, it is not money-generating

income for them. (I1)

Self-crafted and practical in-kind incentives that will be useful for the key

informants has been one of the ideas for the in-kind incentives:
 54

I make creative items, not necessarily money. For example, in my study where I

had indigents as participants. Indigents looked forward to something they could

use. There was a time I gave them rice and canned goods as a token of

appreciation for their participation. As for the others, if you they they don’t

necessarily need something to eat, I just made them discs. Plaques were famous

before. I place their name on the plaque as a token of appreciation for their

participation in the study. (I16)

Giving incentives is not a problem at all for some as long as it is not given before

or during the course of the study. The participants expressed their thoughts on giving in-

kind incentives at the end of the study:

We give them the token after the conduct of the study but we don’t mention about

it ahead of time. (I4)

I think it would be ethical if you are not informing them about this because it will

really affect. But as a way of the investigator showing gratitude, I think it is

ethical but for me it should not be given prior to the interview or evaluation. (I9)

We give them the token after the conduct of the study but we don’t mention about

it ahead of time. (I16)

I’ll just give incentives if the study is already done, and I'm already done

obtaining information. So as much as possible I don’t give incentives. In my

experience I did not give incentive in the course of my study. But when it was

done and published, I gave back to them, I gave the findings and then it was the

time I gave the in-kind. (I1)

 55

In contrast to the idea of giving incentives at the end of the study, some have

given their incentives at the course of the study to meet the expectations of the key

informants and their willingness to participate in the study.

But as for the last (respondents), people were telling the barangay, “Oh they

were with me, they will give you this. My God!” So what if we won’t bring

anything anymore? (I18)

The concept of incentives as a driver for motivation among research respondents

has been expressed to justify the ethicality of giving incentives.

So there is a high effect or impact (incentives) because, you know, you might

motivate or maybe make your participants engage more in your research. (I3)

I believe it has an impact. They’re more well-motivated to respond. (I20)

Maybe it will have some sort of motivation. (I19)

Furthermore, giving incentives is a way of expressing gratitude to the research

participants because some faculty researchers believe that it is considered ethically

important to express gratitude.

That's our way of saying thank you (giving incentives) for helping us. (I9)

We don't inform them that there's going to be incentive. It just happened, I mean,

this is just given as a surprise, just to say thank you to them. (I14)

Meanwhile, others believe that giving incentives is fine as long as the research is

funded.
 56

If they have huge funds, then probably an incentive will do… it depends. If the

study has what we call funding. (I19)

But if the study has funding. If there’s none, you don’t give incentive. (I8)

Taking the time of research respondents is a worthy reason to give incentives, as

it acknowledges and compensates them for their valuable time and effort in participating

in the study.

If the survey is only for less than an hour, there are no incentives…If it exceeds

more than 2 hours, that's a significant amount of time. So, that's where we give

some token… That's an opportunity cost on their end. They could have done

something else productive, but they choose to spend time. So, as a sort, we give

them rewards. Especially if it's more than two hours, because that's a significant

amount of time. (I11)

Giving incentives can be justified as ethical because it acknowledges the research

respondents’ contribution and compensates them for their time and effort. Three

participants have shared their thoughts about just compensation especially on studies

where participants came from marginalized communities, who often face socio-economic

constraints, are more likely to be motivated by incentives. In such cases, providing

incentives can actually empower and encourage these individuals to voluntarily

participate in research that they might otherwise not have access to.

It is ethical in a manner… like you are paying a job for these participants. (I3)
 57

Just compensation is a must in research because the respondents are the main

source of our data and they give their time… just compensation is a must and

incentive for me is not seen as influential, especially if we will be giving it at the

end of the procedure or their involvement (I7)

We have implemented that incentive, and I think it's just proper. Now if we, for

example, would interview them, we will bring them to the field, and then without

giving them incentive, chances are they will be experiencing famine. Because

unfortunately, what we are dealing with, the people that we are dealing with are

resource-poor farmers. So every day, they need something to bring back home so

that they will be able to provide food to their families. (I14)

Ethical principles serve as a strong foundation for incentivizing individuals and

organizations. By aligning incentives with ethical values, we can promote behavior that is

not only beneficial but also morally right.

We will be challenged by our moral conscience that they were not able to get

food for them or just give them snacks… But for me it’s not, because I use the

principle of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice. (I8)

1.2 Against the idea of incentives

Despite all the above-mentioned reasons that affirm the actions of giving

incentives, some faculty researchers see it in the opposite way. They argue that giving

incentives may compromise the integrity of research findings and create a bias toward

certain outcomes.
 58

I suppose it did (influence) because even I, who have also been asked to evaluate

a product and some of my classmates, wanted to know first what are the

incentives that should be given to us before we evaluate. However, personally it

did not significantly influence the objectivity of my evaluation. However, I think

in some instances, especially if the product developer did not give some incentive,

I think it did have some merit on the reliability of the comments or evaluation of

the panelists. (I9)

While some negate the thoughts of giving incentives because it forfeits the

concept of voluntary participation and undermines the true essence of genuine

engagement. It can create a situation where individuals are only motivated by the rewards

rather than a genuine interest or passion for the activity.

No, very against with that. Personally, I don't like really take the concept of

giving rewards kay of course I'm a statistician myself and then we always know

that giving incentives could lead to any bias, like measurement bias or response

bias like people may tend to to go to a particular direction of the answer or

answers because they know that they will be given some incentives. (I12)

Regarding the dilemma on the ethicality of giving incentives, some have shared

that incentives are not highly significant in the context of research because it equates to

the action of coercion.

 59

I don't think it's really important because what is really important is their

willingness to participate in the study because in the first place, you have to think

that you are not going to coerce or force the participants. (I4)

Giving incentives is often seen as a form of bribery. Incentives are typically

offered to influence someone's behavior or decision-making process, which can be

perceived as an unethical practice.

The administration, I believe, is not so supportive of this because they see just

compensation as bribery, and when we make PRs for the purchase of snacks or

maybe something that we can give to our respondents, they see it really as a

bribery. (I7)

However, some faculty researchers believe that it is important to note that the

intention behind giving incentives can vary and may not always be considered as bribery

depending on the context and the nature of the incentives provided. Moreover, it is

important to note that there are key differences between the two. Incentives are typically

offered as rewards for achieving certain goals or desired outcomes, while bribery

involves offering something of value in exchange for unethical or illegal actions.

But for me, it’s not a bribe, as long as it’s not a bribe, as long you don’t term it as

incentive we termed it as a token , it’s an act of gratitude, a symbol of gratitude

that you give to them because if you say incentive, you are paying them and that

is against ethics if you say incentives but a token of gratitude could also suffice

it could also make our respondents happy, so you have to listen, not really listen
 60

to them, but metaphorically listen to the ambiance if it’s okay to give a token,

something like that. (I15)

Some people see it as a bribery, but for me, incentive is or just compensation is a

must in research because the respondents are the main source of our data and

they give their time. (I7)

1.3 Adherence to Research Ethical Guidelines and Principles

While others believe that research ethics is something that is established in the

field and is more than what we see in an ethics clearance. Some faculty researchers

believe that to be ethically compliant is to adhere with the existing research protocols.

Given the significance of ethical considerations in research, it is not unexpected that

various professional associations, governmental bodies, and academic institutions have

instituted specific codes, regulations, and guidelines regarding research ethics (Resnik,

D., 2020).

It has many ethical guidelines. But I base it on the manual according to the ethics

committee of conducting research for human participants… So I just really based

my guidelines on that manual. (I16)

Another thing on my personal account as a researcher, an ethically sound

research should follow the protocol of conducting the study… I made sure I have

to follow the ethical code assigned or ethics acquainted with that practice. So

what I do is like a retro approach. Meaning I will have to go first with the

protocol or the ethics protocol and I will now design my study based on that
 61

protocol so that when I perform the study it is suggestive or responsive to the

protocol.(I1)

1.3.1 Beneficence

The principle of beneficence is one of the four ethical principles that guide

research involving human participants. This principle states that researchers have

a moral obligation to do good and to prevent harm. This means that researchers

should only conduct research that has the potential to benefit participants or

society, and that they should take steps to minimize the risks of harm to

participants (The Belmont Report, 2008).

One informant in the study emphasize the paramount importance of

participants' welfare through a humane and ethical approach in conducting

research:

Ethical research is something to do with observing standards, basically

on human relations that will be very beneficial with the respondents or for

both. So it has something to do with getting information with the right

person, with the consent of the person that we will never try to hamper

him or deprive him of his rights or liberties. - (I18)

Addressing privacy concerns was also a central theme, highlighting the

need for privacy compliance, confidentiality maintenance, and the right to

privacy:
 62

Of course, data privacy is also very important. We see to it that the data

gathered in research will not just be accessed by anybody other than

ourselves. And we see to it that at the end of the research or once the

paper is published, we dispose of the data properly or appropriately. So

we delete them in our phones or in our laptops. Or if it's documented or

written or printed, we shred them. (I8)

Also, to bear the responsibility of upholding trust, rapport, and ethical

principles including participant-oriented language and flexible data gathering

arrangements were mentioned in their ethical practices with studies involving

human participants:

So that is my measure, that anytime they want to communicate with me or

if they have further inquiries, they can contact me. So I have to open my

line 24/7 especially if I have ongoing studies.[...] You really have to

entertain them because it's part of establishing a relationship with them,

in return you have free flowing information where you can get

information. (I1)

By informing participants of the findings of their research, one informant

believes he can fulfill their moral obligation to do good and make the world a

better place producing ethically sound research outcomes and sharing it back to

their participants.
 63

So as much as possible whenever you conduct an endeavor, with

relevance to ethicality, you have to go back to your participants or

respondents and inform them that these are the findings of your study. (I1)

1.3.2 Nonmaleficence

The principle nonmaleficence states that researchers should do no harm to

participants. This means that researchers should take steps to minimize the risks

of harm to participants, even if the research has the potential to benefit

participants or society (The Belmont Report, 2008).

One informant highlighted significance of risk analysis is evident, as

researchers meticulously assess potential dangers to protect participants :

Of course at the beginning we do risk analysis. We don't do studies if the

risk is too high, it outweighs safety. For example, if we do an interview in

a barangay, we coordinate with barangay officials. And we ask whether

the study is safe or acceptable. (I8)

The commitment to safety is reinforced through ensuring physical safety

by gathering data in participants' natural environments and emotional safety by

therapeutic approaches in interviewing by attentive listening and the provision of

breaks:
 64

Safety is embedded, we are interviewing them at the comfort of their

house. (I11)

So we talk about physical safety you have to ensure that our research

respondents or our research partners will be safe and in fact when I write

a letter requesting them to be one of the respondents at end of my request

I would say I am very willing to come for interview at any time at any

place at your convenience. (I15)

In the conduct of the study, we must not just consider the physical safety

but as well as the emotional safety. There might be questions that would

trigger their past experiences…one must need therapeutic communication

and sensitivity. (I16)

We pause. I gave them a break. If there is a need for them to be given a

break, I ask them if they want to take a pause or just continue. (I10)

As in terms of data privacy, informants emphasized adherence to this by

ensuring secure storage practices and responsible data disposal:

I destroy the microchip if ever the research is already done when the

reviewer in the publication house [says] that the paper is accepted, so

that is the time that you really destroy the source of data. (I1)

Actually many of my recordings are kept in my computer because

especially my personal computer at home I have keep them but those

computer I am the only one who can access to them. (I15)

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An informant also realized some measures are needed to be enhanced to

ensure more safety on their collected data:

We just keep it on our drive, that's it. We didn’t put any encryptions.

Maybe next time we need to add encryptions to the data banks. (I12)

1.3.3 Autonomy

To uphold participants' autonomous right to self-determination,

researchers need to make sure that potential participants grasp their freedom to

choose whether or not they want to join research studies willingly. It's essential to

convey that deciding not to participate won't impact their access to present or

future care in any manner (Barrow JM, et.al., 2022).This principle recognizes that

participants have the right to make their own decisions about whether or not to

participate in research, and that they should be given all the information they need

to make an informed decision. This includes information about the purpose of the

study, the risks and benefits of participation, and the participant's right to

withdraw from the study at any time.

Respectful data collection practices contribute to ensuring a clear

conscience in protecting participants' rights such as voluntary participation and

right to refuse or withdraw, knowledge in the purpose of the research, its risks and

benefits, and ensuring anonymity and confidentiality. This is reflected in giving

 66

paramount importance on letting participants sign an informed consent which

stipulates the said rights:

The first is that of course the informed consent which is very basic that

you as a researcher inform your participant on what is your research all

about…I paramount honor what was written in the informed consent. (I1)

We are really now implementing these ethical procedures from asking or

having this informed consent form before letting them participate. (I7)

What we do is we prepare a consent form, the informed consent. And then

we let them sign, let them read, let them understand. (I8)

Prior to asking them to evaluate our product, we are also giving them

informed consent so that they will not be forced, so that their participation

in the evaluation of the product will be voluntary. (I9)

We always include the informed consent they can refer to, that their

participation is voluntary, and then they can also withdraw. All those

things written on a piece of paper, which is informed consent. (I12)

That you have to have informed consent , you have to write, and if you

record you asked that to be recorded you don’t hide [it]...(I14)

I think the first one this does is to involve informed consent.. (I17)

1.3.4 Justice

This principle states that the benefits and burdens of research should be

distributed fairly. This means that researchers should not target vulnerable
 67

populations for research, and that they should make sure that all participants have

the opportunity to benefit from the research (The Belmont report, 2008)

The provision of incentives serves as justice for the research participants

because it serves as a recognition of the contributions made by the research

respondents and provides compensation for their invested time and effort.

Just compensation is a must in research because the respondents are the

main source of our data and they give their time… just compensation is a

must and incentive for me is not seen as influential, especially if we will

be giving it at the end of the procedure or their involvement.(I7)

1.4 Financial cost

The cost of securing ethics approval is manageable with adequate project funding.

Certain universities exempt students and faculty from fees. However, even with funding,

concerns arise about the impact on the research budget. Independent and student

researchers face a pronounced financial burden, potentially limiting research access to

well-funded circles and discouraging emerging researchers(Lasco, G., Yu, et.al., 2021).

Ethics compliance in research has a financial cost, as it requires resources to

ensure that all ethical guidelines and regulations are followed. This may include hiring

trained personnel, conducting regular audits, and implementing necessary infrastructure

to maintain compliance. However, the financial cost is a small price to pay for upholding

the integrity of research and protecting the rights and well-being of participants.
 68

For me, it is relevant, but rest assured that, you know, it is acceptable ethically

and financially. (I3)

If I am a sole researcher, it will cost me more money to publish my study… In

ethics, you will not only need time but money as well. Upon submitting your

paper for review, its cost depends on the level of the organization. (I16)

Despite the issues of financial costs in ethics compliance, some faculty

researchers maximize the available resources that could be accessed to. Financial cost has

not been an excuse as long as there are connections and partnerships with other

institutions that have an established and/or existing research ethics committee.

I can only do that if I can publish and publication requires ethical code and so if

we don’t have that one and it’s quite expensive, that’s why I should partner with

other researchers from universities both in the Philippines or abroad so that we

can review or give ethical assignment or ethical code assignment. (I1)

An emphasis has been given about the complexity of research ethics compliance

because it involves ensuring that an organization's actions and decisions align with ethical

standards and legal requirements. It requires thorough examination of policies,

procedures, and practices to identify any potential ethical risks or violations.

Currently, my definition of ethics is that it is really meticulous. (I16)

1.5 Ethical dilemmas

 69

Collaborative research with participants in everyday contexts may present ethical

challenges, encompassing uncertainties and conflicting emotions. Standard procedures

like informed consent and anonymity, while crucial, may not fully guide researchers in

addressing diverse ethical concerns throughout the research process (Kousholt, D., Juhl,

P., 2023).

Ethical dilemmas are present when it comes to off-record responses, whether it

should be omitted or included. Some faculty researchers believe that it is ethical to omit

off-record responses in data presentation because it might cause harm and issues in the

part of the research participants.

If it is off the record, though it is relevant to the study, if it is off the record, it may

trigger the higher ranks to punish the personnel so I don't include it there.

Though it seems unfair, but we have to think of the consequences if those

narratives will be exposed, which should be off the record. Since there are

protocols, if I expose it they might be exiled to far places because that’s the case

in tri-bureau… That’s the case among uniform personnels. So we have to be

careful of the information that we will disclose. (I10)

What if you get to actually document let’s say more about the negative impacts of

a particular development project and then the government decides to pull it out

because of them getting rid of what you found out, so, these are ethical

considerations that a researcher must be able to reflect on in doing any form

of research… Why am I not publishing it, because at the end of the day if this

gets published my fear is maybe the government will create policies that will stop

them from cultivating it … I’m in dilemma of whether or not i'm going to publish
 70

this because it would stir the community and that’s the reason why i'm still not

publishing it…I’m still in the dilemma on whether or not i'm going to publish it

knowing the possible implications that may happen to them. (I13)

In contrast to this, some faculty researchers believe that even if the data is

considered as an off-record response, it should still be included in the data presentation

because it is the basic purpose of conducting research. Being ethical in data presentation

means that no truth is hidden, everything that is significant should be accounted for in the

data presentation.

The numbers that you generate from your findings never lie. If they say that this is

the percentage or the degree of severity of the damage, it’s really the case.

Although you know that this is a boomerang to the government or boomerang to

your institution, you should accept that, because if we were perfect, why engage

in this? It’s the case and one that neutralizes the flavor is ethics. (I1)

Meanwhile, others believe that being ethically compliant is more than just what

we see in the papers. It is what truly happens in the field, not what appears on the papers.

Basically, I complied, but the truth is paperwork can actually make you appear

that you’ve complied with everything but at the end of the day what you do in the

field is between you and your informants. What you do in the field is something,

and I think as a social science researcher when you do research, you establish

rapport in the trust of your informants because that’s very important for them to

tell you their narratives and their stories. (I13)

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Moreover, an ethical dilemma arises in the field of tri-bureau who does not only

adhere to research protocols but also to the protocols existing among uniformed

personnels. In society, protocols are social constructs that must be adhered to to be

considered being on the right path and in doing the right thing. Before doing anything in

the field, a permission should be granted first by the high-ranking personnel leaving those

assigned and those who have been chosen with no choice but to adhere to the command.

Actually in the line of duty, if you are a uniformed personnel, whatever the

direction of the highest in rank, you should follow… The goodness in it was

because they’re the ones who gave me the informants. They gave names and

locations. Then I just went to where they are… Actually in the bureau, if the

protocol of the bureau should be followed, it is what it is. (I10)

Theme 2: Notions of the faculty researchers about the barriers in complying with the

ethical standards.

This theme refers to the challenges that faculty researchers believe face when

trying to comply with ethical standards in their research. The informants in the study

identified several barriers, including: the nonexistence of research ethics committees

(RECs), lack of knowledge about research ethics, prolonged research process and the

negative attitudes of researchers.

2.1 Nonexistence of Research Ethics Committees (REC)

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Review boards play a crucial role in ensuring the ethical conduct of research

through their procedures (Head, G., 2020). Among the array of challenges identified by

participants, the absence of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) emerged as the most

frequently cited barrier to achieving ethical research compliance. This recurring theme

sheds light on a fundamental gap within the research ecosystem. Notably, several

informants voiced their lack of awareness regarding the existence of institutionalized

RECs, which subsequently led them to bypass the crucial step of submitting their

research papers for ethical evaluation:

When I arrived here I think there isn’t any ethics review committee so all my

researches didn’t go through it. (I20)

Maybe [because] there isn’t a specific ethical committee to evaluate research.

(I19)

I have not submitted them to [an] ethical committee because we don’t have it yet,

so if you ask me what are my benefits of having submitted it to [an] ethical

committee, I cannot answer that. (I15)

The important role that institutions play in inculcating the importance of RECs

and in establishing them was also mentioned. Institutions play a key role in educating

researchers about research ethics, establishing RECs, and enforcing ethical standards,

hence the nonexistence of these impose a barrier to compliance:

We were not able to go through the process of ethics review because it’s still

nonexistent.[...] these ethics reviews, in the past, we didn't have that. Or we had
 73

that, but it was not something that was institutionally imposed, that this has to be

followed. (I8)

Being focused on other research subjects that does not include human

participation was an expressed concern of one of the participants. This observation sheds

light on a significant challenge within the research community, wherein the emphasis on

non-human subjects inadvertently leads to the marginalization of ethical compliance

related to human subjects.

It's a research university and as you know, there are many research centers. But

these research centers are for abaca, for coconut, for root crops, for carabao, for

water, for climate change. If you can observe, its domain is less on the

involvement of humans. So therefore, the protocols suggest that it doesn’t really

need an ethics review board. (I1)

On the other hand, several informants exhibited awareness of the presence of

RECs in the region, an intriguing perspective arose from one informant. This individual

alluded to a concern regarding the capacity and resources of these RECs, suggesting that

they might be inadequately equipped to accommodate the multitude of research proposals

sent to them:

They cannot really accommodate, cater all of the requests, and the ethical

applications by the researchers. [...] I don't think they can cater all of the

requests. (I9)
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Furthermore, another informant mentioned awareness of the institutionalized

presence of Research Ethics Committees (RECs). However, conveyed that these

committees are currently inactive or not actively implementing their mandates. This

revelation raises a compelling concern about the potential impact of such inactivity on

researchers' attitudes toward ethical compliance:

There are existing members of the committee of the REC, but they are just not

visible as of the moment. (I16)

Also, one informant's situation exemplifies a broader concern of ethical

relativism, where standards fluctuate based on location and institutional practices.

Underscoring their awareness of the ethical considerations essential for research

compliance. This awareness stems from their collaborative research endeavors with

institutions in Australia, where stringent ethical standards are upheld. However, the

informant lamented that the same level of implementation is not evident within their local

research context, leading to a lack of compliance with formal ethical standards:

Here [Philippines], not yet, because we are not yet implementing the ethical

standards, the ethical measures, because our research is, we are doing this

research as project with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. So the

ethics, the ethical measures were examined by our partner university in Australia.

(I14)

2.2 Lack of knowledge

 75

Pagkatipunan PMN, et.al., 2022 investigated the reasons for non-existence of

research ethic committee of schools in Manila and noted that there was a notable lack of

awareness among certain research directors regarding the requisite ethical clearance for

studies involving human participants. Additionally, a notable knowledge gap was

observed among faculty researchers concerning the essential role undertaken by ethics

committees in evaluating research protocols. Insufficient education on the processes of

ethical compliance poses a significant barrier that impedes researchers from fully

adhering to ethical standards. This concern is particularly evident in the observations

made by one informant who recognizes that the concept of ethical compliance is

relatively novel in the context of the Philippines, thereby contributing to a lack of

awareness and understanding among researchers.

Maybe, it’s just my assumption that they are not well-informed of this. Because in

the Philippines, these are kind of new, these ethics reviews [...] Because in the

first place, they were never educated, oriented about it. (I8)

So far, what I know is that because of our lack of information before, and we did

not implement ethical standards, we did not follow ethical standards before even,

and then until now. I think, it’s new. (I14)

Additionally, several informants candidly acknowledged their limitations in terms

of research expertise, which in turn hindered their ability to fully comply with the

institutionally established ethical standards. These individuals openly admitted to being

relatively new or inexperienced in the realm of research, which posed challenges in

navigating the intricacies of ethical considerations within their studies:

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So far, we still didn’t have one, we are still neophytes. Yes we are still neophytes

in research since back then, our research extension is very shallow. (I3)

Now, when it comes to ethics, we have a problem because we are not really that

well-versed, well-informed, about that. What we only know is basic only. (I4)

Firstly, we don’t have a background about how we will deal with this. (I6)

Furthermore, another informant conveyed having a general idea of what research

ethics entails, but admitted that their understanding was not comprehensive, particularly

when it comes to the formal processes such as submitting studies to a Research Ethics

Committee (REC):

I did not really have that much idea of what the ethical process should be or the

ethical considerations part. I always thought it’s just a requirement as a part of

the methodology. And then, later on, as I have this experience here in VSU which

of course we adhere these ethical considerations but not much into the details of

what the ethical process really is so I just had this consciousness of what ethical

research is but not really much into application or implementation of that into my

research. (I17)

Moreover, another informant's account adds depth to the discourse by narrating a

personal journey in recognizing the significance of research ethics. This informant

reveals that while they have come to understand the importance of ethical considerations,

their present and previous research studies have yet to align with these crucial standards.
 77

For us, we just thought of the research ethics that we have to observe without

having it underscored in a research ethics committee. [...] In my practice as an

undergraduate student, I wasn't really aware that research ethics exists. So, it

was only then when I attended this seminar that I got acquainted with all these

things. But now, I really can see the importance of it and how it should be

implemented in all the things that I do. (I7)

2.3 Prolonged research process

Before starting any health research with people, it's necessary to get approval

from an ethics review. However, these reviews can take a long time, which might slow

down the progress of socially valuable research (Mrisho, M., & Essack, Z. 2021). An

additional barrier highlighted by select informants pertains to the potential elongation of

the research process as a result of complying with formal ethical research practices. This

concern underscores a delicate balance between ethical considerations and research

efficiency, shedding light on the complex interplay between thorough ethical evaluations

and timely research outcomes:

Following ethical principles or ethical considerations in conducting your study,

we cannot deny that it makes your study tedious, and longitudinal.It makes the

duration longer [...] Because now, when crafting our proposals, it’s not that

toxic. But the submission, the length of approval, before it gets approved and

before we get to start moving in doing our study, it somehow takes longer time.

So if you submit for research ethics committee, I think the time that will be spent

on this will be multiplied. (I7)

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It's a waste of time because of the limited time we have now in teaching where we

still need to gather data after we teach. And we only have five months for one

semester and ethical reviews might probably take one month before it gets

approved. So the research of our students can get stagnant because we still need

to wait for the approval. (I12)

Another informant shared the same sentiment. However, this informant

introduced a proactive perspective by suggesting that efforts should be directed toward

shortening this perceived lengthy process.This viewpoint underscores a researcher's

pragmatic desire for a balanced approach—one that upholds ethical standards while

optimizing research timelines:

I think it's the mindset of researchers or us that undergoing the ethical process is

very much time-consuming, especially that you will be submitting your paper to

ethical review committees and then they will take much of your time, let's say, two

weeks or let's say a month. Worse is if it will take several months for you to get

your paper back and then say it's actually going for a revision and then you will

submit it again and so on. So you have this time duration that you are actually

targeting but you will not be able to finish or accomplish because of the tedious

process of waiting for your paper. So I think that's one of the mindsets that we

actually have if we look into having ethical processes. But if this ethical process

will be shortened and be more easier for us, then probably it's a win-win

situation. (I17)
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Conversely, another informant expressed a distinct viewpoint, characterizing

compliance with formal ethical research practices as a wasteful endeavor that introduces

an additional layer of bureaucracy. This perspective sheds light on the complexity of

ethical compliance within the research landscape, highlighting divergent opinions on the

perceived value of formal ethical review processes.

Because in the end, that’s going to be another layer of bureaucracy that will

impede creativity that will actually waste all our time, so that’s my take. (I13)

2.3 Attitude of researchers

Many studies that integrate research ethics and researcher interactions highlight

the conflicts and hurdles within this dynamic. Ethics committees gain authority from

perceived expertise, but the lack of consensus on their best practices raises concerns

about their reliability. This becomes evident when committee members must make

judgments in unfamiliar domains. For example, in educational research, there are worries

about the committees lacking expertise, especially in understanding the core

methodologies of educational research (Brown, C., et.al., 2020).

An informant's insight introduced a noteworthy aspect of negative attitudes that

some researchers might harbor towards subjecting their research to the scrutiny and

approval of peers. A complicated interaction between professional ego, personal

prejudices, and the pursuit of objective research results is brought to light by the

informant's observation. A desire to retain autonomy, a fear of criticism, or even a lack of

faith in the impartiality of the assessment process can all be causes of reluctance to

having one's work reviewed by others.

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Sometimes, their ego may also prevail like they are better than those people who

[will be] evaluating for them. Something like that. There are researchers who

have the attitude. (I19)

Another informant added a new perspective by highlighting the potential

resistance of seasoned researchers might harbor towards evaluators who possess

comparatively less experience in the field. This perspective illuminates the complex

dynamics of authority, expertise, and respect within the research community, particularly

in the context of ethical research standards evaluation.

For sure they’ll be resistant because as a neophyte researcher, what you’ll see is

1:10 ratio, that for instance one is a long time personality in their field, then they

conduct study about something, then comes a new policy of the university to

establish a REC board and subject the papers to the board whom are also

neophytes. (I1)

Theme 3: Impression of the faculty researchers on the idea of the creation of an Ethics

Review Committee in the VSU System

The findings of the study revealed that the faculty researchers have different

perceptions in the creation of the REC in the VSU System.

3.1 Maintaining Quality of Research

Research ethics committees (RECs) bear the responsibility of ensuring that

research proposals are scientifically sound and ethical (Beshir L., 2020). An REC’s main
 81

responsibility is to assess and evaluate the ethical practices utilized in the research

procedures, and that universal ethical standards are not violated. A participant expressed

his sentiments on the REC being a guide that can help researchers in conducting their

research:

It serves as our guide, what we can do, what we must do, and improve what we

are practicing when it comes to dealing with other people in our researches. (I18)

Establishing integrity has also been emphasized, allowing others to have full trust

and confidence in your research procedures and findings:

For me, it will have a big impact that we’ll have our own kind of office. Because

technically, some of the researchers you may know, might overlook those things

(need) to be considered while conducting a study. So at least, before publishing

or presenting in research conferences or any publication journals, we will

ensure that our research here in the entire VSU is ethically compliant. (I3)

Another participant also expressed the same sentiments:

The impact would be really great of course, as a kick starter of the university, it

would probably meet some problem along the process, however in the long run, it

would be good because I think it's one of the many indicators that the university is

doing really good research because we follow ethical standards. (I12)

Similarly, a participant also perceives ethics to be the backbone of research:

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I think it will build the image of the university because whether we like it or not,

ethics is part and parcel of the backbone of the research. If our research are

unethical, no one will respect us. (I14)

Much more than integrity, the credibility of the research has also been

highlighted, suggesting that proper implementation of ethics in research is an indication

of reliability and improvement in the research practice:

It would be beneficial to the university as a badge of credibility of the research

that we are doing not just in terms of substance and technical aspects but the

ways of doing it the ways of collecting information and how we handle our

subject. I think that's the way forward for improvement in our research practice.

We go for ethics. (I11)

Likewise, the badge of credibility can also suggest the appropriateness of one’s

research practices:

For me, it is very important since how can you get the credibility of your research

if you don’t have what we call checking or assessment if the research you are

conducting is appropriate. (I5)

Because respect and credibility are already established, a participant stated that

this could lead to quality research outputs:

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This would benefit because in terms of the quality of our research outputso it

would elicit a higher respect and trust that what you are doing is credible and

respectable. (I11)

As stated in the literature, the REC is a fundamental element of all modern

research ethics guidelines. Because of these guidelines, we are able to produce an

ethically sound research that promotes the ethical conduct, producing reliable and high

quality outputs:

I think our researchers will be of quality or what do you call that, that we can be

called that we really have followed the exact procedure especially when we

conduct research involving humans. (I2)

A participant also expressed that because of a research ethics committee in place,

one is able to create a quality research output and is more likely to publish their work

more easily:

If that happens as well, that we already establish a research ethics committee, I

think the outputs that we will also be producing will be of higher quality. And

once we establish that culture already that all research outputs must undergo

ethics committee, ethics review, once we submit it for publication, there's no

more, like, big of a hassle or problem. (I7)

Another participant conveyed her eager desire for the ethical committee to come

into fruition so as to produce publications that are done in good morale and are

recognized to have undergone an ethics review:

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I really wanted to have this ethics review committee since some of the journals or

publication offices would require this approved part or the document attached to

your research that this has undergone or underwent the process of ethics review

by a committee really recognized who knows the process of ethics… So I think it

will be very necessary since we are also targeting to have publications and we

want these publications approved without any doubts of getting this research

done in good morale. So, we really see the necessity for this. (I17)

One participant also expressed the essence of upholding ethics in research to

heighten one’s consciousness and avoid placing their key informants or respondents at

risk:

I think we will become conscious to become more ethical and avoid risks, as well

as take care of the people, including the animals, that other people will do. If you

keep violating the ethical standards, you don't deserve to be a researcher. (I14)

3.2 Improving and Innovating the University through the REC

The dissemination of scientific papers is pivotal for the progression of modern

science and professional development. Ethical principles are not only essential during the

study's execution but also extend to the ethical considerations inherent in the publication

process (Singhal, S., & Kalra, B.S., 2021).

Despite the existing policies mandated by the CHED to comply with the ethical

standards and with VSU being a research university, it still does not have any established

REC at current. However, one participant stated that it is better late than never:
 85

Actually long overdue that the university, we should have done it 5 years ago, or

10 years ago, but it is better late than never. (I15)

It has also been stated by one participant that having the ethical committee,

despite the delay, remains to be relevant:

VSU is on ninety-ninth anniversary but still there is no ethical committee. Very

relevant, of course, like, for how many years since it has been established, we

don’t have that. Although others might feel that there’s no need of having an

ethical committee, because we are used to it. But of course, we need to adopt to

changes and follow this because why other universities are doing this and us are

not. (I12)

Another participant expressed his sentiments that the REC is fundamental for a

research institution such as VSU:

It's fundamental. It's basic. So it's a causa sine qua non. It's something that we

cannot do without because it's basic. It's fundamental. As a research institution,

we must have it. We ought to have it. So therefore, the operationalization of the

ethics review board must be immediate. Must be immediate. So it should not wait

for a study. The study might be of help. It can provide a substantial input to how

it is. But if there are already assigned people who can do it, I think they can

actually initiate because there are already frameworks. There are already
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existing protocols. VSU being a top research university, must have it as soon as

possible. It will not be hard for VSU. (I8)

Two participants have also expressed that having the REC in the university is a

good sign of development:

I will be very much happy if that will be realized and rationalized because there

are a lot of researchers here in VSU already, because this is a research academic

institution. It will really help a lot and will improve the research civilization of

our university. (I9)

So, again my view is it’s a good step forward, that's progress, that's a good sign

of development and sensitivities are in place that we know we are collecting some

information and researchers should be responsible. (I11)

Having the REC in the university also contributes to its prestige as an ethically

compliant research university, making it their edge over other universities:

A positive effect to the whole university or the entire university because maybe in

the future, it’ll be our edge over other universities. VSU will be known for great

research that considers ethical standards, of course. (I4)

Much more than being a reputable university that religiously follows ethical

standards, having the REC also plays a contributory factor in funding future researches:
 87

If our researchers undergo such thing, it would have an implication as to funding

research, since of course funding agencies will have confidence in the university

and as researchers. They will be confident that if they provide funds for this

purpose of research, that research will follow the ethical standards. That’s it,

we’ll have the confidence that our output, research output, then it would

implicate funding later since funding agencies are trusting already, they are

confident already to provide for funding for research because of that procedure

we can follow. (I2)

One participant also believes that having the ethical committee can be an advent

for income generation:

It might open an additional IGP project because maybe some of SUCs or maybe

you know any researchers might submit their research to this office for

evaluation. So, for compliance and IGP, and at the same time of course it would

also boost the morale of the school, the institution because of this it will ensure

that our students and faculty researchers are ethically compliant. (I3)

Much more than the aforementioned improvements,, having the REC can also

help the university establish relationships, and prompt a collaborative and trusting

correspondence with other institutions and organizations. One participant expressed her

thoughts in pioneering the REC:

If we pioneer this ethics committee in state universities, that will really also

make an impact and to other institutions. (I7)

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One participant also stated that the creation of the ethics board is not solely for the

benefit of the university itself, but can also allow other researchers, institutions, and

organizations to engage with us:

The university as I said as a research university should establish the ethics board

and it’s not only for the researchers within the university. We can also cater

researchers from other institutions or from other units of the government who

wish to conduct study but what prohibits them is the lack of that REC unit so it’s

important that there’s an REC or ERB so we can also help other neophyte or

budding researchers to be enlightened on what to do. (I1)

One participant sees the creation of the REC as an empowering tool for VSU to

go global and represent our researches at an international scale:

I think that's a good step forward in terms of making our research as part with

international standards. (I11)

It would be a great benefit to the researches because you have to admit it VSU is

already going global, you have foreign students, a lot of faculty members are

going outside for research, for fellowship and and maybe academics not really

academics but professionals in other countries are already aware of research

ethics and they already have their research proposals, research input approved

by the ethics committee, so, in in some countries you cannot present your papers

if this is not approved by the ethics committee. (I15)

3.3 Challenges Posed by the REC

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A major critique of the ethical review procedure is the extended time it takes for

decisions and the accompanying utilization of resources. A significant cause of this delay

is the necessity for most submissions to address at least one inquiry or request for

additional information from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)

(Brandenburg, C., Thorning, S., & Ruthenberg, C. 2021).

Research ethics committees or institutional review boards (IRBs) have been

subject to criticism, with assertions that they can impede the smooth progression of

research activities (Lasco, G., Yu, et.al., 2021). Review boards and the framework within

which they operate have been criticized for being obstructive and burdened by

unnecessary bureaucracy (Head, G., 2020). Although there are many benefits in the

creation of the REC, some participants argue that undergoing the ethical review can

hinder the research process:

Once that happens and all research outputs will undergo review, it will really

make the research process even longer. (I7)

But from my point of view, it’s a waste of time. Having the ethics review

committee is a waste of time because instead of starting to gather data, we still

need to undergo it… It’s a waste of time because of the limited time we have now

in teaching where we still need to gather data after we teach. And we only have

five months for one semester and ethical reviews might probably take one month

before it gets approved. So the research of our students can get stagnant because

we still need to wait for the approval. We make the proposal, submit it, and still

wait for the results from the EVRMC or EVHRDC. (I20)

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The same participant expressed his sentiments more profoundly and added:

It will affect the time especially of student researches with only 5 months of

research. We’re still gonna make the proposal, and have a lecture about the

proposal. Proposal writing takes time and the data gathering procedure also

takes time. Writing the chapter 4 and 5 also takes time. Writing chapters 1 to 5

takes time and 5 months for a semester is not enough. And we still have the ethics

review. (I20)

Another participant also conveyed the challenges of undergoing an ethical review

but remained hopeful that it will not disrupt the research process:

We cannot start our researches until there is an approval, it’s without regards to

ethics review so how much more if you put another layer of review… I hope that

this will not be a hindrance in the process of approval of researches… We hope

that it will not be a hindrance to the process itself. Because the process right now,

it takes time for it to be approved. (I6)

One participant stated that having the REC can create an additional layer of

bureaucracy which can limit the students and waste their time:

You’re wasting time so my take is simple, that ethical committee is important,

however only those who are flagged by their respective panels should be

subjected to review by the ethical committee of the university… Not all should be

submitted to that committee. Because in the end, that’s going to be another layer
 91

of bureaucracy that will impede on creativity that will actually waste all our time,

so that’s my take. (I13)

3.4 Recommendations in the Creation of the REC

Despite the challenges posed by the REC, some of the participants still expressed

their propositions in its creation. One of the participants who stated how the REC can

create an additional layer of bureaucracy emphasized on flagging researches before they

are referred to the ethical board:

I believe that as a university we should actually clearly lay that out, we should

be able to come up with mechanisms in which we get to anchor whatever

research activities that we’re going to do into what we believe is ethical , thereby,

policy should actually be put in place to clearly put that in paper…

…My take is simple allow the department to red flag those research that they

think are violating some ethical considerations and then refer it to the higher

committee, rather than everyone gets to have the approval of the higher

committee. (I13)

Another participant suggested to have an ethical team that is quick to respond and

review so as not to disrupt the research process:

But I’m very positive to have an ethics review if we make a policy that the

committee is fast and quick at responding to the review…

…The ethics review should be free from other responsibilities. For the ethics

review, once they receive, review, then return. Review, review, return. Because it

might happen that we have an ethics review that has strict implementation. The
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students would suffer. So if we have an ethics review, they should really have

time. Upon receiving the requirements, they should review immediately and

return the next day if possible so that we have a quick transition especially that

there are only 5 months for one semester…

…So my recommendation is hopefully, if the ethics review committee is realized

in VSU, we can assign reviewers who are fast and quick so that upon submission,

it will be revised immediately because our students can suffer from it. (I20)

DISCUSSION

A. Perspectives of VSU Faculty Researchers on Research Ethics Compliance

Research ethics compliance is a crucial aspect of conducting research, and the

perspectives of VSU faculty researchers shed light on its importance. The faculty

researchers recognize that ethical considerations are not just a formality but an essential

part of maintaining the integrity and credibility of their work. They understand that

adhering to ethical guidelines ensures the protection of human subjects, promotes

transparency, and upholds the trust of participants. However, the perspectives of the

faculty researchers with regard to ethics are contrasting from each other. This study

revealed that the definition of research ethics is not absolute; it is something subjective

and personal to the researcher.

First, the study unveiled contrasting viewpoints regarding the contextual aspects

of providing incentives. The ethical nature of providing incentives can be justified when

they are non-monetary in nature and are not offered prior to or during the study. In

contrast to the notion of providing incentives upon completion of the study, certain

individuals have opted to offer incentives throughout the duration of the study in order to
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align with the anticipated desires of the primary sources of information and their

inclination to engage in the study. The utilization of incentives as a catalyst for

motivation among participants in research studies has been posited as a rationale for the

ethicality of providing incentives. In addition, the provision of incentives serves as a

means of demonstrating appreciation towards research participants, as certain faculty

researchers maintain that expressing gratitude holds ethical significance. On the other

hand, there exists an alternative perspective positing that the provision of incentives is

ethically acceptable, contingent upon the availability of adequate funding for the research

endeavor. Moreover, providing incentives to research participants is a justifiable practice,

as it recognizes and remunerates individuals for their valuable time and exertion invested

in engaging with the study. The provision of incentives can be ethically justified as it

recognizes the valuable contribution made by research respondents and provides

compensation for their invested time and effort. Three participants have provided their

perspectives on the topic of fair remuneration, particularly in studies involving

individuals from marginalized communities. In instances of this nature, the provision of

incentives can effectively empower and motivate these individuals to willingly engage in

research endeavors that may otherwise be beyond their reach. Furthermore, ethical

principles provide a robust basis for motivating individuals and organizations. By

establishing a congruence between incentives and ethical principles, it is possible to

foster conduct that is not only advantageous but also ethically sound.

Second, in contrast to the aforementioned rationales supporting the provision of

incentives, certain faculty researchers hold an opposing perspective. The authors contend

that the provision of incentives has the potential to undermine the integrity of research
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findings and introduce a predisposition towards specific outcomes. While there are

individuals who argue against the idea of providing incentives, as they believe it

compromises the notion of voluntary involvement and diminishes the authentic nature of

genuine engagement. This phenomenon can give rise to a scenario in which individuals

are primarily driven by extrinsic rewards rather than an intrinsic interest or genuine

passion for the activity. The provision of incentives is frequently perceived as a

manifestation of bribery. Incentives are commonly provided with the intention of

influencing an individual's behavior or decision-making process, a practice that may be

regarded as ethically questionable. Nevertheless, certain members of the academic

community argue that it is crucial to acknowledge that the underlying purpose of offering

incentives can differ, and thus may not universally be regarded as bribery, contingent

upon the specific circumstances and the characteristics of the incentives offered.

Furthermore, it is crucial to acknowledge that there exist significant distinctions between

the aforementioned entities. Incentives are commonly provided as forms of rewards for

the attainment of specific objectives or desired results, whereas bribery entails the

provision of something valuable in return for engaging in unethical or illegal

behaviors. Also, despite the ongoing debate regarding the ethical implications of

providing incentives, some argue that incentives hold limited significance within the

realm of research due to their potential to be perceived as coercive in nature.

Third, there is a prevailing perspective among some individuals that research

ethics encompasses a broader scope than what is typically addressed through the process

of obtaining ethics clearance within a specific field. Certain faculty researchers argue that

ethical compliance entails strict adherence to established research ethical guidelines.

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Within the framework of societal norms, protocols serve as social constructs that

necessitate adherence in order to align oneself with the appropriate course of action and

moral conduct. In addition to adhering to research protocols, researchers in the field of

tri-bureau also observe the protocols established among uniformed personnel. Prior to

engaging in any activities within the domain, it is imperative to obtain authorization from

individuals in positions of authority. This directive leaves those who have been assigned

tasks and those who have been selected with no alternative but to comply with the given

instruction.

Fourth, the study emphasized the utmost significance of ensuring the well-being

of participants by employing a humane and ethical approach in conducting research. One

of the highlights revolved around the issue of privacy, emphasizing the importance of

adhering to privacy regulations, maintaining confidentiality, and upholding individuals'

right to privacy. Moreover, in their ethical practices concerning studies involving human

participants, the authors emphasized the importance of assuming the responsibility for

maintaining trust, rapport, and ethical principles. This includes employing participant-

oriented language and implementing flexible data gathering arrangements. Furthermore,

by disseminating the research findings to participants, it can effectively fulfill their moral

responsibility to contribute positively to society and generate ethically sound research

outcomes.

Fifth, this study portrayed the significance of risk analysis as researchers

diligently assess potential hazards in order to protect participants. This includes

identifying any vulnerabilities in the data collection process and implementing

appropriate safeguards to mitigate risks. By continuously improving their knowledge and

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skills, researchers can ensure that they are taking all necessary precautions to protect the

participants throughout the research process. The implementation of measures that

address both physical and emotional well-being strengthens the commitment to safety.

Physical safety is ensured through the collection of data in participants' natural

environments, while emotional safety is fostered through therapeutic interviewing

techniques that involve attentive listening and the provision of breaks. Regarding data

privacy, the informants underscored the importance of adhering to secure storage

practices and responsible data disposal. Additionally, an informant acknowledged the

need to strengthen some measures in order to improve the security of the data gathered.

Sixth, responsible data collection procedures play a crucial role in upholding

ethical principles related to the protection of participants' rights, including their voluntary

engagement, the right to decline or discontinue participation, informed understanding of

the research's objectives, associated risks and advantages, as well as the assurance of

anonymity and confidentiality. This is evident in the emphasis placed on obtaining

informed consent from participants, which outlines their rights. In addition to obtaining

informed consent, responsible data collection procedures also involve implementing

appropriate security measures to protect participants' personal information from

unauthorized access or disclosure. Furthermore, it is important for researchers to

regularly review and update their data collection practices to ensure compliance with

evolving ethical guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the trust and confidence

of participants.

Seventh, the allocation of incentives can be seen as a means of ensuring justice for

individuals participating in research, as it acknowledges their valuable contributions and

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offers recompense for the time and effort they have dedicated to the study. Furthermore,

incentives can also serve as a motivation for individuals to actively engage in research,

leading to higher participation rates and potentially improving the quality of data

collected.

Eighth, the adherence to ethical guidelines and regulations in research incurs a

financial burden, as it necessitates the allocation of resources to ensure compliance. This

may encompass the recruitment of qualified personnel, the execution of routine audits,

and the establishment of essential infrastructure to ensure adherence to regulatory

requirements. Nevertheless, the monetary expenditure associated with this endeavor can

be considered a modest fee in exchange for maintaining the credibility of scientific

investigations and safeguarding the entitlements and welfare of individuals involved.

Despite the challenges posed by financial costs associated with ethics compliance, certain

faculty researchers strive to optimize the utilization of available resources. The presence

of connections and partnerships with established institutions that possess a research ethics

committee negates the argument that financial cost is a hindrance in complying with the

ethical standards.

Lastly, the inclusion or omission of off-record responses gives rise to ethical

dilemmas. Certain faculty researchers argue that the ethical course of action is to exclude

off-record responses when presenting data, as doing so has the potential to result in harm

and complications for the research participants. In contrast to this viewpoint, certain

faculty researchers argue that even if the data is regarded as an off-record response, it

should still be incorporated in the data presentation as it aligns with the fundamental
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objective of conducting research. Maintaining ethical standards in data presentation

entails ensuring transparency and inclusivity, wherein all relevant information of

significance is duly incorporated and no truths are concealed. On the other hand, there are

individuals who contend that ethical compliance encompasses more than what is seen in

papers, the actual occurrences in the field is what matters rather than what is visible from

the documented accounts.

B. Notions of the faculty researchers about the barriers in complying with the

ethical standards.

This theme delves into the intricate challenges perceived by faculty researchers as

they endeavor to align with ethical standards in their research pursuits. The informants

within the study have recognized and highlighted several barriers that impede the

seamless integration of ethical considerations in their research studies. These barriers

include the nonexistence of Research Ethics Committees (RECs), a lack of knowledge

concerning research ethics, the long nature of the research process, and the emergence of

negative attitudes among researchers.

First, the absence of well-established RECs emerges as the most notable barrier.

Researchers voiced their unawareness of these committees, leading to their research

papers bypassing the critical step of the ethical review process which is submitting their

papers into a REC for an ethical review. This revelation stresses the importance of

institutionalizing comprehensive ethical institutions. Moreover, these institutions must

diligently communicate their existence and significance to ensure that all research

endeavors undergo rigorous ethical scrutiny.

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Second, the identified lack of knowledge pertaining to research ethics is a

multifaceted challenge. Informants candidly disclosed their limited familiarity with

ethical principles, revealing gaps in their understanding of ethical dimensions. This

knowledge gap constitutes a strong call for educational interventions that empower

researchers with comprehensive insights into the ethical compliance perspective in

research. By addressing this gap, institutions can foster a culture where ethical

considerations are not treated as of minor importance, but as central pillars of research

integrity.

Third, the perceived prolonged research process due to ethical considerations is

another noteworthy challenge. Informants articulated concerns about the time investment

required for ethical reviews. This apprehension highlights the delicate balance between

ensuring thorough ethical assessment and minimizing unnecessary delays. Institutions

must collaborate with researchers to streamline ethical review processes without

compromising the rigor and comprehensiveness of the evaluations.

Lastly, is the emergence of negative attitudes among researchers toward ethical

compliance. Informants shared instances of resistance arising from personal ego,

skepticism about evaluators, and perceived hurdles in the evaluation process. These

attitudes underscore the need for fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and

open dialogue. By encouraging constructive engagement between researchers and

evaluators, institutions can foster an environment where ethical considerations are

embraced as essential components of rigorous scholarship.

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C. Impression of the faculty researchers on the idea of the creation of an Ethics

Review Committee in the VSU System

This year, the Visayas State University will be celebrating its centennial year since its

creation. And for years, its prestige in the field of research has been honored and

celebrated. Despite a century’s worth of research accolades, noted is the lack of its

implementation of an ethical research committee within the VSU system that ensures the

compliance of ethical standards in the conduct of studies involving human participants. In

this study, the findings suggest that there are different perceptions of the faculty

researchers in the creation of the REC in VSU.

First, the study revealed that the REC helps maintain the quality of research. With its

responsibility in evaluating the ethical practices of the researchers, it serves as the main

backbone of research that is anchored on integrity and credibility. These become the

grounds for an ethically sound research, ultimately creating high quality outputs. In

relation to this, it has been emphasized that researchers that have undergone the standard

ethical review are more likely and are more easily capable of publishing their works.

Moreover, upholding the standards of ethical review heightens consciousness in

researchers, and ensures that the safety of all research participants are prioritized.

Second, the study revealed that the creation of the REC can improve and innovate the

university. Despite the delay in its establishment even throughout the years of engaging

in research, it remains relevant for all researchers today. It is a part of being a highly

competent university to adapt to changes in research just like other institutions. The

findings also suggest that the REC is a good sign of change, progress and development.

Considering the fact that VSU is a research university, it would evidently be beneficial
 101

for researchers to allow them to conduct research out of good morale. And because there

are ethical standards in place, this sets the university apart from other institutions. The

findings of the study also revealed the potential of the REC to urge fundings for future

researchers, and be an income generating asset as there is already established trust and

confidence in the university’s research methods. Moreover, the study revealed that the

creation of the REC can establish relationships with other institutions and organizations.

Pioneering the ethics committee in state universities may contribute to the ethical

compliance of other institutions. Moreover, the university can also encourage budding

researchers, institutions, and organizations to do research as they become more

knowledgeable on the ethical research process. In addition, the REC can foster

internationalization and globalization. Ethical reviews are no longer foreign in other

countries and adhering to these standards will empower the university to represent its

researches at an international scale.

Third, the study revealed that the creation of the REC also has significant challenges

in its implementation. The findings suggested that the REC can hinder the research

process and can be a waste of time especially for students who have fixed schedules with

regards to the school calendar. Writing a research paper in general is a tedious task and

implementing the ethical review will prolong the process even more. It was also

discovered that the REC can create an additional layer of bureaucracy with complex rules

and regulations. This was said to limit the students, impede on creativity, and waste their

time.

Lastly, the study revealed that although the creation of the REC poses several

challenges, there are still several ways to resolve them. To address the issue of
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bureaucracy, it has been suggested to flag the research outputs before they are referred to

the ethical board. This means that the panel in a certain program must filter out these

research papers and assess if there are ethical matters to consider, before they are

submitted to a higher committee. Another recommendation was discovered where the

ethics review team must be highly responsive so as not to disrupt the research process. In

line with this, the REC must be free from other responsibilities so as to fully dedicate

their work in reviewing, revising, and returning research papers as soon as possible

CHAPTER VI

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary, conclusions, implications, and

recommendations of the study.

Summary

The adherence to research ethics is a fundamental component of conducting

research, and the insights provided by faculty researchers at VSU offer valuable insights

into its significance. The faculty researchers acknowledge that ethical considerations are

not merely a procedural requirement, but rather a fundamental aspect in upholding the

integrity and credibility of their research. The recognition of the importance of following

ethical guidelines is based on the understanding that doing so serves to safeguard the

well-being and rights of human subjects, fosters openness and accountability, and

maintains the confidence and reliance of participants. However, there exists a contrast in

the ethical perspectives among the faculty researchers. This study has demonstrated that

the concept of research ethics lacks a definitive definition, as it is contingent upon the

subjective and individual perspectives of researchers.

 103

This study also explored challenges that VSU faculty researchers face in meeting

ethical standards and emphasizing collaborative efforts among institutions and

researchers. Issues like the absence of Research Ethics Committees and limited

knowledge require education and awareness. Balancing research efficiency and ethics for

excellence is crucial. Addressing negative attitudes among researchers is also important.

Through collaborative efforts, ethical standards can align with VSU's core values,

contributing to responsible research and societal progress.

The creation of the REC in the VSU system is a vital link between the pursuit of

knowledge while simultaneously maintaining the safety and well-being of individuals

involved in research. The faculty researchers acknowledged that the REC maintains the

quality of research, improves and innovates the university, and helps establish

relationships with other researchers and institutions. However, despite ensuring the

ethical conduct of research, these committees pose several challenges and must need

policies and regulations to maintain the success of the entire process.

Conclusions

The faculty researchers acknowledged that ethical issues are not a mere technical

requirement, but rather a fundamental aspect in upholding the credibility and integrity of

the study. Nevertheless, there exists a notable variance among faculty researchers with

regards to their perspectives in research ethics compliance.

This study compared the challenges of VSU faculty researchers in following

ethical standards in consideration of the VSU's core values: truth, relevance, integrity,

and excellence. The lack of RECs goes against relevance, needing prompt
 104

institutionalization, While the honesty in the limited ethics knowledge aligns with

integrity, hence urging education. Moreover, balancing research efficiency and ethics

reflects pursuit for excellence, therefore needing more adaptable systems. Furthermore,

the negative attitudes unveil the need for a cultural shift harmonizing ethics and core

values. Collaborative efforts are needed to overcome these, for us to truly link ethics

compliance and the core values of the university to achieve a research environment of

integrity, truth, relevance, and excellence.

The faculty researchers also acknowledged that the benefits of the REC in the

university outweigh the risks. Yet again, the effectiveness of these committees depend on

how well the policies are designed. Thus, these challenges are subject to commitments in

training, constant collaboration with researchers, and regular assessments on the REC’s

processes to monitor significant changes and improvements needed to be done.

Implications

The findings of the study regarding the compliance on research ethical standards

of the faculty researchers in VSU on the conduct of studies involving human participants

carries significant implications. The findings revealed the thoughts of the faculty

researchers in complying with the ethical standards, the barriers in complying with the

aforementioned standards, and their impression on the idea of the creation of an Ethics

Review Committee in the VSU system. This significant data can be a crucial basis in the

implementation of the REC in the university. With the REC, this can contribute to the

creation of a system that has firm adherence to a systematic moral code and to the ethical

standards or guidelines. Once established, the results ought to uphold the University’s
 105

responsibility in ensuring the quality and integrity of their research. Not only will the

university benefit from this, but as well as its constituents including students and faculty

researchers who have the ability to integrate the findings of this study, and broaden their

knowledge on the compliance on research ethical standards.

As a moral compass that directs researchers in their quest of knowledge, ethics is

the cornerstone of ethical and legitimate research. Fundamental to nursing practice,

healthcare professionals are always influenced by ethical considerations in their daily

encounters with patients, families, and coworkers. So essentially, ethics is crucial in

influencing how nursing practice is shaped as the nursing profession develops.

The findings of the study emphasize how nursing research relies heavily on

ethics, protecting the rights, dignity, and well-being of the participants. When

participating in research, nurses must make sure that subjects freely give their informed

consent and are aware of the goals, methods, risks, and rewards of the study. The privacy

and confidentiality of study participants must be respected by nurses. This entails

protecting private data and making sure that information is de-identified or anonymised

to protect participants' identities.

Nursing ethics research also necessitates a dedication to safeguarding participants'

rights and welfare. When conducting research, nurses should keep a close eye on any

possible hazards to participants' physical, mental, or psychological well-being, and take

appropriate action to reduce any negative effects.

Moreover, research nurses ought to take part in the ethical review procedure. This

entails submitting research proposals for review to ethics committees or institutional

 106

review boards (IRBs). It is the duty of nurses to address ethical issues brought up

throughout the review procedure especially if the study protocol is altered.

Lastly, in order to conduct ethical research, cooperation between researchers—

including nurses—is crucial. It is imperative that nurses take an active role in

interdisciplinary collaboration by offering their distinct viewpoints to ensure that study

design, implementation, and interpretation are thorough and ethical. After all, the

integrity of the nursing profession and the welfare of study participants are contingent

upon the application of ethics in nursing research.

Recommendations

First, explore the ethical implications of conducting research on controversial

topics or using sensitive data and discover how researchers can strike a balance between

advancing knowledge and respecting potential harm to participants or societal values.

Second, investigate the role of the research ethics committee in overseeing

research ethics and ensuring compliance.

Third, examine the relationship between science and society, exploring how

scientific advancements shape public opinion and policy decisions while also considering

potential challenges of misinformation or misinterpretation of research findings.

The challenges faced by VSU faculty researchers in upholding ethical standards

highlight the importance of collective action from institutions, researchers, and the

academic community as a whole. Collaborative efforts are necessary to address these

challenges and foster a research environment centered on ethics. This requires a

comprehensive approach involving communication, education, process improvement, and

 107

cultural change. Through these combined efforts, research communities can navigate

these barriers, ensuring that ethical standards are maintained and scholarly integrity is

preserved. By doing so, research can contribute to societal improvement while upholding

the university's core value of integrity.

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APPENDICES

Appendix A: Research Proposal Approval Sheet

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Appendix B: EVHRDC Clearance

119
120
121
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Appendix C: Transmittal letter to participants

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Appendix D: Informed Consent

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125
126
127
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Appendix E: Guide Questions

Interview Guide Questions

General Questions:

1. How do you define ethical research? Can you share your previous
experiences on creating research that involved human participants?

Follow up: What was the area of concern in your study?

2. What ethical standards in the conduct of study involving human participants

you know of?

Follow up: How relevant it is to adhere to these standards during the

conduct of a study involving human participants?

3. What ethical parameters did you consider in your research? what were the
steps you took during the conduct of your study

Follow up:

● How will potential participants be recruited?

● How will potential participants be consented?
● What steps will be taken for the safety of potential participants?
● Will any incentives be used to increase participation or response rates?
● What are the benefits of participation in the study?
● What are the risks of participation in the study?
● How will confidentiality and anonymity of participants be upheld?
● Who will have access to the study data and where will it be stored?

4. What do you think are the hindrances when dealing with human subjects in
research?

Follow up: How were you able to solve ethical dilemmas in your previous
experiences?

5. What do you think is/are the hindrances in complying with the ethical
standards given by international/local ethical guidelines?

6. What ethical committee did your research went through the process of
evaluation before the pursuit of the study?
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7. What are your views/perception about the creation of a research ethics

committee in VSU? How do you think this would help the researchers? How do
you think will it affect the university?

Appendix F: Transcripts

Informant 1

00:01 - 00:08 Okay how do you define ethical research sir and can you share your experiences
of you conducting a research involving human participants sir?
Interviewer 1

0:08 – 06:28 Uhm firstly ah an ethical research should be a sound research that means that
the output as much as possible should benefit the human because that’s the very
Informant 1 intention of why we’re conducting the study. It’s not only for like knowing the
findings and after that ah publishing it, more so what is more impactful for a
research to be ethical and sound is (clears throat) the participants or your
respondents should have a, a picture of what the finding is all about. So dapat
kahibaw sila na naunsa na bay dagan sa research gyud na imo gi conduct noh so
as much as possible whenever you conducted same noh in this endeaver, with
relevance to ethicality dapat you have to go back to your, to your participants or
respondents and inform them that these are the findings of your study. That for
me is an ethically sound research. Ah (clears throat) a-another ah unsa ni siya
kani ni ang for me ha on my personal account as a researcher, an ethically
sound research should follow the the the protocol of conducting the study so
crucial man gud ang human participants because there might be some like
activities or questions later on na may hamper them from giving you the right
information. So even if you’re only asking the economic status of the
participants and ah example th-they are farmers and asking them of pilay ila
income and th-the logic suggests that it should be money as a form of income
but they don’t have money and yet they have this harvest they have this kana
siyang other means nga non-monetary unya kung mangutana ta about ni ana
unya murag dili ba sila maka makacomprehend nya ang pasabot diay nimo na
income kay anything in their in kind or money so sometimes dili na sila like
that open to to ah unsa na siya kanang to to to give freely the information so
with that, murag naa nay gap between the researcher and the human participants
so bisag simple lang siya nga kanang pangutana ug pila iyay edad sometimes
nay uban nga dili gud comfortable nga musulti sa ilang edad dba ing ana noh.
So kani ni ang an ethical research should be as much as possible complying that
of these standards but it may not be as acceptable bisan pag acceptable siya sa
atung context of of of how we define ethical research pero pag abot gyud sa
human participants bisag dili sila comfortable nga mura bag dili kaayo kanang
basta dili sila at peace sa imo gipangutana that in effect is still unethical (clears
throat) noh so with my previous experiences as a researcher ahh we aw i-i I
usually ano ah subject my my my paper to ethics board the university, th-the
 130

VSU is starting its own ethical review committee and me being one of the
members along with Dr. de los santos and we are trying to like, compose the
university in terms of ahh the ethicality of their studies and one of the
disadvantages of a paper or a a a finished research kung dili siya ah subject to
ethical standards is dili sha kapublish gyud noh kay mangayo man tag ethical
code ang uban na mga mga publications or mga publishers about ni ana so on
my end since we don’t have ethics before na b-before mga mga I think mga
2021 naman siguro nagstart or this year ba na nagstart ang atung ethics gyud
but pero dili pa ta licensed or dili pa ta accredited noh because we also have to
review a good number of documents I think its more than 20 or at least 20
papers nga among gireview then we have to submit ourselves for the for for for
the accreditation by PHREB in in the UP. So sa ako experience before I have to
partner with other researchers in which naa silay mga ethics review board sa
ilang university. So I am doing half of the dirty work and I am including them
as resea- as researcher or co-author so that my paper or our paper will be
submitted for ethics review to their university because sa akong sa ako tan aw
lagi, before dili man gud siya kanang dili ba sha substantial ang imo research
kung dili gyud sha mapublish. When you publish man gud, a lot of people can
read it and may use that one to anchor or to to serve as the springboard to
conduct the same study. I cannot capture their their experiences or their their
perspectives about the topics that I wa I am doing but at least when they saw or
when they read that piece of paper that may ignite them to continue the writing
or continue th-the research. So and I can only do that if I can publish and
publication requires ethical code and so if we don’t have that one and it’s quite
expensive, so mao na sha na kanang I should partner with other ah researcher sa
mga universities both in the Philippines or in abroad para gyud ma ma ano ma
unsa ni ma review or matagaag ethical assignment or ethical code assignment
so that’s how I-I how I define ethics and ethical research.

06:28 – 06:53 Ok sir, ah diba sir you mentioned na to be accredited by PHREB katung ethical
board. What do you think sir na you know, VSU is a research university sir pero
Interviewer 1 yeah a-as compared sa uban na small-scale universities or schools they have
accredited na PHREB nga ah for kanang unsa ni ethical compliance sir be pero
ngano man its hard for VSU to do so sir?

06:54-10:52 Ahh infairness to the university this is a research university pero ang ila
mandate man gud is more on food sustainability and when you study about
Informant 1 plants I don’t think so if there are ethics that is in need really for for for that to
pass through. Ah the VetMed is also engaged in animals and there is ethics
about about animals on how to kill and how to dispose this one after more so
with with human participants. Ahh there are types of research na dili man gud
magneed ug ethics example kanang mga systematic review or what about those
ah just review and analysis of the of the documents, those are less needing
ethics and I think the university has not seen that as a as an immediate need
before kay kung plants, kung kung about the pests or about ahh observational
studies or the field studies I think wala gud kaayo sha magneed ug research
 131

(ethics) not until that ah (clears throat) the college of nursing which is more
focused on human involvement man gyud ang ang nursing noh human-based
response man gyud sha and fortunately we are also aggressive in terms of
conducting more research baya karon lang noh so and ah the college of nursing
is one of the although not a flagship program but an oversubscribed program of
the university and so plus pa gyud that faculties are doing research and ah some
of the faculty members are now on the on the frontline to be part of those mga
awardee or kana shang basta very aggressive. We have our programs on
internationalizations and research is part of that so and therefore we need really
to embrace the the the opening of these of these unit which is the ethics review
board or system. So mao rani sha nga time nga kana shang murag nahimong
aggressive ang university when it comes to opening this but I am not saying that
they don’t have or didn’t have the plan to open this up knowing that the
university is almost a century old institution unya kuan gud sha, research
university gud siya kung imo tan awn daghan tang mga research centers but
kung imo tan awn we have the research centers for abaca, for coconut, for
rootcrops, for carabao, for water, for for climate change. So kung imo tan awn
ang mga domain ni ani less ra gyud ang involvement sa human so therefore, the
the the protocols suggest nga murag dili gud sha need for ethcis review board
noh ing ana. So the the VetMed also has a different type of review board
kadtung iyang ah more on the kana syang animals so that’s why they have this
hospital, they are now trying to establish the hospital for for the animals and naa
pd sila lahi na accreditation not until kung moinvolve na ang ila study about
human so mosud sila dinhi ah sa sa ethics review board sa university (clears
throat) example moingon ta ang Philippine rootcrops is more on food
sustainability but if they would now ah study on the income of the farmers
related to rootcrops grow dha pa mosud pd ang ethics pero kung purely lang
gyud sa mga variety of these rootcrops I think murag wala gyud sha nag tan aw
ug ethics mao na nga wala gyud murag wala gyud na na in place ang ERC or
ERB sa university, oo but this is a welcoming development na kanang naa na
gud sha ang ERC hmm mm.

10:53 – 11:02 Ok thank you sir. Ah so ah you diba sir you’re a researcher sir what specific
area of kanang nursing do you usually conduct studies sir?
Interviewer 1

11:03 – 11:07
Just to- for the paper sir what are your what is your area jd sir ay for the record
Interviewer 2 diay sa research

11:02 – 13:13 Ahh ang ako area gyud is more on ah gerontology more on nursing education
and management and also some of the concerns sa um sa atung research like
Informant 1 nursing research noh so (clears throat) as much as possible I’m trying to focus
on this line, on these strings kay kanag dha man gud nimo ma macrea ma
maacquire ang expertise ug ang imohang kana bang cup of tea. Kay kung sge
kag transfer transfer just for the sake of just doing and conducting research
 132

murag yes its fine because you are producing output but its not good to look at
ba nga murag diverse kaayo although we we we appreciate diversity pero
sometime you you your credibility will be questioned ngano man nag study
man ka ing ani nga mao man ang imo field of specialization. So that’s why we
are having this masteral, doctoral because you are professing that discipline. So
dili jd pwede nga modivert jd ka ni ana or if not, if if modivert man gani ka you
always have to, to bring that thin line or the very narrow line kung unsay
relationship ni ana sa imong field of specialization so example now I am
(clears throat) nga like uhm modesty aside uhm my my MS and my my doctoral
is more on the elderly care and so ah that’s why I was able to develop the the
the first ah Filipino-based assessment tool for abused cases so it will depend
now kung unsa ang ang abuse type nga naexperience sa elderly so as much as
possible all my my discussions my topics my my perspective when I do the
writing it should be with resemblance to gerontology. So mao na sha, so mao na
ang ako field of ano specialization or mga social sciences, hmm ana sha.

13:14 – 13:26 Ok ah nya in conducting your studies sir ah what are the specific ethical
parameters that you kanang do jd sir, kanang mga specific courses of action that
Interviewer 1 you do throughout the course of your research sir?

13:26 - 17:06 Yeah, ang kining elderly kahibaw man ta nga vulnerable gyud sha noh so d
gyud kaayo (inaudible) ani ang ethics gyud so ah with regards to protocol or
Informant 1 mga core ah unsa na mga activities in the course of the study I I made it sure
nga kani ni ang of course you have to follow the the the ethical code assigned
or kana shang unsay mga mga ethics ah acquainted to that ah practice so ang
ako buhaton it is mura shag retro ang iyahang approach. Meaning I will have to
go first with the protocol or the ethics pr-protocol and I will now design my
study based on that protocol so that when i perform the study kuan na sha
suggestive na sha or responsive na sha kung unsay gisulti sa protocol kay ang
problema man gud kay when you have a very good proposal and yet those
aspects were not addressing or not addressing the the ethics so useless ang imo
proposal dili ka makaproceed kay naa man gyud usa nga dili nimo maaddress so
akong buhaton icheck sa nako kung unsa ang protocol for this study and I have
to read gyud a lot of literature so that I can also anchor my decision making
ngadto sa mga published studies. I have to sh- I have to trust the the literature
kay napublish na gyud siya so meaning niagi gyud pd sha ug scrutiny ug
criticism gyud gikan sa mga experts. so given nga mao na na siya ang na ang na
reflect didto sa atung literature sa I need to to trust the wisdom of this of this
paper and trying to to appropriate that to my study. I’m not saying to copy gyud
but that’s the beauty of research you can duplicate the findings you can you can
do the same thing to sustain consistency but (clears throat) at the end of the line
inig publish man gud nimo and when you are serving that to your audience to
those knowledge consumer, what is unique in your study nga gikopya man diay
nimo ni siya. so you have to put some flavor nga kana bang unsa na kana shang
something nga platable gyud sa ilaha, so ah again I I I have at wa one of the
course of action is reviewing first the literature kung unsa gyud ang ang iyang
 133

existing knowledge and you don’t have to study kung unsa nay given sa imo sa
imohang findings o sa imo literature kung nagsulti ang literature about this then
why perform the same nga naa naman diay and what what what’s unique noh sa
ako giingon kung if you you would study the same although findings may vary
because I will be conducting on on a different set-up, to different respondents
but more or less it is the same river nga imo kanang imo makuha gyud noh so
mao na sha so first on on that course of action I have to trust the wisdom of the
of the literature. Second is, I also have to see kung unsa gyud ang naa actual on
the grassroots as I’ve said we are not doing research for the sake of completion,
for the sake that we are doing something but kanang something nga
makacontribute gyud ka dapat sa imo sa imong body of knowledge hmm mm.

17:06 – 17:13 Uhm so in the process of your research sir how do you recruit your participants
sir?
Interviewer 1

17:13 - 19:27 Yeah you have to uh what do you call this you have to go back with the
limitation or the criteria of your of your study noh so sa ako giingon example if
Informant 1 if I am more on the elderly client which is very hard gyud for me kay example
ang ilang vulnerability or ang ilang karong degree of responsiveness or
participation what if naa na silay mga disease so I ha I like I reallly have to pick
gyud katu bang kumbaga katu gyud makacontribute gyud substantially sa atung
study so so you have to be guided with your with your assigned ahh kana shang
criteria noh ang qualifications nila to be part of your participants but mao lage
tu sha kung ang imohang nakuha nga participants wala siya nirespond ddto sa
gisuggest sa ethics protocol, so usbon gyud nimo ang imo participants and
sometimes mao gyud ni makadugay naku hmm mm so mao ni makadugay. so
and ang ako buhaton is when I conduct study dili sha one time nga study so I
had this umbrella big ano big project or big title and I have to chunk that one
into different components para dili ko mahutdan sa akoang sa akoang unsa na sa
akoang mga mga papers to study. sometimes ang ako buhaton gani ah when I
when I ahh make research dili ko maghuna huna ug title, I have to look into the
unique characteristics of these participants and from there and that is unique
then I have to create my own title out from that. so dili sha ingon na title then
the introduction and whatsoever ang akoa I have to see who are these people
and unsay pwede nako mastudy kung ing ani ang ila characteristics. so with
that, ako himuan sha ug unsay title ug unsay akong gusto mahitabo kay atung
normal man gud kay title then kana shang introduction the mga ana, ang ako
kay dili. ikaw unsa may unique man nmo nga person and so with that maghimo
kog title nga makuha nako ang imohang uniqueness nga lahi siya sa mga uban
na studies so mura shag retro ang ako approach hmm mm.

19:28 - 19:35 and ahh given the traits of your usual na participants sir, how do you get
consent from them man sir?
Interviewer 1
 134

19:36 - 21:35 ahh the consent ahh as ahh base sa pagka pagkaconduct sa ano ang sa ano sa
pagstudy wala you have I have to make gyud mao na very particular gyud ko
Informant 1 with the translation and back translation kay like mao na gyud sha ang akong
kumbaga kumbaga breathing noh. dili problema kung ang imohang participant
is naa gyud siyay educational background pero given man gud nga sa akong
nature sa participant nga dili man sha idiscount noh pero ang uban kay wala
nakahuman ing ana so imo jd pasabton to their level of understanding nga
kaning ang mao ni shang mao ni ang imo gusto mahitabo sa imong study unya
ikaw participant kay ing ani kung mosugot ka you can you can ahh unsa na you
can sign this consent or if not ah pwede ka morefuse so wala shay ingon nga
point against you or if not at the course of the study and you wish to stop wala
pa nahuman ang process you can, so mao na sha ang akong mao na I am fond of
making or putting my my email my my number my messenger to all my my
whereabouts or to all the document para dali ra ko nila ma access hmm mm so
mao na sha ang kumbaga mao na ang ako mga measure nga anytime nga gusto
sila makigcommunicate or naa silay further inquiry dali ra ko nila macontact
gyud so I have to open my my line 24/7 especially kung naa koy mga ongoing
nga studies. kay naa pd koy experience nga bisan kanang manawag ra sila kay
makigchika unya kahuman dili sha related gyud sa akong study and you have to
entertain thay kay that’s part of establishing relationship with them and in
return, kuan sha kanang free flowing ang information nga imong ma imong ma
makuha gyud so those are the some of my kana shang activities or experiences
in conducting my study.

21:35 - 21:40 and in doing so sir, how do you ensure man the safety of your participants sir?

Interviewer 1

21:40 - 26:04 uh so far ang akoang mga studies dili gud sha ingon nga mga experimental its
more on kuan ra gyud sha kanang knowledge development dili gud sha ingon
Informant 1 kana bang mga physical involvement. so with regar- but ah mao lage tu sha
even if mga surveys or more on mga response or experiences ang ako gikuha
pwede man gyud nga imong ma maalter ang iyang emotion. sometimes mo mo
mohilak gyud ang mga ang mga participants noh dili baya ka pwede mohilak sd
dili baya pwede tagaag ice cream. kinahanglan man gyud nmo iestablish nga at
the end of the line ang ang ilang ang pouring of emotions pouring out of
emotions dili ma hamper ang ilahang day-to-day living bisag naterminate na
ang atu project or ang atu activity. so ang ako buhaton is to ensure nga kani ni
ang ok ang ila ok ang ilahang ilaha kaugalingon or ilang emotions is dili pd
dretso diretso mohatag atung mga atung mga interview forms. akong buhaton is
magconduct sa ko ug mga games or if not magconduct ko ug kanang mga kataw
anan na storya para gyud ah ma level ang ah sure na gyud ko nga kanang
kumbaga ready na sila sa ilahang ano sa ilahang study aw sa akong pag
pagconduct sa study. So dili ko dretso nga mohatag ko dretso sa questionnaire
kay wa man di dili ma nako mabutang sila at the same level gusto man nako sha
na pareho jd silag level kani karon kay what is siya naay problema ug kini siya
 135

bag o namatyan ug kani siya kay ok happy-go-lucky ra na lola nya ako himuan
or modretso na ko pagconduct sa study, lahi na mga responses ang ako makuha.
Although experience na nila, verbalizations na nila pero moreflect siya, during
my transcript dili useful ang data nga ako makuha gyud so akong akong na
akong na realize nga why not make some kanang mga activities nga pareha ang
ilang level karon sa panghuna huna so at the at the point in time its not its no ah
its not only one time na activity so kun magconduct kog study pwede nako sha
himuan sha at 3 different sessions nga sge ra mig katawa sge ra mig ing ana ba
hangtod mafeel na gyud nako nga ready na gyud ni sila para sa pagconduct sa
akong study or naa man gyud uban na mga na mga elderly nga kana bang
makasabot sd ka na bright bright ni sha kaysa sa uban pwede nga himuag joke
joke nako ang ako mga initial questions makakuha nako dretso dha palang sa
first setting unya ako paibalik sa sunod na setting kun consistent ra ba geapun
ang ilang mga response noh ing ana. So with that murag isort of game the use of
game noh th-the use of play the use of interaction unya kani ni makuha na nako
ang ilang mga responses hmm mm but th-th-they should know nga bisan pa sa
sugod sa first sa sugod palang sa kani na activity dapat nakasabot sila na my
personality I I am Iam using my hat as a researcher this time kay wala mn ko
kahibaw kung kanus a mogawas ang data dili man ko pwede moingon na karon
maglingkod ta nya magtabi ta nya mao na ni ang data dili man, because if we
are going to remove them from their natural environment the response also
would matter ana sha ma alter siya so I I experienced gyud nga getting
information from the riverbanks so when I kanang manglaba sd apil dili man ta
pwede manglingkod ta or if not or the comfortable that you will go to restaurant
and to eat halo-halo but its not their environment and they will be pressured to
it. So dili mao ang findings na ako makuha kung asa sila padung kung
magtanom silag gabi I experienced that in Biliran, magtanom silag gabi though
I have to go with them and you know tanom gabi as well ing ana nya I have to
bring balde in the riverbank and to do the laundry with them because tua ddto
and data na imo makuha, you should not remove them from their from their
usual environment noh so pareho gud sa bird na kung fr-free flying sha kung
ibutang nmo shag cage bird ra geapun siya pero lahi na ang environment so lahi
na nga data ang ako makuha so ing ana siya.

26:04 - 26:08 Uhm do you give incentives sir?

Interviewer 1

26:08 - 29:33 No, I don’t give incentives gyud firstly because as I’ve said it would it would
change now and the the data as much as- kung ang data na imong makuha kung
Informant 1 tagaag incentives is a perfect data and if that is perfect data unsaon paman na
nako? And then as much as possible dili perfect ang data kay dili na ko
kaexplain kung perfect ang data kinahanglan na cont- ang ako ganahan gani kay
mga contrasting ang ilahang findings kay kung lahi ang findings na ako makuha
lahi na analysis ang ako makita gikan sa literature then I can explain better
ngano na lahi man ang findings ani nga mao man ang giingopn sa literature.
 136

Kung pareha ra ang akong findings gikan sa literature so unsa paman nga wala
naman sha so I don’t give incentive uhmm I I I I consider kana shang giving
incentive but not monetary not monetary I experienced it when I conducted a
study on on a-a-abuse cases nga kana shang of course I have to live with them
so dili pd ko moingon kana nga shang kung kung kung mopuyo ko sa ilaha lahi
akong pagkaon, dili man na pwede kay naa nay gap daan nimo ug sila so as
much as possible dili kayko kanang example kung mao ila gikaon so mapurga
jd ka imo sd kan on kay kung makafeel sila nga walay distance between you
and them as I’ve said ang importante nga nay data nga makuha gyud so I don’t
give incentives. Mohatag ra kog incentives kung mahuman na ang study kung
mahuman na ang akong pagkuha gyud sa information not not even nga kung
mohawa na ko sa ilang balay I I I I susually stay mga 3-5 days atu that time so
kana shang after ni atu nga kanag makuha na nako ang akoang data d ko
mohatag dretso ug mga incentives ug mga forms of kanang in kinds or
whatsoever kay so mangugilon man tu sila sa uban so maalter ang isulti sa uban
nga usually man gyud sa akoang mga types of studies nga mga quali sil- murag
referred sampling kinsa ang sunod nga akong kuhaan moingon sha uy kanang
entertaina si joel kay mohatag baya shag bugas ing ana so maalter ang iyahang
karong findings sa sunod na iya refer so di dili ko maghimo ni ana but innate to
me nga kana jolly person man ko noh so mao na nga dili rajd kaayo awkward
para nila oo so I don’t give incentives mahuman ang ako study mahuman usa
diliaw ma- so so far nahuman naman sha so kanang m- later na ko mohatag ug
mga incentive but dili gyud sha money. It could be of in kind kay mao man na
ang purpose kay kung example dili man sha negosyo ang research baya dili man
sha money-generating income ang imohang ang imohang research para nila oo,
so, as much as possible di ko mohatag ug incentives. Sa ako experience wala ko
kahatag ug incentives nga at the course of the study. Pagkahuman sa akong
study, napublish na, akong gibalik ang ilah- sila, akong gihatag ang findings and
then ahh ddto pa ko nihatag ug inkind hmm mm.

29:33 - 29:40 Ok sir, and how about the confidentiality sir and anonymity of your participants
sir how do you uphold those things?
Interviewer 1

29:41 - 30:58 Yes ahhh ang kadtung confidentiality and anonymity I I I always adhere that by
assigning names nga kanang dili gyud ila personality hmm mm so that’s one so
Informant 1 with with with my transcripts makita ninyo noh naa man ako mga transcripts na
wala gyuy mga name in fact A B C D rana sha meaning the first respondent or
the first participant is A siya so kahibaw ko nga until J ika number 10 na na siya
nga participant and I uphold that ahh of course kay pangitaan man ka so ako sha
gihimo ka nakabasa naman ko sa ethical protocol nga dapat dili gyud siya nimo
iname so kung ianonymize nimo sha so kinahanglan nga kani ni ang you be
consistent all throughout so mao na nga since nakabasa nako ana sa akoang ano
sa akoang ethical assignment ako nalang buhaton didto sa actual nako nga
study. So ingana ang ako buhaton so usually murag lahi ang ako pag-pag
conduct sa study kay magbasa ko daan kung unsay requirement mao akong
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himoan dili ko maghimo then akong isubmit to check if this is correct or not so
murag murag bali sha ang akoang ang akoang approach hmm mm.

30:58 - 31:06 Do you have a specific place sir maybe here in the office or at home ah kung
asa nimo istore ang imo data sir?
Interviewer 1

31:06 - 33:47 ahh I usually store my data on my phone so and after that I have to remove that
gyud oo ahh I have a lot of ahh katung mgamicrochip man tu katung mga micro
Informant 1 SD mao man tu sa una I really have to buy that micro SD then isaksak tu nako
sa phone kay naa man tu mga phone nga naay saksakan sa mga micro SD noh
mga android phone. Mao tu akong solely na gamiton gyud for my for my
research conduct I do not even use my personal phone kung magconduct na kog
study oo kay anyone can access my my my phone man so I really have to buy,
in fact I have that phone right now noh the an an android phone nga kana shang
mao ra gyud akong gamiton nga USB wala shay ano wala shay kana ang sim
wala shay number just the micro SD and after that kung ma ok na, later na nako
sha idispose o gub on jd nako ang sim kung wala nay pangayuon ang kanang
reviewer kung ako isubmit ang paper kay sometimes mangayo man na sila ug
transcript to validate kung unsa ka tinuod ang imo gihimo based gyud sa raw
information so kung ako na sha gidestroy nga wa pa na wala pa sha nadawat for
publication asa man ang ako ive- i-support na mga documents. So once nga ako
shang idestroy it means taas na ang percentage nga maaccept na ang paper or
much so katung napublish na gyud ang paper usa pa nako sha idestroy.
Although moingon ta sa sa ethics nga after data analysis you have to destroy the
document you have to destroy the source of data. But for me, dili siya kay ang
ako intention man is to publish the work noh kay mao tu sha ang ang end gyud
why we are conducting the study is you have to publish and inf- inform the
public about this phenomenon so what if pangayuan ko ana sa reviewer unya
ako na gidestroy after the analysis. So unsa may ako isupport? So wala na so
mao na sha nga I have to destroy that sim I mean the the that microchip if ever
human na moingon na ang research- aw ang ang reviewer in in the in in the
publication house nga kuan accepted na ang imo paper so that’s the time that I
really have to kanang destroy the data but when the publisher ask me of how are
you going to destroy ah dis- discard or remove that of course mo mosulti jd ko
nga kanang imo shang gub on, imo shang ilabay mga ing ana ba hmm mm dili
ko moingon ddto sa akong study nga dawata sa para akong gub on d man ing
ana kay that is bargaining (laughs) so lahi man sha nga story oo.

33:47 - 33:54 ahh what do you think sir are the hindrances when dealing jd with human
subjects?
Interviewer 1

33:55 - 36:04 Ang hindrance gyud they are hesitant and they will not speak much of your of
of whatever information that you would ask from them. Hesitant gyud na sha
Informant 1 and the very barrier to that is when you cannot establish gyud relationship with
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them mao ra gyud na siya kay mao na gyud tu na kana shang kinahanglan kana
bang i-baby gyud nimo sila pag maayo kay ikaw baya nagkinahanglan nila wa
sila b- wala baya sila kahibaw the-they are left non like un-un-unknowledgeable
kung unsay data nga ila isulti nga magamit na nimo to to enhance the science
noh so if ever nga ano kana shang kani ni ang usa sa mga mga barrier gyud nga
ang pinakaworst gyud nako nga barrier kay kana shang magchange change ang
schedule dili man puydi nga imong ikiha ang akong participant kay ikaw man
lagi ang nagkinahanglan kung kung ila comfortable time moingon sila na
‘tomorrow nalang sir’ ana sha ani nga day ani na time so you have to be there
unya dili baya kana lang ako buhaton much so nga dili pd mao ra ang ilang time
nga gamiton nimo they also have some chores to do. So kinahanglan magbalik
balik jd ka noh murag iprove gd nimo sa imong ka- di man puydi nga imo
shang bayaan kay the mere fact nga niqualify siya as your participant rare na
nga opportunity nga makakita kag pareha niya nga swak gyud sa imohang
imong qualifications so balik balikun gyud nimo nya mao na sometimes murag
mu murag kagive up-on na gyud ko and I am I am I am contemplating nga
pwede ra man siguro ko mabuhi nga dili ko mag research ing ana ba ngano naa
ni sha uy ing ana ba so nya wala pd nagsugo nimo nga magresearch ka ana ba
nya wala sd ko madawdaw ana ang imo lang gyud nga you wanted to address
the curiosity sometimes di man ko katug usahay gud nga naa pa koy huna
hunaon so I always have pen and paper with me wherever I go so mao na nga
kay the idea of just nag pop-up naturally so paspas gyud nimog sulat kay after
ana ma wa ra pd na sha nga idea and you cannot even remember of what you
are trying to think of the last last hour noh so mao na sha so mao na sha sa usa
na mga hindrance nga akong nabati gyud.

36:04 - 36:29 How about ahh diba sir you stated ganina na ang problem gyud mainly sa una
kay agricultural jd ang VSU pero as of the moment sir since you know we have
Interviewer 1 courses or programs rather na magdeal na gyud with human subjects. What now
are the ahh hindrances towards achieving ethical and ah international guidelines
nga based on ERC sir?

36:29 - 41:04 Maybe ahh it is the resistance of the the research the long-standing researcher
that we have this ethical guidelines we need to follow kumbaga sa dugay nga
Informant 1 kanang panahon ba kanang nagconduct silag research and they are known of
conducting research the university is known to be a research university,
publishing works, citing their own papers, pero I’m not saying of how much of
this percent from the previous outputs sa university ang na ang na ang na
subject for for ethics review so for sure if you are a person of authority sa
university nga daghan na kay ka ug mga publications, daghan na kag research
and yet wala man diay macite ah like wala man gud nisubject nimo ang E-R ang
imong paper for ERC for sure resi-resistant gyud ni sila ni ana kay of course as,
as a neophyte researcher murag i like imong tan awon ba nga one is to ten ang
ratio ako dugay na ko for example ako dugay na ko na nga nga personality sa
akong field, nagconduct kog study about ingani unya and here you are and here
is the new policy of the university to establish ERC board unya isubject ang
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akong paper ninyo nga mga bag o pa mo nga mga neophyte nya bag o pa sd mo
nga college. I said college because ang ang gaspearhead gyud sa ERC is the
College of Nursing kay kita man gyud ang mostly affected. Kung imong tan
awon ang members sa ERC is Dr. De los santos, me, a medical doctor, those
nga ang mga studies is more on social sciences. So gamay ra ang na member sa
sa sa ethics review board sa university nga tua nagdeal about plants, about
animals, naa man gani usa pero naa sa vet pero they all should also ah th-they
also adhere that kay need man gyud na klaro man gyud nga need sa vet ang ang
ethical review noh ang ethics pero murag sa animal review pd sila in ana. So
gamay ra ang makasabot unya imong banggaon karon nga dia na diri na figure
na sha, very known figure, very known authority of research nya i-imo
ipasubject gyud ang iyang paper to your review. So mao na sha ang murag
kanang baga challenge i-its not actually a problem kay once it is ahh a created
unit of the university. It is agreed upon unit b-by by the university it is duly
approved by the board so naa siya. Ang problem is resistance or sometimes dili
na sha mahimong objective ang imong pagreview. Example ikaw akoy
magreview karon unya here comes example lang ha kanang the president is
submitting his paper, he is the president and you are a faculty and you are in-
charge to to do commissioning of the work of the president. Sometimes, well
this is this is happening actually kay me being the co-chair of the of all the
research of the university with regards to human and health, and here comes the
the university president sending the paper for proposal for review para ninyo
nya hala unsa naman ni ron noh so murag diha palang although there is bias but
the challenge now is you have to you know j-j-just review the document based
on the protocol. But dili gyud nimo maremove ang ang ang ang personality nga
this is the president sending you the paper, and the president is knowledgeable
who are the members of this committee, and the president is the one giving you
the appointment that you will be part of that technical working group and the
presi- here th-that is a further example so sometimes dili gyud sha nga hala uy
inig review nimo tarongon gyud nimo unsay imo tan awn dhaa. Kay mainstill
man sa imong huna huna nga this is the president, this is the vice president
sending the paper, this is a medical doctor sending the paper ana sha. So usa sha
sa mga barrier gyud pero mao na ang challenge nimo nga whoever the person is
its not the person you are reviewing, it is the document that that that you are
reviewing noh so very subjective siya I mean objective gyud sha dapat so mao
na na ang challenge nako.

41:04 - 41:09 Sir, kung magsubmit ka sir ug imo paper sir what ethical committee you go
through sir?
Interviewer 1
You said earlier sir na moadto mo sa imong co-researchers sa universities, can
41:09 - 41:17 you cite the universities sir na imong gistorya?

Interviewer 2

41:17 - 45:19 Yes ahh there is one ah first nako nga university nga akoang of course sa akong
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Informant 1 P sa akoang doctoral ang gisubmittan is, naa may ethical board ang ano naa may
ethical board ang St. Paul where I graduated so ddto nako gisubmit ang usa.
Another is in in in Indonesia because I am doing study with with them so that's
why my unsa na most of my my friends gyud is our are are Indonesians so ahh
this university from Airlangga University and University of ahh Universitas
Padjadjaran so these are 2 of the main universities and these are very good
universities kay part man sila sa T-H-E Times Higher Education ranking kanang
magranking sa tibuok kalibutan sa mga best universities apil na sila so ang i-in
fact although we are we are beginning noh ah sa university sa atung ranking sa
world ranking pero kani sila na mga schools ang kanang UNAIR or Universitas
Airlangga is I think mga ika 100 sila to 200 range sa best universities all over
the world. Pero silay number one karon sa Indonesia when it comes to ahh
when it comes to ahh health and nursing. Ang Universitas Padjadjaran is also
known in terms of agriculture and nursing oo so kay naa man shay reflections
sa imoha kung makig makig ano ka makig partner ka it should be naa na shay
kaugalingon na credentials para pud ma kahig ang imong- kay mao man na ang
purpose of why we are into internationalization we are going to put the
university into the map. So kung naa na sila daan sa map so (inaudible)
nakigpartner ka, you will be on the map. Mao man na siya, dili pwede nga you
you you start by your own. So dapit makig collab gyud ka so that’s that’s
actually the word there noh ‘collaboration’ and ahh mao na sha katung atung
mga partners nianhi last time yes part to sila in fact nagkita na sila with Dr.
Tulin didto sa ilahang University pag adto sa nila sa Indonesia, and it’s our time
now na kita na puy moadto noh so kinahanglan na atu na shang buhaton but
schedule schedule pa kay klasi paman ta hmm mm and we need the ahh
authority to to go from the government kay we ar- government institution man
oo so mao na sha ang mga schools na for now naa koy mga partnership naa tay
mga partnership actually. We also have partnerships in Malaysia and most ahh if
if you notice ahh during during my time I we we partnered with that institution
kay naa silay journal, and if you notice naa tay mga students like kadtu silang
Mr. Daiz, Mr. Rosales nga napublish ang ilang paper on that journal so its its
actually kana bang kana bang kuan lang kanang friend friend lang mo unya
nakahibaw mo nga good- naay bearing of good fruit ang inyong friendship kay
you can access now the journal. So naa tay mga students na katung ilang
research outputs naa tay mga journa- ah mga papers nga napublish gyud ddto sa
ilaha and that is free of charge because we were able to establish that
relationship hmm mm we are not- we are not kanang murag murag predat- prey
dili man ana noh (laughs) dili ta ana pd oo pero kinahanglan nga naay mutual na
kanang agreement or understanding through M-O-U or M-O-A so if naa silay
need kung magneed silag mga experts gikan sa atu we can give them. If naa pd
tay need nila they can also provide that to us hmm mm (clears throat).

45:19 - 45:29 So sir ahh regardless nga for example na kanang nagconduct ka ug study
kanang here sa Philippines would it be ok na imong ERC kay like sa Indonesia
Interviewer 1 ibase?
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45:29 - 49:48 what is unique now is you have to conduct a study nga both ang imohang ang
imohang research participants dili sha okay na kung Philippines ang imong
Informant 1 research environment adto ka magpa review sa lain ngano man? Kay they don’t
have the grasp kung unsa ni sha so ang imong buha- ang akong study is more or
less is comparative tan awon na ko ang both countries. So I have now the the
reason ug nganong ako shang ipaconduct ddtoa or a ipaka- ipa ipa ERC ddto.
So a-and ibutang gyud ni isupport gyud ni ddto sa imong literature sa imong
claims sa imong introduction nga naay similarity ang kining duha nga country,
you have to establish that one th-therefore adto nila sila maoy bahala na sa
ethics. Of course ireview man gihapon na nila but it is to your advantage tungod
kay it is your partner institution but doesn’t follow nga exempt or expedite
karon ang imohang ang imohang paper mofollow gud gihapon sha and I I’ve
I’ve experienced also reviewing and revising and reviewing nga sometimes
moingon na gyud ko na hala bogoa gyud nako kay daghan man sha kana na ang
comments noh but you should not stop kay kahibaw man ka na mao man sha
ang gi gi gineed gyud. That’s why when I, when I do mentoring with my
students and when I also review kanang mga papers, I make it sure nga kanang
I wi- they will not experience the same kana bang kakapoy ug kahago nga
imong naagian. So kung e-example if this is your paper kay ang ako man gyud
makita didto sa akong mga paper kanang iquestion mark or naa ray questions
nga ibutang murag dili siya suggestive kung unsay ako buhaton when when
when they ask me about this. So ang ako buhaton para mas dali sha kay ang
purpose man gud sa ethics is to ensure nga ethical ang imong paper, maconduct
ang study gyud kay kung kanunay na nimo sha buhaton nga always on-on
against the side gyud ka sa ilang paper kinsa pa may moconduct ug study and
who else will engage in this in this tiring and kind of endeavor wala baya noh
mura bag sa-sa-sa tanang mga taw kanang research gyud ang pinakakapoy na
atung buhaton gyud kay wa may nagsugo gyud nimo ana pero kung wa puy
magconduct sa study kinsa na may mocontribute sa to additional knowledge.
So, because of those experiences, akong giingon nga when I make my my my
review of documents. I made it sure nga athe end of of this review makasabot
ang mga respo- makasabot ang mga researcher what are they going to do after
this kay example daghang question mark ra or if not ‘what else? expound’ nga
hala? unsa may iexpound gyud na mao na may napuga na gyud ang ako ulo ani.
Kumbaga you have to give suggestions on how they can better their paper. So
inig balik ana nila kadtung imong comments kadtung imong mga suggestions
mao nay imong tan awon. Dili kay lahi na sd ang imong iquestion later inig
review sa imong papel na gibalik balik naman sha nimo. Sa una wala nimo sha
gireview unya karon aw gicommentan unya karon gicomment na pd nimo so
and that will change now the paper and to the extent nga dili na kasabot ang
researcher kung unsa ba ni na akong study diay. Kay of course, kung akoy
reviewer ana I have to to to to make this paper, the way I want this paper to be
to be done pero dili diay na mao ang gusto sa imong researcher ana, so when I
give comments ahhh dapat suggestive siya dili kay moingon lang ka na
expound or ‘what else?’ what if these are conditionals nga wa man ka kahibaw
lage ug unsa gyud ipasabot and sometimes when when I review papers actually
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noh bisan kanang ano bisan kanang mag-mag review na ko for publication sa
kanang el-el-Elsevier for example kanang ako gyud shang iinform nga unsa
may ipasabot nimo in ani? I ha- I have to read the entire manuscript, I will not
kanang review gyud page per page or line per line kay maguba gyud ang imong
paper so tha-that’s one thing gyud na akong na learn pd noh kung magconduct
ko anang mga studies.

49:48 - 50:01 So for our last question sir, what are your views and perceptions about the
creation of a research ethics committee here in VSU and how do you think will
Interviewer 1 this help the researchers and our university as a whole?

50:01 - 53:55 hmm mm. The university as I said as a research university should should have,
should establish the ethics board and its not only for the researchers within the
Informant 1 university. We can also cater researchers from other institutions or from other
units of the government who wish to conduct study but what prohibits them is
the lack of that ERC unit so importante sha nga naa tay ano naa tay ERC or
ERB so we can also help other neophyte or budding researchers na maenlighten
ug unsay suno nila na buhaton mao lage na sha, akong giingon na dili man gud
pwede na you have to kill their their enthusiasm to conduct this study noh? kay
h example in in in a particular LGU, they have very rich data but they don’t
know how to to use these data to improve their policy, to improve their
practices, and if we don’t have research ethics committee, dili sound ang ilang
ilahang ano like dili sound ang ilahang ang ilahang magenerate so mi-might be
one sided ang ilahang ang ilahang findings tungod kay they are also afraid that
they are that that working in the LGU is the- is their meat and drink so
kinahanglan nga pasabton nimo sila kung unsaon na na magenerate nila ang
findings that dili pd ma at risk o maagrabyado ang ilang ang ilang kinabuhi
gyudnoh kay ma- mao nalang man gani diay ni nga nangamatay diri inig
kahuman natog research dili nalang ta moengage ug ing ana noh so ang ERC is
more on neutralizing, na mura bag win-win solution siya imong nadessiminate
ang findings, naimprove nimo ang inyong policies or guidelines or protocols of
the institution pero ethical ang pamaagi na imong gihimo dili siya ingon nga
one-sided noh kanang like there’s a lot of ways on how to kill a cat mura gyud
na siya, you can bark ahh to that correct tree (laughs) noh but dili harmful ang
pagka bark ing ana ba kana bang haha haha kana shang unsaon man ni nako sha
pagsulti nga ethical ang akong pagkasulti nga dili sha masakitan gyud and
that’s the role of ethics now. Of course just like your signs and symptoms th-the
numbers that you generate from your findings never lie kung moingon sila na
mao ni ka percent kung moingon sila na ing ani ang degree of severity ang
damage, mao gyud na siya although kahibaw ka nga that is a boomerang to the
government or boomerang to your institution but you should accept that kay
kung perfect lage ta nga- why why engage to this? mao man gyud na noh and
one th-th-that neutralizes the flavor is is the ethics pd hmm mm. Unsaon man
nako na dili masakitan pag maayo pagsulti ani, unsaon nako sha nga kanang
bullseye gyud kaayo after this pero dili sha ingon nga heavy heart after the
conduct of study noh we we we make research because we want to improve
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noh, we make research because we want to to to better our services noh ana, so
mao na sha ang akong perspective is when you conduct research yo-you should
gain more friends than fools mao ra gyud na sha. Dili pwede nga mag away mo
hinuon, nag away na hinuon tungod aning ethics noh sometimes kay magreview
ta unya nakig away na hinuon mo ang-ang inyong relationship as a friend
before. D man sha member sa ethics unya ako kay member man ko unya
moreview mi sa among paper unya nag away na hinuon mo dihaa after dili sha
in ana dapat hmm mm.

Informant 2

00:00 – 00:20 Let’s start na ma’am, hello ma’am I am Angelle Caintic, this is Roque Alcaraz,
and this is Feb Namia ma’am so uhm ahh our first question ma’am would be
Interviewer 1 how do you define ethical research and can you share your previous
experiences in creating your research that involved human participants?

00:21 – 00:23 Article research? Unsa tu imo question?

Informant 2

00:23 – 00:28 Ay kanang how do you define ethical research?

Interviewer 1

00:26 – 00:28 Aw ethical research (laughs).

Informant 2

00:27 – 00:28 Yes ma’am

Interviewers

00:29 – 1:36 Ethical research, so when sa ako lang understanding ha when we say ethical
research it conforms with the ethical standards noh sa in conducting research so
Informant 2 meaning to say kanang that’s why uhm di lang ko sure noh diri sa university if
kuan kay wala man kaayo koy exposure sa kay diri sa kuan usually mga kanang
ang amo trabaho diri is more of coordinating man sa mga, coordinating and
what’s this, monitoring sa mga research na ginaconduct so wa jd koy actual na
experience in terms of conducting research other than my dissertation. So ddto
ko kaexperience sa akong, sa pagconduct nako sa akong dissertation ddto sa
San Carlos kay dili gyud sila mosugot na walay clearance from the ethics
review committee so mao tu siya na kanang d mi ka proceed not unless nga
kanang nay clearance ang amo research protocol by the ethics review
committee unya kaning mao tu siya befo- usa mi kaconduct sa amo research
hmm mm.
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01:37 – 01:39 So what was the area of concern in your study ma’am?

Interviewer 1

01:40 – 1:58 Ahh kuan siya, kanang uhm about man ang ako participants man kay human
man noh so that’s why it is very important to have that ah kuan ethical review
Informant 2 nga kuan, kuan man sha its about adaptive performance sa mga faculty during
the COVID-19 pandemic.

01:59 – 02:14 Ok so what ethical standards in the conduct of your study ah what are the
ethical standards in the conduct of your study involving human participants
Interviewer 1 you know of ma’am? What are, katung unsa tu imo mga (inaudible)

02:12 – 03:13 Kuan first is kanang syempre kanang informed consent nga mao jd nay very
basic nga kanang you as a researcher imo siyang iinform ang imong participant
Informant 2 on what is your research all about, unya kanang in terms of confidentiality nga
kuan pwede ra man gud ang respondent nga dili magbutang sa iyang name oo,
so i-assure nimo siya nga whatever na data ang imo makuha is just for the
research of the research only and kuan, and then, it will be ibutang mn sd tu nga
kanang sa storage nga pinaka nay certain period of time nga pwede Ninyo ma
store ang kuan ang data unya after some time pwede ra sha ikuan i-what’s this
idisregard and then if the researcher if the participant would wa want a copy or
would want to know about the result of the research then kanang pwede sd inyo
iprovide sa iyaha.

03:14 – 03:22 Ok so for you ma’am how relevant is it to adhere to these standards during a
conduct of a study involving human participants.
Interviewer 1

03:23 – 05:04 Hmm mm syempre it’s very important kay dba naa baja tay right to privacy noh
so syempre ug wala ka niconform ana nga ethical standards kanang ah maka
Informant 2 ingon ta ng ana violate natu ang iyahang privacy noh so that’s why kana bitaw
kuan gyud na sha its ahh yeah it’s ethics gyud na imo siyang iinform kay like
for example nga kadtung there was this kanang review gani sa murag ah
presentation d sha review or review of one of the projects and then ang iya
gigamit is kanang mura rag na naa tu shay kanang nagdevelop sha ug product
like kanang murag sabon man siguro tu and then ang as to the mura bitaw ang
pagtest niya sa kanang kay mura man tu sha ug kanang about sa kanang basta
sabon noh so kung unsay iyang i-i-ila man tu gi-gitest pero ang ila gigamit nga
kanang what’s this kanang unsa ni shay tawag ana nga kanang taw ba nga
kanang ilang adtung ilang gi-gipagamit oo ang ila product is katung murag mga
priso, priso so without kanang informing them nga this is research and kanang
kanang pwede ba nga gamiton Ninyo ni and we will gather data afterwards ing
ana ba so murag ing ana nga kuan, although wala pd tu nagreklamo ang mga
priso but when we say ethical procedures ethical standards, we as a researcher
dapat we are responsible gyud noh in terms of kanang ing ana nga aspect nga
bisan pa ug wala silay nireklamo kanang standard operating procedure gyud
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unta nan ga we have to kanang adhere to the ethical standards.

05:05 – 05:17 So ah, lets go one-by-one ma’am sa mga parameters na atung makuan sa ethical
research so first ma’am is how did you how did you recruite- how did you
Interviewer 1 recruited your participants before ma’am?

03:23 – 07:06 Hmm mm kuan ani ni sha ang nahitabo kay d man ko pwede modirekto direkta
sa e-even ang i-in fact wa uh a-among sa ako mga respondents kay ang ako
Informant 2 study is kanang from the different state universities diri sa sa region so one is
VSU so though I we I have the access kay naa man koy naa man ko faculty man
ko I can send to them the questionnaire diretso but then ako jd na sha giclear pa
gihapon mismo sa atung kanang sa admin si atty. Guinocor, he is the one ah
kanang in-chargesa kanang data privacy, oo so naghatag ko ug letter. Before sa
iya nangayo ko ddto ni President nga magconduct ug research and uh th-this
involved kanang atu faculty nya pwede ba ko nga mangayo ug kanang data
about kanang sa ila email address for me to be able to send my questionnaires.
Though I can have it done without asking permission kay naa man gud sa amo
mga email mogawas man na sha but then I have to follow that one procedure
para kanang klaro gud kaayosa ako procedure nga naa so write ta sa President
and then I was informed that I have I had to coordinate with ah deputy privacy
ah (inaudible) basta DPO something kanang si atty. Guinocor adtung legal offi-
legal officer so mao tu nag write ko Saiya and the nangutana sha unsa kunu na
data ang akong gusto so mao tu ingon ko names and email addresses lang ang
ako gusto nga kuan _______ (06:44) pero gibasa pud nila ang akong informed
consent nga kuan gibasa ni atty. So gitagaan ko niyag clearance and then mao tu
I was provided with the names and the email addresses ah of those ahh sample
nga kuan akong na generate through random sampling from ah from my study.

07:07 – 07:28 Ah so ah for the record ma’am, just to clarify ganina imo giingon so you you
got the consent of your participants through informed consent mao tu ma’am
Interviewer 1 nga so ang amo question karon pd ma’am is how did you what h- what steps
have you done to ensure the safety of your participants before ma’am like

The physical safety, the emotional safety sa imong participants ma’am for
07:29 – 07:37 example is the place of your interview safe?
Interviewer 2

07:38 – 08:34 It was kuan man conducted online man. Self-administered questionnaire so its
up to them to answer the questionnaire at their convenience. So mao rat u siya
Informant 2 and then naa man ddto sa informed consent ang risk ug naa ba silay risk ang
gibutang ddto wala may risk ug naa man gani kuan kanang murag what’s this
kanang something like emotional nga makakuan sa ilaha pwede nila nga dili
sila mocontinue to answer ohh kay sa first sa part sa questionnaire naa man tu
ang informed consent and then if ah muagree sila then they can proceed to the
questionnaire, if dili sila magproceed ug dili sila moagree ug dili sila mo mom
o-okay with the the the form that I provided for the informed consent then it’s
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okay so dili sila mo answer ana ing ana ra. So everything was there written in
the kuan. Naa man gani siguro na dinhi sa inyo kanang mga risk noh, benefits,
and everything oo, kani hmm, anonymity yes naa

08:35 – 08:41 Ahh next ma’am is did you give any incentives before on your researches
ma’am?
Interviewer 1

08:42 – 08:57 Hmm mm naghatag ko sa katung ah ang diri sa VSU wala ang katung sa sa
outside naghatag ko p[ero gibutang pd na sa kuan, sa akong informed consent
Informant 2 nga they will be ge-g-get kanang incentives or token ing ana hmm mm.

08:57 – 09:02 Do you believe ma’am generally na giving incentives is ethical ma’am?

Interviewer 1

09:02 – 09:18 Okay ra man na siya oo for me kay i-i ano man in fact sa among pagclear na ko
sa kanang what’s this kanang ethics review ah gi mao tuy note ddto nga
Informant 2 gibutang nga if you will give incentives just indicate in your informed consent.

09:18 – 09:21 Can we ask ma’am in what form ma’am na incentive po?

Interviewer 3

09:21 – 09:32 Katung akong giprovide? Load (laughs) oo. So kung mags kuan na sila ma
mareceive na nako ilang response although morefuse gyud sila ang uban
Informant 2 moingon “ayaw lang”

09:30 – 09:33 COVID-19 Pandemic po atu ma’am noh?

Interviewer 3

09:33 – 09:34 Ha?

Informant 2

09:34 – 09:35 COVID pandemic po.

Interviewer 3

09:35 – 09:42 Oo ingon siya ayaw lang gud oo it’s okay kay nakakuan man pd naa man pd ko
funding adto gud oo so nahatag ra pd kog load.
Informant 2

09:42 – 09:52 Ahh do you believe ma’am nga ay nga there are na makainfluence ang imong
incentives? Sa im sa responses sa imohang participants, in what way ma’am?
Interviewer 1
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09:49 – 09:52 Yes hmm mm hmm mm

Informant 2

09:53 –11:00 Ahh kay makadali s- mo-moresponse sila pero kanang depende ra siguro pd kay
like for example case-to-case basis man gud na sha noh so kanang sa uban nga
Informant 2 university katung wala koy direct na contact kay naa baya th-this university nga
wala sila nihatag nako sa sa mga email addresses so kanang maglisod ko unya
pagkahuman na what I did is kanang aw gihatag lang nila ang kadtung
population and then I randomize so naa nakoy random sample so kanang I have
this contact man from that particular university akong friend so sha akong
gicontact nga murag mofacilitate sa pagconduct. So Saiya nako gihatag ang
incentive so meaning to say walay incentive gyud na hatag mismo sa participant
but then I was able to get the 100% response from that institution through that a
friend of mine of which I gave that incentive not directly to the to the kuan to
the participants so I had to edi edit na pd ang akong informed consent nga
akong giattach ddto kay kanang wala man ko didto wala man nako ddto
gibutang ddto ang incentive para sa ilaha hmm mm.

11:00 – 11:06 Okay ma’am. Ah what are the benefits and risks of your research ma’am and
how did you adhere to them?
Interviewer 1

11:06 – 12:08 Risk? Uhm I don’t- during the conduct of the research? I don’t think there was
any risks kay it was conducted online man gud hmm mm. so it was kanang
Informant 2 murag dali ra for me although I have some challenges kay kanang what’s this
kanang naay mga university nga kanang shempre moagi man gud ta sa mga
Presidents noh and then daghan silag kuan daghan sila ug mga mao lagi na
tungod anang sa kanang privacy act so ila pang irefer sa ilang katung council
mao ni mao na so dugay kaay ko nakakuha sa akong (inaudible) from other
institutions so what I did kay naa man sa katung ila website naa ddto makita
nako ddto uban ilang mga name of faculty and mga ddto so what I did is ddto
ko nagrandomize and then kanang from that nga naa koy sample akong
girequest ang akong friend from that particular university to facilitate the
conduct of the of the study hmm mm.

12:09 – 12:16 So how did you upheld the confidentiality and anonymity of your participants
ma’am?
Interviewer 1

12:17 – 12:20 You mean to say how I I I

Informant 2

12:21 – 12:23 Upheld the confidentiality

Interviewer 1
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12:23 – 13:47 Hmm it it is kuan man written in this in this consent so kanang of course ug
unsay akong gibutang diri siguro dili man sila mo-moanswer kung wala na diri
Informant 2 naka dba nga nakabutang sa unsa ni sa informed consent and then with that ahh
of course ako jd na siya gihonor ang akong what was written in the informed
consent so in fact di ni nako gi go back sa kanang sa raw data so ug ug ah I
mean so kinsay ningresponse ani for as long as I have the data and wala na ko
nikuan na kang kinsa ba diay ning answer kinsay ning answer ani ing ana ba si
a-anyway wa mn pd ko kaila nila dba most of the (inaudible) pag generally of
the participants especially from the outside (inaudible) akong mga nailhan but
then wala ra mn pd kanang dili murag coding ramn gyud na siya inig abot sa
kuan ba so dili kaay na kanang ang ako sd data wa mn sd outlier pd so kanang
ug whatever ng ana generate na data giprocess lng gyud sha into ah gi analayze
na so siguro ug dha tung mga outliers na data mo go back gyud ko sa kadtung
raw na data ug kinsa tuy nagresponse ani, kinsay participant ani then I have to
go uy si kuan man diay ani si Mr. kuan and so so makahibaw ko nga mao tuy
iya response ing ana, so wala man hmm mm.

13:48 – 13:55 Ok ma’am, how did you keep your materials and raw data?

Interviewer 1

13:55 – 14:13 Hmm mm naa ra sa kuan kay online man sha so naa ra gyud sa akong computer
oo in fact ang ako gikuan aw of course ako tu gihatag sa statistician pero wala
Informant 2 nay names hmm mm wala nay names ako nay gikuan ako ako na naa ra sa ako
kuan.

14:13 – 14:15 So you only have- ikaw ray nay access?

Interviewer 1

14:15 – 14:19 Hmm mm yes I only have the access sa akong kuan

Informant 2

14:19 – 14:25 Ok ma’am so next question natu ma’am is what do you think are the hindrances
when dealing with human subjects in research ma’am?
Interviewer 1

14:27 – 15:10 Hindrances? Hmm mao na siya kay kanang usually di man gud ta makakuan sa
ilang time noh kay busy baya pd na sila I personally naa gani magsurvey survey
Informant 2 mapungot ko (laughs) kay mokaon sa atu oras bao o ingon ana pero mao lage na
nga kinahanglan jd ka persistant nga kuan sa imong pag kay naa man pd kay
timeline jd oo, so mga ing ana pero karon kanang sukad kung kuan kay
moempathize na pd ko nga nagresearch baya pd ni sila nga murag paying
forward (laughs) oo kuan kay katabang baya pd ang unsa ni sila so I have to pay
forward for those others just like you (laughs)
 149

15:10 – 15:35 Thank you ma’am ah so ah before ma’am you were, you told us about ah
parameters so ah we would like to kuan nga kahibaw na jd ka sa ethical eh ah
Interviewer 1 international and local guidelines in ethics ma’am so ah what do you think
ma’am are the hindrances of researches of researchers complying in to these
guidelines and standards and parameters ma’am?

15:36 – 16:40 Siguro kanang kuan pd kanang ngano dili sila moadhere to that? Siguro wala pd
na ginarequire hmm ohh kay kanang sa mga funding agency I don’t know if
Informant 2 they require the researcher to have that ahh ethical clearance oo kay especia-
kay di lang pd ko familiar ha kay just what I said I have no kanang direct kuan
ba sa kadtung mga researcher nga doing ahh human participants kay usually
man gud ang among mga projects diri nga gicoordinate is about agriculture man
gud agriculture, fisheries, and natural resources so most likely kanang mga
natural sciences so we seldom have these uhm research on social sciences diri
sa office oo so nga amo ginafacilitate but then kanang kay amo gani kasagaran
funding is PICAARD but as far as I know ahh murag wala man nagrequire ang
PICAARD ug kanang ethical cl-clearance s-siguro pd kay most of their research
are not into social research its more of kanang sa natural sciences nga research.

16:40 – 16:44 So to follow-up ma’am imong research kay niagi man kag ethically-

Interviewer 2

16:44 – 16:45 Hmm mm

Informant 2

16:45 – 16:46 And then nay protocol na gisend

Interviewer 2

16:46 – 16:47 Yes

Informant 2

16:47 – 16:50 What are your hindrances in adhering to these protocols?

Interviewer 2

16:50 – 16:54 Ahh you mean to say pag-pa pag implement?

Informant 2

16:54 – 16:58 Yes po yes pag follow ani

Interviewer 2

16:56 – 17:10 Ang pag follow oo, ang kadtung protocol nga ilang gi I I I am the one kuan man
 150

Informant 2 kanang katung research protocol na ako giingon? It’s my research protocol man
that they have to to to approve

17:10 – 17:17 Ah ang katung sa USC ma’am pag dba you’ve said earlier nga imo gisubmit sa
REC sa USC, naa sd mga-
Interviewer 2

17:16 – 17:47 Hmm mm in fact during kuan adto wala actually dili gyud sa kanang sa
University of San Carlos ang ERC nga nag evaluate kay it was kanang the time
Informant 2 man nga pag Odette oo unya kanang dugay affected baya kaayo ang cebu adto
dugay sila nakakuan so if I have to wait madu madugay jd ko sa akong
dissertation kay dili man gyud ko pwede moconduct not unless I have that
kanang ethical review nga approved by the ERC nga of which katu ra pd nga
accredited kahibalo man siguro mo ana nga nay accredited nga kuan oo

17:47 – 17:49 Unsa nga institution ma’am?

Interviewer 2

17:49 – 17:52 It’s the DOST oo oo DOST.

Informant 2

17:52 – 17:56 So nagsend ug protocol ang DOST nga you have to follow this and that sa
imong paper?
Interviewer 2

17:57 – 17:58 Oo oo

Informant 2

17:58 – 18:01 So what are the hindrances in complying to these guidelines?

Interviewer 2

18:01 – 18:03 Aw wala man, wala man koy problema

Informant 2

18:03 – 18:05 Smooth flowing ra ma’am?

Interviewer 1

18:05 – 18:07 Oo so far ok ra man

Informant 2

18:09 – 18:12 So again ma’am DOST man tu ang imohang-

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Interviewer 1

18:11 – 18:47 Hmm mm DOST because I think it’s only DOST that is accredited here in the
region I- I don’t know murag nay EVRMC man siguro EVHRDC yes sa
Informant 2 Tacloban. Mayo gani pd kay mocater man sila ug kuan because kanang VSU is
a member man pd sa sa EVHRDC oh so in fact walay bayad oh walay bayad
sha nga pagkuan.

18:47 – 18:55 Ok so I think last n ani sha ma’am. What are your views or perceptions about
the creation of a research ethics committee here in our university?
Interviewer 1

18:55 – 19:30 Oo mayo jd na sha kaayo kay usually ang researcher bitaw kanang dili na sha
kabalo nga basin naviolate na niya ang kuan kanang what’s this kana bang
Informant 2 murag right bas a sa sa person so it’s very important nga ingon ana kay para ma
maintain pd nato ba kanang murag ing ana ba nga ang atung research is that
having that kind of kanang standard. So its very good I I I I know nga kanang
murag gina gina its in the pipeline na ang pagcreate ana karon nnga kuan murag
si dr. de los santos man ang mag head ohh siguro nagconduct shag research
about that.

19:30 – 19:40 So specifically ma’am how do you think this will affect to future researchers,
research in general and how do you think this will affect the university?
Interviewer 1

19:43 – 21:10 Siguro para nako kanang maka ingon na ang atung research is kanang murag
quality or an in fact kanang murag gyud ba ug how do you call that one kana
Informant 2 bang dili lang kay mura bag nifollow gyud ta sa exact procedure especially if
we conduct kanang research nga involving humans oo kay kanang usa pd na
siguro na makakuan natu nga kanang kung atung mga research mo undergo ing
ana it ha- it would have siguro an implication as to kanang funding research
funding kay of course ang mga funding agency they will have kanang
confidence naman sa atu as as a university and as the researchers of this
university nga kanang confident sila nga if they provide these uh funds for this
purpose of research nga kanang that research will follow the ethical standards
noh so mao na sha kanang naan a siyay we have the confidencesa atu sa atu
mga output, research output mga ing ana and the and then it would have kuan
what’s this an implication for funding later hmm mm kay ang mga funding
agency kampante naman sila nga mo confident naman sila nga mo provide ug
funding for research because of that procedure nga makafollow ta.

Informant 3
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00:00 – 00:04 Okay, ma'am. So, are you ready to start, ma'am?

Interviewer 1

00:04 – 00:06 (sighs) (laughs) Sige sige.

Informant 3

00:06 – 00:28 And now I will be starting with the interview. Ma'am, morales, right? Yes,
ma'am. So, just to ah clarify first, ma'am, you do research involving human
Interviewer 1 participants, ma'am? Yes, exactly. Okay, so, first question, ma'am, how do you
define an ethical research? And can you share your previous experiences on
creating research that involve human participants?

00:28 – 00:30 Uhm ano to siya? Ethica- ah

Informant 3

00:30 – 00:32 Ethical research ma’am.

Interviewer 1

00:33 – 00:44 Okay. For me, ethical research, it involve how those ethical standards,
principles, and guidelines must be implemented in conducting the research. And
Informant 3 the second one…

00:44 – 00:46 your experiences ma’am

Interviewer 1

00:46 – 1:43 Experiences, okay. There are lots of, you know, uhm problems or maybe ah
challenges in conducting when there is a human resource involvement. For
Informant 3 example, because technically it is voluntary, and some of those, for example,
kanang you’re- you are tasked to, or you are uhm determined to get the
demographic profile, and then you're going to say name, then optional, plus
age, their status, and so on. And yet, since it's optional, and you cannot really
uhm determine the exact, regardless if your total sample is 50, for example,
and yet some of those is 40 lang ang nag response, kulangan pagyud ug
information. So, as to pag pag-analyze ni mo, pagclick nimo sa data, so, you
know, there is a problematic on that aspect. So, mao ni usually nga akong na-
encounter. But again, wala kay voluntary man.

01:44 – 01:45 Yes, ma'am. So, they can withdraw anytime.

Interviewer 1

01:45 – 01:46 Oo
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Informant 3

01:46 – 01:50 Yes, ma'am. So, what is usually the area of concern of your studies, ma'am?

Interviewer 1

01:50 – 02:10 Uhm industrial engineering, a field, usually uhm but there is an application or,
ah you know, an integration of statistics and we have also, you know ah in the
Informant 3 field of IE we have the human factors and ergonomics, methods, and most
probably for IEs, a field.

02:11 – 02:22 And ahh just to clarify more, ma'am, on the ethical standards, what are those
ethical standards that you use in the conduct of your study involving parti-
Interviewer 1 involving human participants that you always use?

02:22 – 03:12 Uhm we have sent here, ah I cannot really specify unsa gyud tto. I I I forgot
because of the bulk uhm documents and memos and mga mga kani syang
Informant 3 issuances coming from the main campus or from the entire VSU. Naa mi
gikuan na ethical standard and it was approved by the VSU system. Kaya mao
among gifollow and of course, it would be undergo by, you know, the student's
research committee and as well as our college uhm research committee for
them, you know, kaya basin ug uhm sa sa department ka level kay mala- ma ma
ma malikayan namo or ah no ma ma-overlook namo ba. So, naa pa gyud series
of validation nga kato ma ma-implemento tu na mo ang atua guidelines na
approved diri sa VSU Isabel.

03:12 – 03:20 And how do you think that is relevant, ma'am? I mean, how do you think ah
that is relevant, those standards are relevant in adhering with during the
Interviewer 1 conduct?

03:21 – 03:51 For me it is relevant by, you know, by by giving the freedom of the the
participants or respondents to you know, to withdraw their their participation
Informant 3 because there are some researchers that, you know, might be giving some neba-
negative uhm impact or effects sa ilahang life. So, technically, uhm we wi– we
will secure and protect their their freedom rather.

03:52 – 04:00 And what ethical parameters do you consider in your research, ma'am? Like,
what are the steps that you take in the conduct of your study?
Interviewer 1

04:00 – 04:07 Uhm unsa na? ethical...

Informant 3

04:07 – 04:09 Ethical parameters, ma'am.

Interviewer 2
 154

04:09 – 04:11 Pa- Parameters that?

Informant 3

04:11 – 04:19 That you take or the steps that you take during the conduct of your study. ike,
for example ma’am how do you recruit your participants?
Interviewer 1

04:19 – 05:43 Ah okay. So uhm of course, when when conducting ah research, you should see
to it to determine the the target participants of your, or the scope, rather, of
Informant 3 your your study. So, if it would be referring to the faculty or the students, then,
technically, we have also- yes, we will write a consent letter and probably also
we will seek ah permission or approved letter from where it belong, a company
where it belong. For example, here in VSU Isabel, we will seek for approval
from our chancellor. And afterwards, we will write a consent form to be given
to uhm the respective respondents nga amoang irecruit. At the same time,
during sa conduct sa ah during sa conduct sa amoang kuan, if it is in person,
we will always, we have a face-to-face uhm conversation that anytime, because
sometimes, uhm most of the respondents, bisan pag nagbasa na sila ma-
overlook na nila ang ang uban nga detalye sa ilang consent form. So,
technically amo jd iemphasize nga th- the the importance of this study. At the
same time, the rights to withdraw anytime without any any negative thoughts or
any penalties or consequences so that, you know, they have the freedom to ahm
to be with sa amoang study.

05:43 – 05:54 Yes ma’am. And as for your participants, ma'am, how do you ensure that they
are safe? Throughou- wi- aw uhm during the process of gathering your
Interviewer 1 information?

05:54 – 06:49 So, with wi- with respect to that, aside sa naa na tuy mga approved letter, mga
consent form, we will always uhm ah exclude their name hmm mm so, we will
Informant 3 always uhm exclude their name, but, you know, we will write there optional.
But sometimes, they will have to clarify nga optional means pwede ra d na
mosu- isu- s- ah isuwat and then we will say yes, just to protect the you know
your name, your response. It might man gud nga dili na mura bag subjective na
ang ilang answer because they're afraid, especially kung feedback to the faculty,
for example, like that, diba so technically, there are you know, how some- hiyay
masakpan ta (laughs). So, just to protect their- their privacy, their
confidentiality, they are not allowed or they are not to kuan forced to write their
names.

06:49 – 06:53 Or i- or you use pseudonyms sd ma’am noh?

Interviewer 1

06:53 – 06:58 Exactly. Pseudonyms. And usually, we- we’ll make number, respondent's
number.
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Informant 3

06:58 – 07:01 Okay ma’am, and what are your thoughts about giving incentives ma'am?

Interviewer 2

07:02 – 07:47 Yeah, it's okay. For me, that's uhm some of my uhm articles that I have read.
Most of them are giving incentives. And uhm for those faculties or maybe
Informant 3 professionals who will be conducting the research wher- wherein there an
involvement of students, they’ve give ah additional points for a certain su-
subject like that. So, for me, it is relevant, but rest assured that, you know, uhm
it is acceptable ethically and financially. Because sometimes, research is very,
you know costly when it comes to different specific field, especially sa amoa
kay murag bug-at bug-at jd sha.

07:48 – 07:52 Pero do you think that could affect ma’am their participation towards your
study?
Interviewer 1

07:53 – 07:53 For me, yeah

Informant 3

07:54 – 07:56 Or do you think that is ethical in your research?

Interviewer 1

07:56 – 10:20 Uhm for me, technically, if you really wanted, you know, to to achieve the- to
achieve the number of samples nga imohang gusto nga ma-achieve, okay? So
Informant 3 taas siya ug effect or impact because, you know, you might motivate or maybe,
you know uhm let the the participants nga murag mas maengage sila sa
imohang- sa imohang research. However, uhm it is ethical in a manner, I can
say nga ethical sha in a manner if, with the consent nga mura bag for example,
uhm with with with the corresponding rate, it seems like you are you are paying
uh a job for these participants. For example, ang atung rate is 380, so atu
iconvert to per hour nya nihatag na ka ug kana shang unsay ngalan ana nga
mura bag corresp- exact lang pud nga mura bag appropriate for that nya
maconsume niya kay mga one hour ra pud so tagaan nimog 50pesos for
example lang na. So, for me, it’s- it's okay. However, as to the capacity of the
researcher, I don't I do not know. It's beyond my limit and, you know, it's my
it’s a limitation already. And unethical na siya, I can say na unethical na siya if,
kanang mobayad lang gani ka bayran nimo sha ug subra-subra na siya, which is
kabalo na ta ba nga, para lang ingnaon nga naa shay mga participants without
validating the results or the responses of their, of those participants or
respondents nila. Kay, it might be also mangud nga kanang daghana nalang pd
ang mo-avail sa sa research nimo or sa imohang sa imoha moparticipate nimo
because technically, kabalo sila nga naay incentives. So, unethical for me.
 156

Pero, kanang mura bag they don't know naay naa silay makuha, diba, upon
upon kana siyang joining, participating, but at the end sa ilang pagkuan na sha
pag-note ingana pag pag-response imong mga questions or rather, unsa pay imo
mga experimentation diha, dayo nila gawas without knowing naa diay sila mga
incentives, kana for me, it's ethical. Pero kung moingon ka ‘participate, tagaan
ta ka ug 500 or 1,000, that's unethical for me.

10:20 – 10:23 Yes ma’am so to clarify ma'am, dili sa ka moingon nga naa kay-

Interviewer 1

10:23 – 10:24 Exactly.

Informant 3

10:24 – 10:31 Thank you ma'am. Pero so ah in your kuan jd ma'am, ikaw personally, do you
give incentives ma’am?
Interviewer 1

10:31 – 10:34 Wala, wala. So far oo so far.

Informant 3

10:34 – 10:49 Alright ma’am so, diba ma'am, your field is industrial engineering, ma'am. Ah
what are the usual risks of the participation of your participants usually in your
Interviewer 1 study? Are there any risks or mas mo-outweigh ang benefits ma’am?

10:51 – 14:33 Uhm when when we're talking about risk, sometimes it's low, sometimes it's
high, especially when we're dealing about, the you know, there is, what do you
Informant 3 call that one, with respect to their, with their position, with their feedback,
with their relationship towards, because we are we are more particular with the
management. And we know probably that in a certain business, we would
always ensure that to be productive, wala man siguro negosyo noh nga gusto
nga malugi. So we we should be more ah to to increase the profit. At the same
time, we're always to, to minimize the cost. By doing that, there is some factors
that you need to consider. Either magtangtang kag taw, para mogamay ang kana
shang inyohang cost sa labor cost para moincrease ang kuan. Diba, the
productivity is always output over input. Pagdating na sa ingana nga there is
really, you know, layoff na, kanang ingana nga mga consideration or from this
status, in terms of evaluation, sa usaka ka kana siyang, sa usa ka kana siyang
uhm employee. Of course, the effect or the output of that would really tell
whether either pwede ka ah pwede ka i-retain, pwede ka i-demote, pwede ka i-
promote, or pwede ka, you know, i-layoff, something like that. So, technically,
it is high risk, kaya ug mugawas ka. Possibly ka nga kini man jd maoy naka
among oh, atangan ka, something like that. But there are some cases pud nga
among mga study nga dili pud kayo ingana sha ka risky. However, uhm ang
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lisod lang gyud sa amoa the- the risk is there, high gyud always. Ang lisod
lang gyud is, unsaon na mo nga pagpasabot ang benefits na makuha. Nga both
employee and the management, you know, will go hand in hand. Kay we're
dealing people man gud. We're dealing people and we know that, the very,
kana siyang, tedious and hard to manage is the human resource. Oh so mao
gyud na sha. Kung moingon ka risk be- very risky gyud, high risk ang amoa,
and and to the benefits, dako shag benefits, kung makita lang gyud nila. But of
course, human as we are, we always resist. Dili gyud ta- we're not, we're not
uhm cultured to, you know, to be first before, before complain. So technically,
mao jud na ang among kas- sa amo lang field ha. Mao nay kakuan nya you
know nya, well, you know murag na-used na lang pud mi over the years. Gikan
sa pagsugod namo magconduct sa research, ana, yeah. Aside from that, maybe,
ang ako lang nakuan is aside sa challenging siya kay tungod nga na used na pd
mi. Kung nakuan lang gyud ang amoang emotional quotient. Amoa jud
emotional quotient, grabe ug social quotient namo kay bisag di nimo- di ka
ganahan makig friend e-friend lang gyud nimo diba? Technically nya pasabton
pagyud nimo nga, this is for the benefit of this, especially when you are going
to present the output of your research to the management and then moingon ka
nga ‘kini maka-earn kag ingani nga amount, blah, blah, blah, over the years, if
you will be implementing this one’ Pagngutan on ka ‘how much it costs?’ This
million (inaudible) wa tay kwarta, Diba? So murag nice na kaayo ni ignite na
ka, ma- may fire na ka, kahuman kalitan ra kag bub- (inaudible) Ah okay.

14:34 – 15:00 Well, that's actually very interesting ma’am, kay I think this is the first time na
we've actually interviewed na you ma’am na industrial engineering and murag
Interviewer 1 so far sd we have you know like, found some other mga pertinent information,
for example sa VSU Tolosa kay naay criminology didto, so it's also different.
Nya karon diri naay industrial engineering ma’am, so now we're dealing with
human resources ingana so, it's really interesting ma’am, and thank you so
much for sharing that sd.

15:-00 – 15:01 Oh You're welcome.

Informant 3

15:02 – 15:17 Nya so ang kuan ma’am usually you tackle diba kanang kanang kailangan jud
higher ang cost or something kuan I mean higher ang profit so, when you ask
Interviewer 2 participants sometimes is there like a psychological risk na murag ma-trigger
sila when they-

15:18 – 17:44 Yeah, I agree because we IEs have our industrial or organizational psychology
subject. We're always taught how to, you know, to consider all those things
Informant 3 before, you know, before ah approaching that certain person. Kay sako na
giingon high-risk kaayo kay tawo ang among i-deal, but we will always bisan
pag- I-feel jd namo nga dili dili ma-deprive ang freedom or ang rights sa
okataw. But, of course, dili pud dapat nga you know, ma-deprive pud ang ang
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goals sa sa company kung asa mi nabelong. Kay it's a win-win situation.

Diba? Kung ma-bankrupt ang kompanya, kaming mga tao, tanan na nrabaho,
wa. Wala na. Kung wa nay mga taw bisan pag unsa ni kaestablished ang
inyohang ang inyong company then wala ang mga taw still, kayano man? kay
okay hire lang siya for one month. Pag human after ing ana mulakaw na, diba,
mag-turnover na, mag-hire na pud ka. In (inaudible) before, when in I was in-
when I was there, pinakadako nilag cost ang turnover nila sa recruitment yun.
So that i- because, technically, one of their fin- ah one of their findings is
kasagaran sa ilang gipang hire is outside from Leyte usually MSU graduate, UP
graduate like that taga Cebu something like that. And then, only to find out nga
they- ah their recruit ah their recruit uhm employee would only last for you
know one year to two years. And, you know, the the the Pasar will uhm or that
company, rather, will kana shang shou- shoulder everything during sa medi ah
medikal, ilahang pliti, i-house pa na sila sa accommodation, and so on. That
training, and and then, you know, di gyud sila kabawi. So that is why, nakita
nila during, because I was conducting research there also, it was found out nga
tra- one of my recommendation there is, you know, to hire those kana shang
locals. And, some of our graduates in VSU Isabel (inaudble) and IEs are, you
know, team leader or managers there already, which lasted for, you know,
how many years? Because their family is there. And th- kung nindot lang,
nindot ba ng compensation, so what's the point pa? na mogawas pa sila, diba?
So mao na siya among nakita, which is, you know, a product of a research of
IE.

17:45 – 17:53 Okay, thank you so much for that, ma'am. And so, for your researches ma'am,
who has access to these data, ma'am? Like, for example kanang mga paper?
Interviewer 1 kinsa may-

17:53 – 17:54 ako lang

Informant 3

17:55 – 17:56 Ikaw lang jud?

Interviewer 1

17:56 – 17:56 Hmm mm

Informant 3

17:56 – 18:01 And, what do you- do you keep those, ma'am, for like, a certain period of time
lang or-
Interviewer 1

18:02 – 18:24 Uhm so far, kayo nauso na lagi kanang Google Drive diba (laughs) So, I always
keep that one. But, you know uh tr- ah I- I am very honest and frank to you that,
Informant 3 you know, I am a traditional one. So mas convenient gyud nako ang naa gyuy
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hard copy. O kana jd mga printed copy oo. Di kay ko kuan anang mag sigeg
tan-aw tan-aw anang mga naa sa- sa atubangan sa monitor.

18:24 – 18:25 Yes ma’am.

Interviewer 1

18:25 – 19:23 So I am very traditional, but I have the copy for Google Drive because, you
know, even though I am traditional, I am open for, you know, the technology
Informant 3 advantage. So, with that ingana ako and bisan sa ako- bisan sa akoang sa among
officer, sa among department. If you’'re like mga memos like that, I always
ensure that those pertinent documents in the department, kaya ako gyud
nagkuan, even though naa mi secretary. Murag naa lang jd- ah I don’t know
maybe personality lang gyud na nako because when it comes to confidential, it's
confidential for me. Especially for my researches gyud. So I always ensure nga
akoa ra gyud na siya mura bag ako ray mag-keep ingana. But, there are
moments nga for example na naay moingon ka nga what about the title like that
so, mag-summarize lang pud ko ana unya you know, consent lang. If you really
wanted to have this piece of information, write a kuan- a letter. Ingon ko na
requesting to have that.

19:24 – 19:32 Ok ma’am so, what do you think ma’am are the hindrances when dealing with
human subjects in research? So, this is in relation to what you said ganina, just
Interviewer 1 to expound uh-

19:32 – 19:32 Expound

Informant 3

19:32 – 19:35 Yeah expound more on that topic

Interviewer 1

19:35 – 19:36 Hindrances?

Informant 3

19:36 – 19:40 Yes. Hindrances ma’am when dealing with human participants in your research.

Interviewer 1

19:41 – 23:27 Uhm especially uhm I ha- I have a very latest uhm encounter nga hindrances,
for example, because technically uhm one of my subject, I- I always let my
Informant 3 students to conduct research for them to, you know, once they will go to ah
fourth year level wherein they will be having their industrial engineering
capstone project. The- they're already used to to conduct study. Okay? So, in
their second year and third year level. Now, you know, there are there are
 160

instances, I don't know, I cannot say that, it’s general but some of my students,
based on my experience, they have always the reasons. ‘Ma’am exam paman’
but I always give them two months ago, one month ago, it's like that. And I
always say that there are validation for your final project or final examination
because I always make my final examination as a project, research-based
project. So, would be the date or the schedule of your this subject, during sa
final examination schedule. Ikaw man (inaudible) trabaha nya mag data
gathering pa. Pag data gathering na nila, ang ilahang, ang ilahang ka na siyang
subject man kay faculty. Karon kay, di ba? We're only allowed or we are given
two weeks gikan sa pag-end sa final exam para mag-release sa atong grades
unya kanang mga panahona, syempre, busy na mi ingana, mag-check sa mga
papel and so on and so forth. And, of course, it is very obvious nga halos tanang
faculty di ganahan magpasamok. Di ba? So, kana siya kanang ah poor planning.
Usa gyud na siya sa hindrance nako nga poor planning sa imuhang project o sa
imung activity. That is why I always let my fourth year karon. So far, in my
previous, and based also on my experience, nag nag-practice-practice na ug
paso ang mga graduates. Kami wala pami tug kay nagsige pami dihag kuan nya
wa pami oral- like that ba so, para sa ako nga, we should correct this one
because we optimize things. Based I mean nya pagkahuman wa diay namo ma-
ma-answer. So in my, i- in my kana shang uh th- this batch, so far, karon sila,
nag-hardbound na sila. Nya pero ako na gipun-an na lang pud ug other
requirement kunuhay para mura bag mas machallenge pa sila so I will let them
uhm kuan one of my requirement na kinahanglan, ma-present nila into an
international or national research conference sa ilahang mga study oo. So,
human na sila, human na ilang oral revalidation, the grades has already been
submitted. But, of course, planning naman pd na. Kay you know, I always,
maybe murag napractice lang siguro ko sa planning nga skills. Kay
management ko di ba? nya how can you organize stuff, di ba, direct and control
if we do- we don't have a good planning. So mao tu plan lang ko pa- and of
course naa gyuy murag kana shang kuan, kay modeviate baya gyud na mo-
varies pagyud kay naay estudyante na murag wa lang kung dili nimo nga oh
‘how about you? how are you? what happened?’ ‘ay ma’am, ma’am deadline na
diay sa kuan!?’ kana bang murag mga like that so mao gyud ni kasagaran ang
kanang- kanang atu procrastination. Usually, usa pd na siya sa hindrances nato
kay- di man ko kaingon ah I'm not also hypocrite to say nga sa student only? as
well the faculty. We have that (laughs) kay we have that (laughs). So mao na
shay mga usually nga mga hindrances nga naka na nakit-an nako personally ha
persona- personally and and those things pud na akoa namention a while ago.

23:28 – 23:38 And I'm just curious ma'am kay currently actually kay uh naay naa daw r- ah
naay research congress in Zamboanga did you maybe send someone ma’am sa
Interviewer 1 inyo?

23:38 – 23:40 Unsa nga field?

Informant 3
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23:40 – 23:53 Uh I'm not sure ma'am, pero naay research congress daw karon sa Zamboanga
uh I don't know if it's exclusive to nursing kay we have to- pero usually if
Interviewer 1 research congress, ma'am, that's one course ra jud ba? Or like kanang combine,
combine na-

23:53 – 24:41 (inaudible) multidisciplinary. Yeah, yeah. And you know what, I have also seen,
because di ba usually, you know, how how technology really good for us,
Informant 3 benefited the the people. Di ba usually kung unsay imohang gipang
(inaudible), for example, you are you are more particular kanang mga kanang
mga researches conference ana. So usually ang i-feed sa Facebook nimo, mao
pod na siya kasagaran, di ba? Nice (inaudible) man ang mga IT people, I I I
could not remember that one. Maoy mga (inaudible) and there’s a particular
nursing gyud sha nga conferences. Oh nya karon uhm two of my students
accept ah their papers are accepted in the uhm fourth I think it’s fourth uhm
industrial engineering and operations management research conference in
Vietnam.

24:41 – 24:41 Ahhh

Interviewer 1

24:41 – 26:41 Yeah nya ni-opt lang mi sa kana shang online this coming September because
kana shang kung ang amo kuan is you know the capacity of our budget. nya ang
Informant 3 iya palang registration is magcost na sha ug mga 8,000 and we've talked ganiha,
ganiha lang, this morning lang, sa kato akong na-accept, we're happy, honestly,
we're happy nya but of course, some of oh, na-hold lang, ang gasto. Pero of
course, mas nakanindot ato kaya sila mismo nga ‘sige lang ma’am kay August
15 pa man ang last payment so naa pa mi time nga makapangitag kwarta’ so
katu palang yeah murag ganahan ko aning mga klase sa mga bata ba because I
always you know, maybe part of the teacher’s siguro who will handle
researches subjects conditioning the benefits and the importance of research of
the students, or in the students, in their- in their selves kay kasagaran man gud
moingon nga ngano ah mag-research raman kay wa, for- for compliance. Para
lang mograduate mi kay kung di mi mag-research, di man mo-graduate. But
when it comes to their you know, their CV, their their their worth being a
graduate. I always encourage them nga do this, do that like that. And so far,
okay man pud hinuon. It turns out like that. So mao lagi na nya nag nag-storya
lang mi ganihan nila ingon ko na now, can you assist, can you give feedback?
kana kana don't worry. Don't you worry because it's already been settled,
everything. Ingon ko I just want to know, unsay inyohang mga mura bag unsay
inyoha mga emotions or comments ninyo when, sa akong strategy not me ha
but only my strategies being your teacher sa kani sha nga subject. At first of
course, you know, pressure. Maghilak kuno sila while kana sya typing nya
usually, because they are the pandemic version batches, so two years gyud kuno
sila nga-
 162

26:41 – 26:43 A third year na, ma'am, no? A third year na, ma'am?

Interviewer 1

26:43 – 26:44 Fourth year.

Informant 3

26:44 – 26:45 Ah fourth year

Interviewer 1

26:45 – 28:33 So second year sila mao tu nya ang third year pud karon mao tu pag first year
nila murag naa na diba oh, which is kamo, third year oo. So two years kuno
Informant 3 sila, you know, nga mura bag, (inaudible) submit (inaudible) wa pasar na,
something like that. So pag abot na sa face-to-face, grabe gus- nishift gyud ang
ilaha kunong oh ang ilahang mura bag ilang drive. At the same time (inaudible)
imagine nagtuon ko karon gabie kinahanglan pa nako ireview inig ka buntag
before kuno ang quizzes or mga exam and yet mahagbong geapun mi. Ingon ko
kay ngano man, nangutana pud ko because I’m curious ingon sha 'ma'am murag
di jd kasud ang ang mga information sa amo utok' ingon ko nga it might be you
know that's the product (inaudible) for me ha, that's the product of katung
academic policy. Usa pd tu para sa akoa I I am not against that kanang
(inaudible) policy but some of the students jd. Not all, but some of my students,
especially katu ganing struggling kay pag first year so murag ilahang gi-ride on
lang. But in fact, some of the students katu bang mga average katu bang mga
naa gyud silay naa gyud silay commitment (inaudible). Nya plus karon kay
mura bag from grouping to kana shang individual akong gibuhat. So naassist jd
namo nga kinsa raman gyud tu, kana bang bisan ug average lang or hinay but
still working, kaysa sa naw- asa naman ni sha? Na wa nag kalit mga ing ana na
concept ba. So naattest jd namo nga this kind of person kay or this kind of
student kay kuan jd ni sha nga pagkabata, kini pd nga estudyante kay go with
the flow ra gyud ni sha, happy-go-lucky lang ni. Depende kung naay motabang,
kung wa, wa pd, ingana nga concept ba. So mao gyud na ang amo (laughs) mga
usually nga mga encounter.

28:33 – 28:34 Shift jd ma'am

Interviewer

28:35 – 28:46 Ang shifting gyud. Ang shifting gyud and di pd jd ko makablame sa student ug
sa faculty, kay we are all, all victim sa kuan. Tinuod jd.
Informant 3

28:46 – 28:48 I agree bitaw jd ma'am.

Interviewer
 163

28:48 – 28:51 But anyway at least kamo dba, nibalik namo sa reality

Informant 3

28:51 – 29:07 Gamay (laughs) So kuan ma'am, what do you think ma'am are the hindrances in
complying with the ethical standards, given by international or local guidelines?
Interviewer Ngano man nga murag sometimes dili jd natu fully mafollow or mafully
implement?

29:08 – 30:13 Of course, finishing your study. If you really wanted to you know, to be
accurate especially when you're talking about the the the reliability of your
Informant 3 study you always say hala kuwang pa nig sample, kinahanglan pa ko, without
any kuan na gani nga mura bag wuy kuana nalang bi. Naa bayay mga instances
(inaudible) na mohangyo nalang ka nya moingon na gigigikuan paman ko uy
kana shang busy pa ko, sige na gud, diba like that? Naay mga instances nga sige
na gud kanang kuana nalang please please, like that. So murag, na wa na ang
freedom kay maybe of course siguroma ma makuan nalang, maluoy nalang
nimo kay tungod nihangyo na ka. So as to the the the the ethical kana shang
standard gyud ingana murag imo nalang jd murag gi (inaudible) murag ba nag
(inaudible) di ka ganahan pagkahuman imo lang gipugos ang mga bagay-bagay
because you know, kana shang completion sa imong study because of the the
the deadlines and maybe about money as well you know, for me that's some of
the factors or hindrances.

30:13 – 30:15 Does that apply to you personally ma'am?

Interviewer

30:15 – 31:18 Exactly oh exactly nga ma mao na sha pero so far again wa pa jd ko
kaencounter nga nikuan ko. Naghatag kog incentives. Hmm pero niabot ko sa
Informant 3 punto gyud ba labi nag especially ug maggamit ka ug sample size nya stratified
pagyud and naa gyud times na kini sha nga. Kini sha nga portion kay gamay ra
nya mao pay dili kaayo mo moparticipate. Maglabad imong bangs uy (laughs)
oh maglabad jd and then of course mao na tu sha, naa nay naa nay mga kuan
nga pleeeease, especially sa akong akong master's thesis kay experimentation
nya students ang akong kuan. Dugay, it takes time for me and you know, though
na ka grafuate kog on time, but still, grabe kaayog kuan mga mga pila tung
responses seventy or eighty percent lang tu hmm so mga ingana ba so bisag
ganay ra unta ang kinahanglan nimo but still, tungod lage sa mga ingana na
concept. Ingana nga context.

31:19 – 31:33 Yes ma'am so ma'am do you ha- uh a know of the research ethics committee
ma'am? D-do you know about the you know like magpasubmit ka sa imong
Interviewer paper, ypu subject it to a research ethics committee? Do you do that ma'am?

31:34 – 31:48 So far sa karon karon namo na mga researches uhm among isubmit diri sa
REIC, the REIC with kanang do the kuan, evaluation.
 164

Informant 3

31:48 - 31:50 Here in VSU na REIC ma'am?

Interviewer

31:50 Hmm mm

Informant 3

31:51 – 32:02 But have you tried submitting to to kanang mga PHREB jd na institutionalized
nga REI- uh REC ma'am for example DOST, EVHRDC, uh did you try
Interviewer submitting-

32:03 - 33:41 Uh wala pa mi mga researches nga naabot dha. So fae wala pa mi, kuan pa mi
neophyte pa mi. Oo neophyte pa mi sa research kay uhm since then man gud ah
Informant 3 back then, kuan pa gyud grabe kaayo ka ka kashallow ang among researvh
extension, kung wala na ning accreditation accreditation nisud ddto na mi ns
ha? Unsaon ning extension? Do we have the research especially for the kuan
undergrad, master's nga ingana pero basta mijgon ka nga some of those kuan
kanang research gud nga murag intended para diri for the institution, wala gyud
kaayo na, so murag kini karon lang ni nagsugod and most likely ang funding
namo is three pagyud so technically ang amoang kuan is upon the approval of
the campus, so kung way approval, wala nganga or else endorse, endorse na pd
namo sa VSU-Main or ah you know, augmentation of fundinv uh pero ug wa
gyud geapun (inaudible) nya somewhat nga kay you know gihighlight pa gyud
ang extension mao jd ni sha ang pinaka usa sa area gyud oh so naa mi
nakafocus sa extension oh nya karon kay murag. Murag nakaestablish establish
na mi sa extension na mga project. So hinay hinay na pd nisud sa research oh
kay para sa akoa, sa amoang kadaghanon hmm sa department we are only four
ra gud nga 4 faculty sa BSIE, d gyud sha kaya nga among sabayon ang
research, extension, and all oh so hinay hinay lang one at a time lang mi and we
choose to start first, to focus first the extension then karon nihinay hinay na
silag research so wa pd mi (inaudible) kanang mga DOST funding and all.

33:42 - 33:49 Can I ask ma'am how many or how long have you been, engaging in research or
being a research adviser?
Interviewer

33:50 - 34:00 Uhm I've been ten years here hmm so nag nag nagadviser ko from the start sa
akong kuan so ten years na jd ko ngari oh ten years na jd ko.
Informant 3

34:01 - 34:03 Have you been having mga trainings geapun ma'am, seminars?

Interviewer
 165

34:04 Hmm mm oo

Informant 3

34:05 - 34:10 Like maybe something related sa PHREB kana lagi research ethics. Have you
tried that sa main campus ma'am? Wala?
Interviewer

34:11 - 34:15 Wala pa ko katry, pero ganahan kog ingana oh

Informant 3

34:15 - 34:34 Kay this research ma'am actually kay this is uh in in contributory, contributory
sha na effort para makahimog REC in VSU. So what are your views ma'am or
Interviewer perceptions about the creation of a research ethics committee here in this
university yeah how do you think this would help us as researchers?

34:34 - 35:33 Uhn for me, dako shag impact nga naa tay kaugalingon nga kanang nga kana
shang kuan, those office. Because technically, some of the researcher might
Informant 3 might you know, might overlook those things to be considered while
conducting the study so at least naman lang before uh publishing or presenting
that one in research conferences or any publication journals uh we will ensure
that our researches here in entire VSU are ethically diba? Compliance with the
ethical standards so mas maayo sha nga naa gyud diri and maayo if naa ta
kailangan pa ba tay moadto pa ta sa DOST or kuan nga we know there are bulk
of documents coming from different SUCs and agencies nga magpa,
magpaevaluate pd diba? Mas maayo siguro nga naa tay kaugalingon para at
least nga which is solely focused for the VSU.

35:34 - 35:39 How do you think this would help uh the university as a whole ma'am having
that REC?
Interviewer

35:40 for me another- it might be it will be you know open for an additional IGP
project because maybe some of thise SUCs or maybe you know any researchers
might submit their their uh research to this office for for evaluation. Diba for
the compliance so IGP and at the same time of course it would also boost the
morale of the, the school, the institution nga because of this to ensure nga our
students and and faculty researchers are ethically compliant hmm mm.

Informant 4

00:00 – 00:04 So for you ma’am how do you define ethical research?

Interviewer 1
 166

00:04 – 00:33 Uhm for me ethical research is uhm I think its considering the the welfare of the
participants to whom are you going to conduct the research uhm say for
Informant 4 example uhm using codes diba in instead of using the real name of your kuan
uhm divulging the name of your respondents or participants in the study. So
that’s it.

00:33 – 00:40 So what was the area of concern ma’am of your studies na nag-involve hin
human participants?
Interviewer 1

00:40 – 00:55 Uhm it's about actually uhm the the anxieties that the students and also the
teachers in English uhm anxieties in learning English hmm mm hmm mm.
Informant 4

00:56 – 01:03 So what ethical standards in the conduct of studies involving human
participants you know of ma’am?
Interviewer 1

01:04 – 01:38 Uhm so for example I’m not using the real names uhm instead you use codes or
let’s say for example either by numbers or letters right? or saying Teacher A,
Informant 4 Teacher B or Student A, Student B and the of course you also have to make sure
that you orient your participants beforehand before conducting the research that
uhm say for example if you are using a video recording so it must be well-
informed to your participants uhm that’s it.

01:38 – 01:45 So ma’am, how relevant is it to adhere to these standards during the conduct of
study?
Interviewer 1

01:45 – 2:04 Of course it’s very important very very important because uhm as what I have
said earlier uhm the very first thing that you should think is the welfare of your
Informant 4 uhm of your participants, their anonymity diba? and it should be something I-I
mean it’s confidential hmm mm.

02:04 – 02:07 So how did you recruit your participants ma’am during your study?

Interviewer 1

02:08 – 02:27 Uhm at first I uhm set criteria hmm of course it is very important that you set a
criteria and then those who qualify for the criteria, I mean, they will be the the
Informant 4 the appropriate or the the what's it, the exact participants of the study.

02:28 – 02:31 So, how did you give consent, ma'am to your-

Interviewer 1

02:31 – 02:45 Consent? I asked them to sign a consent form, of course. Diba? It's very
important that you ask them to sign or to affix their signature, uhm that they are
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Informant 4 really willing to participate in the study.

02:46 – 03:00 So, what steps did you take, ma'am, for the safety of your participants?
Especially that it's about anxiety, it will involve something about emotional and
Interviewer 1 psychological triggers po, if possible.

03:01 – 03:38 Hmm I just asked them to uhm to say it in in whatever comfortable language
they will be using, uhm to to to to express really what they feel. And and tell
Informant 4 them, of course, ensuring them that this will be solely be used, I mean the the
information that will be gathered will be solely used for the research alone, and
thi- this will not be uhm disseminated to to anybody or to to to a certain
organization. So, it will really be, I mean, with utmost confidentiality.

03:39 – 03:53 Since, ma'am, this study is about anxiety ma'am anxiety ma’am, are there
instances during the interview bagan mayda triggers, or bagan mayda nag nag
Interviewer 1 bagan mayda nag iba nag change of mood, nagin emotion?

03:54 – 04:44 Oh, yes, there are there are instances that, especially when I when I interviewed
students talaga they really expressed that there are times daw that uhm because
Informant 4 it's teacher factor something like that so parang nakatuok na geapun kay uhm
she is afraid to to reveal the name of the instructor. And I said, you don't need
to reveal the name of the the instructor, as long as you tell me what's your
feeling, or yeah how- why did you say that you are really, that you find
difficulty in in learning English nasiring hiya aw ma'am kasi baka ma-ano I'm
afraid baka malaman niya tapos mahulog ako tas nasing ako and I said, don't
worry about that because it will thi- this will not be disseminated, this will be
kept confidential hmm mm.

04:44 – 04:49 Okay, ma'am. So, mayda ka po ma’am ginhatag na incentives ngadto han imo
participants?
Interviewer 1

04:50 – 05:15 Actually, it was not in my plan to give them incentives, but at the end, I offered
them snacks oo after the interview, snack lang, to the students, snacks, to the
Informant 4 faculty members, parang wala kasi uhm we just did the interview uhm during
their free- free time, so, parang paano dalhin din, madagmit ba, paspas lang.

05:15 – 05:20 Do you think ma’am that giving incentives is important?

Interviewer 2

05:20 – 06:04 Aw I don't think so it's really important because what- what is really important
is that their willingness, di ba, to participate in the study because in in the first
Informant 4 place, you have to think that you are not going to coerce your or force the
students, your partici- my participants, or the teachers, in my case, because this
involves teachers and students. So, yung sa akin lang, uhm of course, I
informed them at an in the beginning, on the first day, that I uhm will not be
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giving incentives because, uhm you know, this is just part of my studies. So,
uhm what I want is your full cooperation and participation in the study. So, if
you are not really that willing, you are free to withdraw. Di ba? hmm diba

06:04 – 06:10 So, what are the benefits of participation in your study? Or the benefits and
risks?
Interviewer 1

06:10 – 07:58 The benefits, sa akin, as a researcher, of course, because uhm I I was uhm ano
ba tawag dyan, motivated to to conduct the research because it's part of my
Informant 4 curricular, ano, then I had my studies in Doctorate. And at the same time, what
I- what I am thinking that time is that to finish that particular study because in
the end, I will be earning a grade from my professor. So, para sa akin, yun yung
benefit na, ano, na inisip ko na na nakuha ko sa pag ano I earn grade. I was able
to finish the semester na hindi ko na binali- binalikan yung subject na yun. So,
that's it. The risk is that, of course, because I feel hesitant also to approach
students. Talaga mahirap mahirap mag-convince ng students and most
especially teachers to join or to to participate in the study. Uhm sa teacher's side
kasi, uhm they do have parang limited time. So, they are not that open to
interview. Ah some of them, bisan, kahit English teacher, nga nahihirapan din
silang mag mag ano painterview. Hesitant din silang magpainterview because
they are really thinking that they will be using uhm straight English for the
entire interview. So, I I really have to to explain to them na, no, you can make
use of the vernacular language to express your idea, to express your opinion on
a particular question. So that’s it. Students, uhm ano sila afraid din sila in the
interview process. Diba? Kasi students, parang kulang pa sila ng confidence.

07:58 – 08:06 So how about ma’am in the part of the participants? What do you think are their
benefits ma’am na makukuha didto han imo study?
Interviewer 1

08:06 – 08:31 Hmm benefits ng participants? Uhm I think the result. The result will will, uhm
they will ge- gain from the results. Say for example, they will learn some
Informant 4 strategies, diba, coping strategies in overcoming their their anxieties, diba? So,
that could be maybe (laughs) hmm mm.

08:31 – 08:38 So, who had access, ma'am, to the study data of your study?

Interviewer 1

08:38 – 08:59 Uhm the students and the teachers, I mean the participants, they had the access
because after the interview, uhm I returned to them the data that I decoded to
Informant 4 check kung talaga I was able to get what they are really trying to express, diba,
for each particular question. So-

09:00 – 09:13 Uhm what do you make of of the, for example, diba you record man the audio?
Uhh after the data gathering, perhaps after pag-transcribe, do you delete kanang
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Interviewer 2 them, ma'am? Or what do you do with the recording?

09:13 – 09:28 No, I did not delete it. I keep it in a, ano yung tawag nun, flashdrive. I keep it
talaga and I I parang, ano, inistore ko talaga siya na na ako lang yung may alam.
Informant 4

09:30 – 09:35 So, what do you think, ma'am, are the hindrances when dealing with human
subjects in research?
Interviewer 1

09:35 – 10:20 Uhm I think it's on the attitude side because it's really hard to convince
participants to join or to participate in a certain study. So, para sa akin, sa
Informant 4 attitude siya. Kasi not all are are willing to be interviewed, not all are open to
be, ano, you know, for such, say for example, certain questions to be asked that
those questions. So, there are actually some questions that they did not answer.
So, para sa kanila, parang ano. So, I just moved to the next question because,
kasi, ma'am, pwede hindi sagutin. Ma'am, pwede ano na lang, next question na
lang hmm mm. So, those are the things that I think I consider also my struggles
as a researcher.

10:20 – 10:29 So ma'am uhm, ito ma’am nga imo study, nag-undergo ka po ba hin ethical
clearance or ethics clearance?
Interviewer 1

10:29 – 10:31 Ethics clearance-

Informant 4

10:31 – 10:34 O mayda ka institution na ginpasahan?

Interviewer 1

10:34 – 10:42 Uhmm wala. Ahh ginpasahan? it's only my instructor. Specific kuan course
hmm mm.
Informant 4

10:42 – 10:50 So, pero, are you aware, ma'am, about the international and local ethical
guidelines about research?
Interviewer 1

10:50 – 11:48 Actually, that's what I would like to to to attend to. Ito hiya mga trainings ba
about that one because wala talaga kami niyan. We were just uhm uhm because
Informant 4 since we are DA, Doctor of Arts in language teaching, so, just just that moment,
we were informed by, ano, the president now of the university, noh, not in our
university, of course. Uhm na dapat daw lahat ng DA students ay yung
gagawing research ay quali. So wala kami nagawa kasi yung gusto na- most of
us are into quanti. So, since it's a requirement, so, we just go directly na mag-
 170

conduct ng mga qualit kasi it’s a- It's a requirement in our course. Now, uhm
when it comes to ethics dyan kami nagkakaproblema because we are not really
that well-versed, well-informed, diba, about mga ano. Yun lang, yung mga basic
lang.

11:48 – 11:58 So, ma'am, what are your views or perceptions about the creation or instit-
institutionalization of a research ethics committee in VSU?
Interviewer 1

11:59 – 12:25 Uhm para sa akin, okay yan kasi ano matutulungan yung mga faculty
researcher, diba, who we will be updated on the the latest or say, for example,
Informant 4 the the basic, the very significant ano things that we need to to take note
especially when we go or delve this uhm qualitative research type. So, para sa
akin, I'm positive to that hmm mm.

12:26 – 12:29 So, how do you think, ma'am, will it affect our university?

Interviewer 1

12:30 – 13:02 I think positively din. Positively, I mean a positive effect uhm to the to the to
the whole university or the entire university because uhm maybe ah in the
Informant 4 future, maging ano maging edge yan natin, diba, over other ano universities.
Kasi uhm magiging kilala yung VSU na talagang magagaling mag-research sa
ano na considering these ethical standards, of course.

13:03 – 13:23 Ma'am, if there was ahh assuming in the near future, ma'am, there would be the
institutionalization of this REC in VSU ma'am, do you think it would be much
Interviewer 2 easier for you, for example, here in Alang-alang, kamo na faculty researcher,
would it be much easier for you to adhere to the ethical guidelines, ma'am, na
murag religiously, mag-ethical clearance na jd, ma'am, finally?

13:24 – 13:55 Para sa akin, okay lang. Okay lang din kasi ano dapat naman la- sa lahat na diba
na ano natin ginagawa, we’re guided by guidelines. May mga sinusunod tayo ah
Informant 4 ako, I'm not I’m not that stubborn. So, kung ano yung policy, ano yung
guidelines, I am I stick to that. Para sa akin kasi it's very safe, diba? So, it's also
the welfare of the the the researcher who is conducting, diba, the research, not
only your participants hmm mm.

13:55 – 14:01 So, that will be the last question, ma'am. May mga follow-up questions naman
geap ma'am. So, thank you so much, ma'am, for your time.
Interviewer 1

14:01 – 14:22 Oo sure you're welcome. So, I hope I was able to give you the the the data that
you really wanted to.
Informant 4

14:11 – 14:22 Your insights, ma'am, and inputs for our research kay maka-contribute gud
 171

Interviewer 1 talaga hiya ma'am, for the formation or institutionalization of REC sa VSU
system ma’am.

14:23 – 14:55 Yung sa akin lang na sana uhm whatever ano decision of the main campus uhm
with regards to that, sana iinvolve yung faculty ng ng VSU alang-alang. To tell
Informant 4 you honestly, uhm the the faculty members of our college, the CTEAS, College
of Teacher Education, Arts and Sciences, talaga hindi lahat gusto mag-research,
even myself. I was just motivated to do so when I had my- when I enrolled in
my doctoral, kay it's really needed, diba?

14:55 – 14:57 What do you think are the reasons, ma'am?

Interviewer 1

14:57 – 15:04 Kasi maybe the basic knowledge about research were not that, hindi talaga siya
na nasa bloodstream namin.
Informant 2

15:04 – 15:10 During workshops, ma'am, are you usually involved, ma'am, or dili jd? kung
naay workshop for example?
Interviewer 2

15:10 – 15:53 Uhm we’re involved we are encouraged by the our ano immediate supervisors,
but then, of course, di di man nila anohin pugusin, diba? oo so na sayo na-
Informant 4 ‘mam yes oo we will attend’ but during the ano na hindi na mag-attend. So
yung nangyayari, wala. O pag pinapagawa na ng mga proposal, walay talaga as
in. So seldom lang sa amin ang may alam tungkol sa research. Ako, I do I will
not claim myself as really good in research. That's why I'm also striving, I'm
struggling with th- with this. So sana lang mainvolve ang mga faculty members
lahat para in the in the coming future, lahat ng mga faculty members namin sa
amin college ay magagaling na sa research hmm mm.

15:53 – 15:55 Hopefully, ma'am. Thank you so much ma’am.

Interviewer 1

15:55 – 15:57 Sige thank you din

Informant 4

Informant 5
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00:00 - 00:04 Sige sir, so matikang ako sir para dire kita maiha

Interviewer 1

0:04 – 00:07 Okay, sige. No problem.

Informant 5

00:08 – 00:12 So para imo sir, ano't ethical research?

Interviewer 1

00:13 - 00:48 So ethical research, something legit. Igin, bebase mo ito nga mga igin hahatag
nga suggestions ito imo participants or respondents. Pero dapat ano iton mayda
Informant 5 nera consent, tapos properly arrange iton university. Dapat mayda sinisiring nga
ethics committee nga magche-check han papel kun angay ba hiya iconduct or
diri.

00:48 – 00:54 So okay la ba sir kun magpakiana ako kun ano’t area of concern hit mo study po
sir na ginconduct?
Interviewer 1

00:56 – 01:06 Uhm more on law enforcement. Connected man ha amon profession,
criminologist.
Informant 5

01:07 – 01:14 So pwede sir magpakiana kun an imo, imo mga participants more on students
more on (inaudible)
Interviewer 1

01:14 - 01:24 Diri mga kuan na mga members han usa nga law enforcement agency. Mayda
geapun kuan based from the community.
Informant 5

01:24 – 01:32 Okay sir. So for you sir, ano'n mga ethical standards na imo gin, gin-implement
ngada han imo study?
Interviewer 1

01:33 - 2:08 Okay, so before magconduct han interview, dapat mayda anay review coming
from the ethics committee. To find out kung an imo mga questions nga
Informant 5 ipapakiana, diri ba hiya sensitive? So diri ba hiya something nga makaka-
offend? Tapos siyempre dapat before ka magconduct han interview, dapat an
imo mga respondents or participants maaram liwat hira kun parte ano an
ipapakiana haira. So based han- based han kun ano an research.

02:09 - 02:15 So gano- para haim sir gano ka importante bagan mag-adhere hini na mga
standards sir?
Interviewer 1
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02:15 - 02:54 Para haakon importante hiyan duro kay papaano nimo makukuha an credibility
han imo research kun waray hiya sinisaring na kuan na checking ba or
Informant 5 assessment if an imo mga ginacoconduct na research or let us say, mga
questions nala angay ba hiya ipakiana or diri? As I've said earlier, may mga
sensitive manggud na mga ipakiana, bangin offensive para era. So pwede
maadjust if macheck hiya. E kun durudiritso kasi, bagat malain liwat hmm mm.

02:55 - 03:00 So gin ano man po nimo sir pag-recruit or invite han imo mga participants?

Interviewer 1

03:02 - 03:40 So before ako nagconduct han han interview, so meeting anay with of course
the advisor, the panel, and then the ethics committee. Tapos an- an mga
Informant 5 questions gincheck pa kay ginvavalidate pa man kun an imo mga questions
accurate han imo liwat research. Tapos after that, siyempre namimiling ka’n
mediator iton mag-memediate han imo participants. Tapos mabulig liwat haimo
pag-explain pertaining han han mga pakiana parte research.

03:41 - 03:46 So how did you ask for the consent sir han imo participants sir?

Interviewer 1

03:47 - 04:15 Of course letter anay and then explain to them about the the the research, kung
ano ini hiya, and then the benefit nga makukuha nira if they will participate. But
Informant 5 you have to explain to them na waray ito hiya monetary considerations kay
siyempre malain man, na research manggud kun masiring ka na mayda ka
makukuha hini nga monetary incentives. So bagat para haakon diri hiya ahh
angay.

04:16 - 04:21 So may I ask for clarifications sir kun an about ano sir ha law enforcement po
kun about implementation or-
Interviewer 1

04:21 - 04:43 Ahh kuan its more on ah implementation pertaining to the effectiveness of the
program about han fire. Tapos siyempre mga an mga participants coming from
Informant 5 members of the fire department and to the community gin-a-asses mo man an
ira performance.

04:44 - 04:50 Okay sir do you think han- ano ito sir? Nagpasurvey ka sir or nag-interview ka?

Interviewer 1

04:51 - 04:54 Both survey and interview.

Informant 5

04:54 - 04:56 So bagan may checklist ka hadto na sir na ginkuan-

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Interviewer 1

04:56 - 04:57 Hmm mm

Informant 5

04:57 - 05:05 So do you think mayda- an imo study sir mayda something nga emotional or
psychological triggers ngadto han participants?
Interviewer 1

05:05 - 05:19 Aw waray kay kuan man gin gincheck na hiya. Amo ito it importante manggud
iton, mayda anay board nga nag assess ba. Makuri kasi pag nagdidiretso ka
Informant 5 without proper guidance.

05:19 - 05:23 So naghatag ka po ba sir hin mga incentives?

Interviewer 1

05:24 - 05:27 No, diri diri.

Informant 5

05:27 - 05:31 Do you think ahh that would affect sir the results of the study, if you give
incentives?
Interviewer 2

05:32 - 05:58 Di the result of the study is the reward. Tapos siyempre nakikita mo gihapon na
there's something in research that could help them. Ha ngatanan nga ir pag- help
Informant 5 with their job, help with the organization and of course help the researchers
personally and professionally.

05:58 - 06:04 So do you think sir there are risks adton imo study for- ngadto han mga
participants?
Interviewer 1

06:04 - 06:05 Ah no.

Informant 5

06:06 - 06:12 Ok sir so how did you maintain sir the confidentiality and anonymity of your
participants?
Interviewer 1

06:12 - 06:31 So after the the interview, diba may mga limitations man ito up to when pwede
ni mo hipuson. Tapos siyempre it's between the researcher and the kuan man la.
Informant 5 Ang gini-interview. Then after that, imo igdi-discard.
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06:31 - 06:33 In your case sir, gindiscard nim?

Interviewer 1

06:33 - 06:34 Gindiscard ko.

Informant 5

06:34 - 06:36 How did you store the data sir?

Interviewer 1

06:37 - 06:57 Ahh first from recording, then from hard copies. Then after that, after the data
has been collected, collated and analyzed, gin kuan na hiya after makuan na
Informant 5 hiya, masubmit, discard mo na para waray waray problema.

06:58 - 07:04 So what do you think sir are the hindrances when dealing with human subjects
in research?
Interviewer 1

07:06 - 07:52 Ma- kuan kasi. Pag waray ka proper nga contact, iton iba nga participants,
informants or respondents, hesitant hira when it comes to research. Especially
Informant 5 pag diri mo na e-explain haira kun para ano talaga an research. Tapos ano an ira
mabubulig ahh for- for the organization, for the community. Tapos para haira
mismo. Amo iton kuan, usa nga problema na akon nakikita ha mga respondents,
informants or participants. Kun papaano mo hira macoconvince para mag-
participate. Kaya diri man ngatanan nakakaintindi. Amo ito nga medyo makuri
hiya.

07:52 - 07:53 Okay sir.

Interviewer 1

07:53 - 07:54 Do you understand waray?

Informant 5

07:54 - 07:55 A little bit lang.

Interviewer 2

07:55 - 07:56

Interviewer 1 Bisaya hiya sir.

07:56 - 07:58 (laughs) Bisaya? You’re from?

Informant 5
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07:58 - 07:59 Ormoc sir.

Interviewer 2

07:59 - 08:00 Okay.

Informant 5

08:00 - 08:10 Kuan sir, what ethical committee did your research went through the process?
Or ano po nga insti- diin ka na institution bagan nagpaclearance, nagpa-ethical
Interviewer 1 clearance ka sir?

08:10 - 08:12 In the University of Cebu mayda man hira.

Informant 5

08:12 - 08:14 University of Cebu sir?

Interviewer 1

08:14 - 08:15 Oo.

Informant 5

08:16 - 08:27 So what do you think sir are the hindrances in complying with the ethical
standards? D-do you have a hard time in complying?
Interviewer 1

08:28 - 08:45 Personally, mayda mga gudti nga problema. For example, an panahon, tapos an
participants’ availability. So usa ito nga mga problems nga nakikita.
Informant 5

08:46 - 08:53 So mayda talaga adto sir bagan- evaluation nga iyo gindependaran para
igcomply?
Interviewer 1

08:53 - 08:54 Mayda.

Informant 5

08:56 - 09:05 So what do you think sir are your- ah what are your views or perceptions about
the creation of a research ethics committee here in VSU?
Interviewer 1

09:05 - 09:14 Well, it's good. Perfect. Maganda. On the track hiya. Dapat talaga mayada.

Informant 5

09:14 - 09:21 How do you think this would help the resear- facul- researchers sir like faculty
 177

Interviewer 1 researchers in the university?

09:22 - 09:33 Dako hiya kasi it will really help. As I've said, the credib- ahh credibility of the
research man gud, dida nimo makikita.
Informant 5

09:34 - 09:39 How about sir, how do you think will it affect the university as a whole?

Interviewer 1

09:41 - 09:43 I guess it would be good.

Informant 5

09:45 - 09:52 Ah for your students sir, would you perhaps encourage them more ahm with
regards to the ethical clearance sir?
Interviewer 2

09:52 - 10:16 So for the students, if you can explain them the the importance of the ethical
board or ethical committee. If you can explain them the importance of it, they
Informant 5 could really appreciate and then they could really work on that. Then they could
picture out what would be the problem if they don't go with ethical committees.

10:16 -10:35 So do you have any follow-up questions? So I think that would be the end for
our interview, sir. Thank you, sir. Your insights and inputs would really
Interviewer 2 contribute in the formation or establishment, institutionalization of the research
ethics committee in our university. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you for your
time.

Informant 6

[00:00 - 00:35] Okay. Hello sir, good afternoon. I'm Angelle Caintic and this is my
co-researcher, Roque Alcaraz. And we're here sir to interview you
Interviewer no. 1 about your experiences on the assessment of your ethical
compliance, of your ethical compliance involving your researches
involving human subjects. So our first question sir would be, how
do you define ethical research and can you share your previous
experiences on creating research that involved human participants?

[00:36 - 03:05] So I've been, actually I've been researching for a while already and
uhm I have exposures on international standards under UNESCO.
Informant 6 So for me ethical research is very, I mean it's a very unique field,
especially here in the Philippines. Knowing that, especially here in
the region, there's only one ethical committee, on the ano, EVHRD,
ano EVHRDC. And then, and I heard that there is an ethical, ano
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*mumble* research committee which will be founded here in the

university. And it will be the first in any SUCs or any HCIs
actually in the region. It’s uhm for me as a researcher, it's an
important aspect kasi me eh knowing, being a compliance officer
for privacy, it's very important that we ask for consent. Especially
if we are subjecting opinions of of participants and knowing that
there are some researches that talks about delicate information. So
it’s it's one of, for me, I think I only had, if I'm not mistaken, I only
have two researches which undergone and both failed. Both failed
because the other one is on HIV, the other one is on TB. I'm not an
I’m not a health researcher but I am on air quality. So uhm both
failed because first, when you go to the essentials of ethical
research, everything must be clear. Ahh some things that are in the
proposal was, it goes back to respondents which shouldn't be. We
should not be able to identify the respondents during any research
which partakes on human participants. So anyways, uhm uhm it's
new to me. So it's like mahirap pa din sha saakin , especially that I
have received two rejections for that.

[03:05 - 03:15] Okay sir, thank you sir. So, so your area of study sir is? What is,
what is truly your area of study sir?
Interviewer no. 1

[03:16] Environmental science.

Informant 6

[03:17 - 03:25] Environmental science. Okay. So can we ask sir, in your proposal,
what are the ethical parameters that you have included?
Interviewer no. 1

[03:25 - 05:59] Ah, the other, the first one on HIV is on their medical regimen.
Tapos exposures. And the most difficult parameter to, to ask is their
Informant 6 identity. Kasi I have, I have to set an appointment. I have to ask
actually for consent on all of the participants. And only I think
only one agreed and then it was disapproved by the regional
director. Uhm because again, there's no guidelines for ethical, I
mean for collection of data for HIV positive patients. So the other
one is on, the other one's on TB. Although it's, uhm I mean I was
asking I think for how long they have been in the medication. And
then their practices during the medication. Kasi we're looking at,
by that time, the research was looking at the parang prevalence of
resistance of TB medications. Because there are some patients who
are already beyond the nine months na maximum. So nine months
na maximum. So some of them are already, I mean already have
been in the medication for more than a year. Which is considered
to be prolonged medication na. So amo nan amon ginstudyhan.
 179

Pero we were disapproved again because most of the participants

do not want to be part of the study. So although we weren't able to
collect data, we were able to get secondary data. Kung ano ang
available sa, for example, sa hub for HIV and for TB. Kung ano
ang available nila dun, yun yung ginamit naming data. So still we
ask for, we ask for consent from the regional director. And, what
do you call this, uhm from the hub itself. Tapos, uhm ang
nakalagay dun I think was only codes of patients.

[06:01 - 06:08] Okay sir, so you didn't really have the chance to really conduct this
research. Sir no?
Interviewer no. 1

[06:08] Yeah

Informant 6

[06:08 - 06:18] So uhm, what do you think are the major hindrances, sir, why you
weren't approved, sir?
Interviewer no. 1

[06:18 - 09:45] Kasi ang ang dati, matagal na to ang mga 2015 yata. I think before
the, before the, parang maging stable yung sa EVHR, EVHR,
Informant 6 EVHRDC, I think before 2015, 14 yata yun, nakalimutan ko lang.
Uhm, first is, we were asked to interview, I mean to ask for consent
from the participants instead of asking permission from the
regional director, baliktad hiya. Compared yana, yana, maagi ha
Ethics Board. And then the Ethics Board will approve, then you
have to ask permission from the RD. I mean, going down ba, top
bottom na, nga, ko ang mga approach.So, dati, amo adto hiya, we
need to ask daw, who will become part of the research. So
apparently, the main hindrance are the participants' consent,
because they are afraid that they will be divulged. Although they
were assured that there were no, I mean even transcripts were not,
were not, were not placed in the research by in toto. They were
translated into Winaray, tapos, uh they were, there were patient's
codes, pero apparently, ganoon pa rin, they don't know talaga. Kay
natatakot kasi sila na magiging part ng study because they are
invited to come for an interview. Yun yung magan.., physical
appearance ba, yun na. So, meron, meron for example, sa HIV na
study, member man lang ako nun, tapos, uhm because I am an HIV
counselor. So, uh the other one said yes, even to show his face
during the interview ko no, pero later on, it changed in ya mind
because part of the studies ko an, uhm inquiries kuan, exposure, we
really ask, we really trace, where did it start. So, when did your
promiscuity started, what were the triggers, how was the timeline,
who were your koan partners, were there multiple partners of your
 180

partner or ikaw. So, it's more or less, I mean, the questions are quite
degrading to the participants, but we don't have any ways to get the
data because that's apparently a timeline we are creating per patient
because it was a case study. So, participants, and the study is very
sensitive, that's why the ethics board was quite hesitant to allow
because apparently it will, go back I mean bounce back to them
since they will approve.

[09:47 - 10:36] So, basically, the hindrance, sir, because your topic was very
sensitive, and it involves vulnerable groups, and as we know,
Interviewers vulnerable groups, maglisod sa gyud sila ug hatag ug consent. But
in your proposal, sir, of course you mentioned all the ethical
parameters, sir, they will like to ask about it, sir. What were the
ethical parameters that you've included in your proposal? Such as
what safety precautions you have taken. What were supposed to be
your safety precautions if ever you have to be conducted or you've
had a risk, and their benefits, participation.

[10:37 - 12:24] What I can remember was, we had a sheet of paper, and then we
were, I mean, they were given a sheet of it, and then they discuss
something like, for example, na, yun, they will be coded, I mean,
they will be declared as this patient, and so on. And then, uhm
Informant 6 hyhm in terms of risks, usually, what do you call this, I forgot the
koan, kung nadiscuss namin yung, about sa risk, like, divulge yung,
what do you call this, yung information nila, like that. So, I am not
pretty sure because I was, for example, ako, I was at the back of the
interview, interviewer. May nag-i-interview sa kanila, which is not
part of the study. Actually, yung nag-i-interview sa kanila is the
nurse. Tapos we just gave them a script, and then we just observed
them. So, nun nang start kami ng interview is, meron siyang sheet
of paper na binigay namin sa isa-isa sa kanila, and then,
nakastipulate doon, and then we discuss it one by one. So, like, for
example, yun, coded sila, tapos they will not be, uhm uhm hindi
sila, walang any part of them, kaya may documentation naman din,
hindi sila papakita, and so on. Para mga ganyan.

[12:27 - 12:35] Did you, somewhat nag-sunod ka, or, guide ni mo sir, naa kay
gisundugan ka na guide for your informed consent?
Interviewer no. 1

[12:36 - 12:37] Wala at that time.

Informant 6

[12:37 - 12:39] Ikaw rajud nag-gama sa inyo?

Interviewer no. 1
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[12:39 - 12:59] Although, koan, meron kaming, meron sinuggest sa amin, pero sa
labas kasi yun. So, in-edit lang namin, pero majority of it, more or
Informant 6 less, three-fourths are ours. Kasi during that time, parang wala
pagyud, wala pagyud, koan ba.

[13:00 - 13:08] Okay, sir. If you can still remember, sir, what are the comments
made about your study from the review?
Interviewer no. 2

[13:08 - 13:09] From the review?

Informant 6

[13:10 - 13:13] Yeah. Like, the reason why it is rejected.

Interviewer no. 2

[13:14 - 14:30] Yun, koan, very sensitive. Parang, there's no benchmark na, like,
example. Kasi what they are looking for, I mean, I'm not sure with
Informant 6 the board, no. But I think they were looking for researchers
coming from a reputable university. I hope you understand.

I mean, meaning it goes back to us, for our preparations as

researchers. Kasi first, wala kami, wala kami background about
how we will deal with this. Although, we are members of the
project, but majority of the project members are, like, clinical
instructors, like that. Tapos yung iba, HIV counselors. So, iba,
literally, I'm not part of the academe. Hindi siya part ng academe.
But majority are clinical instructors from different colleges of
nursing. And even, I think there was a doctor even. However, yun, I
think they were looking for, kasi we learned two years after, three
years after, there was a study from PGH which was approved here
in the region.

[14:32 - 14:41] So, let me clarify, sir. So, it has something to do with the
qualification of the researcher to conduct the study?
Interviewer no. 2

[14:42] Of the researchers, yes.

Informant 6

[14:42 - 14:44] *to fellow researcher* I think number seven, we can answer.

Interviewer no. 2
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[14:44 - 14:58] I think this is our last question, sir. What are your views or
perception on the creation of a research ethics committee here in
Interviewer no. 1 our university? And how do you think this would help researchers?
And how would you, how would this this affect the university?

[14:58 - 19:50] Again, just like what I commented before, I hope that this will not
be a hindrance in the process of approval of researchers. Because,
Informant 6 if I'm not mistaken, our review took about three months. And we
cannot afford to wait for that in the university. Being, I mean, in the
infancy, for example, if it will be established, we hope that it will
not be a hindrance to the process itself. Kasi, mismo, uh ang
process karoon is, dugay nagyud shag approval. It takes more than
six months. And we cannot start our researchers until there is an
approval. Wala pang kuan ha, ethics review. So, if you put another
layer of review, well, I don't know what will happen to our
researchers. So, especially here in Tolosa, most are, I mean, most
are social sciences research. And it takes human subjects. So, okay
lang ang usually ganyan ang fisheries kay koan, kasi more on
experimental man sila. Gamay ragyud ang koan, kanyang mga
income, ang gaming anak. So, no problem, ana. Pero, hopefully,
mag-ang ako lang, murag na ako'y reservation ba, ana. Hopefully,
uhm well-represented in ethics board. Kay example dito sa ethics
board dito is, naa syay from St. Scho, which is medical, medtech
siguro ito siya. Then, Dr. Lim, which is another St. Scho. Then, the
other ones are from EVRMC. If I’m not mistaken. Tapos, the
others, for example, because we had another 2018 yata or 2019,
merong dalawang proposal dito sa Tolosa, which was, ay, dalawang
proposal na submit to. Then, the other one is approved, which is in
Sisto. The other one is mine, which is in biomass burning, which is
on particulate matter, health, gihapon. It was not approved because
there's no baseline research of biomass burning in the region. So,
apparently, it was disapproved again. So, uhm hopefully, it's okay.
Kasi ethics board are important in, I mean, before publications. I
mean, not most, but there are some journals that require ethics
review already. So, it would be good for VSU to be able to
establish one, especially that the other universities will basically
embrace the VSU ethics board. Kasi di naman na sila. At least, they
have two options already. So, maura na siya, akong reservation.
Hopefully, it will not prolong the agonies of research, especially,
for example, ako, now, I have four researchers. And it took us, I
think, more than a year for its approval. Nga, kami to na-delay na
abtan hin pandemic. Wala nakaconduct kay ang mga subject, kay
students, faculty, during that time. So, karon, nagnagnag-follow up
ni, so, apparently, the topic is no longer no longer relevant because
naapsan namin sa panahon ba. So, kanap ang problema. Hopefully,
delay siya. Delay siya makako-ano. I think that was also the
 183

comment of one research, I mean, faculty from DevCom, if I'm not

mistaken. Nga na, mga kay naman sila yung mga comments. I
heard, usually, I sit on the higher board sa school. So, UADCO sa
UAC, mgacurriculum committee. So, kana, kana naay ethics board
daw. Thank you.

Informant 7

[00:01 - 00:30] Hello sir, good afternoon. Ako hi Angelle. I'm Angelle and this is
Roque. We're level 3 students, nursing students from Visayas State
Interviewer University Main. And we're here to interview you, sir, about your
experiences or on uh assessment of your ethical compliance
regarding research involving human subjects. So, okayra na
magstart nata, sir?

[00:30 – 00:32] Okay, go ahead.

Informant 7

[00:32 - 00:40] Okay, so our first question, sir, is how do you define ethical
research and can you share your experiences on creating a research
Interviewer involving human participants?

[00:40 - 01:18] Actually, we had training on on uh compliance to ethical

considerations in conducting research involving human participants
Informant 7 just last few months ago, also at the main campus. So, for me,
research ethics is about the set of of guidelines that researchers must
observe to ensure uhm no human rights are violated, they are justly
compensated in their involvement to any research activity that we
are conducting. So, what was the second question again, ma'am?
 184

[01:18 - 01:23] What are your previous experiences, sir? You can also cite what was
your area of concern.
Interviewer

[01:24: 1:55] Ah, since uhm I am an education student, of course, my inclination

to research is about, has really human involvement, but in my
Informant 7 practice as an undergraduate student, I wasn't really aware that
research ethics exists.So, it was only then when I attended this
seminar that I got acquainted with all these things. Pero now, I
really can see the importance of it and how it should be
implemented in all the things that I do.

[01:56: 1:59] Uhm can you cite a research, sir that you…?

Interviewer

[2:00 – 2:59] In my undergraduate uhm study, we, my thesis was about

comparing the effectiveness of silent reading and oral reading to
Informant 7 ESL learners. So, the procedure is letting them read and then answer
post-test uhm questions. So, there was no ethical considerations
that was clearly stipulated in the data gathering procedure and we
weren't guided about these research ethics. So, actually, yana we are
conducting a study on assessing the level of financial literacy
among basic education teachers in Tolosa District, and we are really
now implementing in ini nga ethical procedure from asking or
having this informed consent form before letting them participate.
Because unlike in the past, you just give them survey questionnaires
and then that's it. You get the data. But now, ibang iba na talaga
ang procedure.

[3:00 – 3:16] Okay, sir. Let's focus on karon na nakacomply naka. So, what were
the ethical standards or the ethical parameters that you consider, co
Interviewer nsidered in your research, sir?

[3:17 – 05:55] One is voluntary. First is really voluntary participation. Although we

have uhm set of characteristics in our mind in choosing our sample,
Informant 7 but we still made it to a point that we ensure that their participation
is really voluntary and that it is really made clear to them that they
can participate or not without having you know this judgment that
we might feel bad that they don't participate and all that na dre na
hira magparticipate. Or they can uhm choose or decide to stop in the
middle of the procedures and things like that. I really made it clear
to them na that even if you say yes now, you can still say no in the
middle if you feel uncomfortable in in giving responses to our
research, to questionnaire or interview. And then, uhm actually, we
are trying to make it possible that we compensate the participation
 185

that they will be giving to us. Even though they are teachers and
monetary compensation is not that big of a thing for them, we are
thinking of certificates maybe or something that they can still
receive or maybe snacks. But in the process, actually, this is one of
our problem because as researchers and someone who is already
aware of research ethics, uh the administration, I believe, is not so
supportive of this because they see just compensation as “suhol”.
And when we make PRs for the purchase of snacks or maybe
something that we can give to our respondents, they see it really as
a “suhol”. And so the tendency is for the researchers to just shoulder
the compensation that we will be giving to our researchers, I mean
respondents. So I think that's it. Of course, we have voluntary
participation, just compensation, confidentiality. Since our topic is
a bit sensitive about financial literacy, of course, we'll be asking
about their income, practices in terms of their financial
management. Uhm, teachers have this tendency really not to
participate because of that premise that sensitive information or
very personal information will be uhm retrieved from them. So the
tendency is for us researchers to make it clear to them as well that
their names will just be optional and everything will be kept with
utmost privacy and confidentiality.

[05:56 – 6:07] One more question. In relation to your statement, sir, how do you
maintain the anonymity and confidentiality of your raw data? What
Interviewer are your physical measures in maintaining those?

[06:07 – 07:08] Ah As far as I was oriented to, iba adto an confidentiality and
privacy, but I can't really tell bagan nalilipat geap ako. But as stated
Informant 7 as well in our informed consent form, once we retrieve the
questionnaires from them with their responses on it, we make it, we
will ensure that all these questionnaires will be kept inside a drawer
after we tabulate the data and all that. And then only the researchers
will have access to this data. Ano paba adto. Yes, I think that's it.
Mostly amo la adto bagat sugad na amon talaga itatago an mga
questionnaires that they will be giving to us.

[07:09 – 7:14] Just to answer, how did you get your potential participants or how
did you recruit them?
Interviewer

[7:15 – 10:09] So after uhm after our proposal was approved by URDC in the main
campus and we were notified that we can already start our uhm
Informant 7 study, that we can already move on with the data gathering
procedure, the first thing that we did was actually to ask for an
approval from the district supervisor here in Tolosa. Since the
 186

population, the population of our study is all basic education

teachers, elementary and secondary teachers. So we have this so-
called district supervisor, uhm supervising all of these teachers,
elementary and secondary. So we asked for an approval from him if
okay la ha iya na magconduct kami hin study ha iya mga
subordinates and he said yes. So after ito, actually if we didn't
follow the ethical considerations, we could just easily give
questionnaires to all these teachers and hira na lang bahala if they
will participate or not. So the first thing that we did after securing
this approval from the district supervisor is to come up with an
informed consent form. And also parang ganito because we were
actually the first, the very first informed consent form that we were
able to receive was the informed consent form that Ma'am Janet
gave here dahil isa din kami sa mga respondents noon. So as
someone who was trained to do research ethics, so didto ko hiya
nagets na okay pwede ko ngay.an pwede ko himuon in our study. So
we also made an informed consent form parang ganito, purpose of
the research, benefits, risks and all that. So we went around all the
schools here in Tolosa and distributed informed consent forms to
all. Some really were saying na ay dire na ako hito kay lagas na ako
and all that, dire ako ito maka-answer na mga questionnaires. And
of course as researchers, once they give that impression already, it
means to us na diri talaga hira nagpa-participate. But for those who
seek or ask questions na what kind of questions will you be giving
to us? So in that, when that happens, ada kami nag-e-effort talaga
to explain and all. But for those at first pala masing na hir ana diri
na, ah, okay Ma'am, no worries, okay lang talaga, sugad hiton. So
after we secure their informed consent form, that's when we, uhm
because our sampling technique is actually stratified sampling, not
all who gave their consent will be participating. So dida na kami
magtutunga-tunga na. We are actually still on that process kay
teachers are very busy so di rin pa kami tapos dida nga phase

[10:10 -10:14] So for the record sir, you get your consent through informed consent
form?
Interviewer

[10:15 – 10:16] Yes, like this printed geap.

Informant 7

[10:17 – 10:29] Okay, so what were the steps you've taken to ensure the safety,
physical safety, emotional safety of your participants during the
Interviewer conduct of your study?
 187

[10:28 - 12:25] Okay, so like what I said, we are still in that process. We are still in
that phase where we are uhm seeking for their consent. So we
Informant 7 haven't reached that level yet na maggagather na kami han ira data.
Yes, another response. Actually, that's something that I would like
to, I am looking forward to kay, I feel like the instrument that we
will be using is quite difficult because our our study is about
financial skills, knowledge, and attitude. So yung questions on
financial knowledge, di hiya sugad ka easy. And I know, mayroon
talaga, uhm I am expecting that there will be instances when the
respondents would give or not answer at all because it's like a
multiple choice. So it's actually stipulated as well in our informed
consent form that they can leave certain items in our study, in our
instrument if they feel like they cannot provide the information that
we want from them. And there will be no hard feelings if ever there
are certain items that they feel like not answering. They can just
proceed to the next item and continue with the question. So in terms
of ensuring physical safety, once we get into that process, so
actually our plan is uh to gather all these teachers per school and
then like in their conference room like this or somewhere na pwede
hira mag-gather, dito namon hira papagansweron, so that if they
have questions in the middle of the process, they can just easily tell
us. And like if we room around, tas tagurosa hira

[12:26 – 10:40] So you've said earlier, sir, about incentives. For you personally, sir,
do you believe that giving incentives is ethical? And do you believe
Interviewer also that giving incentives somewhat influence the data gathering
procedure?

[12:41 – 14:12] Ah that's what I also shared earlier. Some people see it as a suhol,
but for me, incentive is is or just compensation is a must in research
Informant 7 because we're actually, I mean, the respondents are the main source
of our data and they give like their time. Let's say these teachers or
uhm an aton target respondents are those who are paid on an hourly
basis. So if we make use of their time just for the sake of our
research, a part of their, let's say, salary is naiibanan. So for me, just
compensation is a must and incentive for me is not seen as
influential, especially if we will be giving it at the end of pf the
procedure or their involvement. But if it is like, ma'am, actually,
magcoconduct kamin study tas mayda kami ihahatag na kwarta or
snack sugad hinin. Actually, we haven't done that. Waray man liwat
nagaask hin sugad han amon mga target participants. So uhm, baga
hit at first, that was my thinking as well, that incentives are just
suhol. But after hearing uhm experts on how just compensation
must be seen, bagat nag-iba geap an akon perspective on that. So I
don't see it as bagat suhul.
 188

[14:13 – 14:18] So our next question, sir, is what were the benefits and risks of your
study and how did you adhere to them?
Interviewer

[14:19 – 15:48] Actually, since our study is just on the assessment, there is no like
development of a physical thing that these respondents can benefit
Informant 7 from. But as stated in our informed consent form and in our study,
the main benefit that they can only get from this is the data that we
will be acquiring from them. And also, our study is somewhat like a
springboard to an extension program that we are thinking that if
ever this study will result to a low level of financial literacy among
these teachers, we'll be conducting series of seminars or workshops
for them. And for this group of people, kay as we all know, teachers
are very prone to loans, debts, and all that, and they are labeled to
have poor financial literacy. So whatever the result of this study, it
will I think the benefit of this study will be on that, the programs
that we can actually implement on them. As for the risks, amo adto,
their involvement in this study, I think the main risk is the difficulty
of the instrument. I feel like some of them will really uhm tend not
to answer everything, although it's just a multiple choice and Likert
scale nga kuan. But the the formulation of sentences, the
questioning, I feel like makuri hiya. So I think that's the only risk.

[15:49 - 15:56] Okay, sir let’s move on, what do you think are the hindrances when
dealing with human subjects?
Interviewer

[15:57 - 16:50] Firstly, it's their participation talaga. I feel like without uhm their
participation, their willingness to participate in the study, the data
Informant 7 that you will be acquiring from them is not that rich, which will
really effect, affect your study. The validity, the comprehensibility
of your study will really be affected if the willingness of your
participants uhm is not that high, or dire an 100%. So unlike if in
pure sciences, wary waray, waray ngada point it willingness nira,
kay observation pero kay. But in terms of when we talk about
studies involving human participants, the willingness, I think, is the
main concern.

[16:50 – 17:12] Okay, so earlier, Sir, you said in your undergraduate study, you
haven't really know ethical research no. So, what do you think are
Interviewer the hindrances with uh complying ethical standards given by local
and international guidelines? Before kadtong, uhm hadto an dre
kapa maaram?
 189

[17:13] What were the hindrances?

Informant 7

[17:14 – 17:15] In compliance to the standards

Interviewer

[17:16 – 17:18] Nung hindi pa ako?

Informant 7

[17:19 – 17:20] Kadtong wala paka nagseminar sir.

Interviewer

[17:21 – 18:28] Parang hindi ko naman siya na-feel. I mean, during those times, I
wasn't really informed about research ethics, so I didn't really feel
Informant 7 the hindrances. It was so easy for us, so smooth. We weren't
thinking about all these things, na na yung mga just compensation,
mga risks and benefits. Uhm, hindi ko talaga siya mind. So wala
akong masasabing mga hindrances. Pero ngayon, that I am already
informed, I think uhm following ethical principles or ethical
considerations in conducting your study, we cannot deny that it
makes your study tedious, and nagiging longitudinal. Siya
nagiging maiha, an iya, an iya duration. Like, what happened now?
If we just proceeded to data gathering with the questionnaires, I
think we are already in the manuscript writing. Pero yana, we are
still in the informed consent form. Kaya we really try to ensure
voluntary participation in our study. So I think amo hiya ang ang
pinaka-effect if you follow ethical considerations in your research.

[18:29 – 18:40] Okay, Sir. Thank you so much. So you've said earlier, Sir, that
you've submitted your paper uh in a research ethics committee. So
Interviewer what was that committee, Sir?

[18:41 - 19:04] I think that's one of our lapses. Because in the informed consent
form and questionnaire given by Ma'am Janet, it was stated there
Informant 7 that it has undergone review by the EVHRDC. Pero kami, we just
uhm thought of the research ethics that we have to observe without
having it underscored in a research ethics committee.

[19:13 – 19:14] So, just for the record, wala jud. Wala d'yan. Wala d'yan.

Interviewer
 190

[19:15] Wala jud.

Informant 7

[19:16 – 19:17] Pero murag nanun- nanundog mo ka Ma'am Janet.

Interviewer

[19:18 – 19:25] Oo, we're trying to do the same process but to have it checked…

Informant 7

[19:26 - 19:45] You just have it paralleled lang sa informed consent. Okay. So I
think this is the last question, Sir. What are your views or
Interviewer perception about the creation of a research ethics committee in
VSU? And how do you think this would help the researchers? And
how do you think it will affect the university?

[19:46 – 21:25] I think establishing a research ethics... We are leading, diba, that
road. We are already taking that path. So I'm seeing, like, maybe in
Informant 7 two to three years, we can already establish a research ethics
committee. And like what I said earlier, once that happens and all
research outputs will undergo review, it will really make the
research process even longer, not only for faculty but also for
students. Considering the number of students we have here in
Tolosa and even in the main campus and all the colleges, it will
really make the research process even longer. So that's one of my
main concerns. However, if that happens as well, that we already
establish a research ethics committee, I think the the outputs that we
will also be producing will be of higher quality. And once we
establish that culture already that all research outputs must undergo
ethics committee, ethics review, once we submit it for publication,
there's no more, like, big of a hassle or problem because as we all
know, most of our journals yana, publication houses, are looking for
that certification that this study has undergone ethics review. So we
can diminish that hassle once we establish that research ethics
committee in VSU. And I think if I'm not mistaken, there's only one
ethics committee, research ethics committee in the region.

[21:25 – 21:28] We know there's DOST and there is EVHRDC.

Interviewer

[21:29 - 22:42] EVHRDC. But if we pioneer this ethics committee in state

universities, that will really also make an impact and to other geap
Informant 7 institutions. So I see both the good side. It really has a lot of good
 191

side, but in terms of making the process even longer. Because yana,
when crafting our proposals, medyo dre hiya sugad ka-toxic. But
the submission, the length of approval, before it gets approved and
before we get to start moving in doing our study, medyo maiha
siya. So if you submit for research ethics committee, I think it will
bagat ma mumultiply and time may spend for this. But all in all,
after having this orientation and training with experts in the main
campus, nakikita ko talaga ito yung good side. Nakikita ko talaga
ito yung good side, dako talagat iya good sife. But we cannot
overlook the disadvantage that it can actually bring.

[22:43 – 22:50] Do you have other questions pa? Wala na. Okay that would be all .
Thank you, sir. Salamat kaayo.
Interviewer

Informant 8

[00:00 - 1:08] Research ethics is essential requisite of any research activity. So, all
research endeavors, research initiatives, or any work on research must be
Informant 8 subjected to a…an ethics review. So, in the Philippines, all institutions now
are having their ethics review committees, institutional or departmental. I
don't know with VSU but since this is a research university and an
advanced one, I think it has. Or if it does not have, but I think it is
practicing the ethics review. Especially that we are conducting research
relative to the life sciences involving human subjects, animals, and plants.
So, it's a must now. In fact, the Philippines is accrediting research review
committees or they call it ERB, Ethics Review Board by PHREB. What's
the meaning of PHREB?

1:08 – 1: 10] Philippine Research Ethics Board.

Interviewers

[1:10 – 1: 20] Oh, yeah. So you have to be accredited by PHREB. But there are also
international accreditations for that. And the members are required to be
Informant 8 trained about research ethics.

[01:21 – 01:28] Can you share, sir, a certain personal experience, maybe an example of
your experience in our research, sir? And what have you done?
Interviewer no.
 192

[01:29- 04:34] What we did actually since we also deal with humans but they are merely
key informants or participants, what we do is we prepare a consent form,
Informant 8 the consent form, informed consent. And then we let them sign, let them
read, let them understand. Of course, we observe data privacy,
confidentiality. And in confidentiality, we use pseudonyms, not the real
names. We do not expose or give the public or the readers any hint of who
these participants and key informants are. So we conceal their identity.
That's very important. Unless, of course, they themselves would give their
consent that they have to be quoted or cited and that their name should be
printed as is in the paper or in the manuscript or research output. That
might be an alternative. But in most cases, we hide their names. We
conceal them with pseudonyms no. And then, of course, data privacy is
also very important. We see to it that the data gathered in research will not
just be accessed by anybody other than ourselves. And we see to it that at
the end of the research or once the paper is published, we dispose of the
data properly or appropriately. So we have what we call, we delete them in
our phones or in our laptops. Or if it's documented or written or printed, we
shred them. So that's what we do because in most cases, we might be good
in gathering data, but we don't have the capacity to store and keep data. So
if we cannot store and keep this data, then we might as well just dispose
them as immediately or as early as possible. So that's what we do. So far,
that's my experience. But when I was still in Cebu, there was a case of a
student conducting research on an endangered bird in Cebu known as the
“Siloy”. I will not mention the school, but if you do research, I think you
will find out later on. So what happened was they dissected the Siloy. So in
the process, they killed the Siloy to, I think, find out what the Siloy is
eating. So that if they will know what the Siloy is eating, then they might as
well preserve that plant or that tree or whatever to ensure that the Siloy will
have abundant supply of food. So that might have been the intention, the
good intention. I don't know, but I think it was DNR. I'm not sure which
agency of the government complained. So there was an investigation. But, I
don't know what happened in the end, but that was one of the critical issues
on research ethics. We used to have also rats.. rats in laboratories. For
example, psychology students you know using rats. Diba? Nanay mga
experiments. Lab rats.

[04:34 – 04: Yes sir, Lab rats.

04:35]

Interviewers

[04:35 - 05:37] Lab rats. So we started not to use it anymore because we are not certain
 193

Informant 8 how the students can handle the rat. Because as much as possible, we do
not inflict pain or discomfort to the rat. So we cannot assure that our
students are able to handle properly the animals.

So we decided not to require them of such an activity anymore. Instead, we

used an alternative activity that will yield the same output or the same goal
without necessarily using animals as subjects or objects of our experiments,
academic requirements.

So that is very important that there is a research review, a committee that

will review all papers, whether it's student, faculty, or graduate students

[05:37 – 05:38] So to clarify, sir, the area of your study usually is on life sciences? Or lahi
ba ron..
Interviewer no.
1

[05:38 - 06:44] Yeah, it's social science. So we deal with people simply as participants and
key informants. So we interview people. That's what we do because the
Informant 8 research design that we usually use is is qualitative. So in qualitative, we
use case studies, phenomenology. We even use hermeneutics, grounded
theory, narratology.

What else? We have action research. What we do is we look for key

informants and participants to share their lived experience no. Or we do
ethnography. We observe cases, phenomenon, people. So that's what we do
in the social science. *someone opens interview room door* (But okay
lang. Okay lang.) But we have not tried using animals here. I'm also new
here so I would suggest that you also interview people who have been
handling animals and then plants. So we have an animal science
department, vet med department. Where else? So that's very important

[06:44 - 06:49] So, to follow up on the steps that you took during the monog of your study,
sir, how exactly do you recruit man your participants, sir?
Interviewer no.
1

[06:49 - 09:10] We use purposeful or purposive sampling. So with the kind of research that
we do, we simply identify people. We have an inclusion criteria. So we
Informant 8 base them on their competent knowledge and lived experience, for
example. So that's what we do. And as to sampling, so yeah, that's
purposive sampling based on competence and lived experience. We set an
inclusion criteria. But there are those who propose that the best way to do it
is through saturation of data or redundancy. I disagree with that personally.
You don't stop asking until nothing more, nothing new can be given. That's
what we do, saturation or redundancy. But personally I disagree with that.
 194

Because other qualitative research would just have one case is enough.
Because in qualitative research, it's the depth, not the breadth. So saturation
or redundancy is like quantitative. It's breadth, not depth. So there's a
debate even how many should be. Others would say one, others would say
two, three, others would say minimum five, maximum. Others would say
15 to 35. So even among practitioners of qualitative research, there is no
agreement as to how many participants or key informants should be. Pero
ako lang, one is enough. There are cases that are rare. So one would be
enough. So saturation won't work on that. Imagine that, saturation. And the
implication of saturation, for example, you'll be studying about COVID
victims. So there are so many COVID victims. So does it mean that you
have to interview all the COVID victims in the world until saturation is
reached? So what if I'm saturation 60 to 70? And yet it's the same answer.
So it's similar to the sampling, probabilistic sampling of quantitative. Mao
lang akong criticism ng saturation. That's why I disagree with it personally.

[09:10 – 09:13] Interesting sir. We’ve actually never heard anyone say that ba. *murmuring
from other interviewer*
Interviewer no.
1

[09:19 - 09:34] Hindi, you have to question even the method because these methods are
created by human beings and they're not perfect.
Informant 8

[9:25] Yes sir

Interviewers

[9:25 - 10:38] So you have to question their assumptions. The problem with the Philippine
education is we simply accept things because it's given by authorities.
Informant 8 That's not how we should be thinking. 21st century thinking requires
critical thinking. That we have to question even the best practices and
methods there are because these are not perfect methods. Nanguban ka na
phenomenology, mayroon ko na 6 to 12.

1 to 3. What's the difference if I put 4 or 5? What's the difference between

4 and 5? So, there's a 1 to 3. Hindi ako lang karon, what I usually do is,
mao lang to, inclusion criteria based on their experience and competent
knowledge.

So what matters is not the breadth but the depth of the experience. What is
I think important in qualitative research is the thick description of the
phenomenon or the experience. Because you're not there I think to
compare, you're not there to contrast or what, make generalizations.
 195

[10:38 – 10:46] - 10:56] Uhm, Thank you sir. So how about the safety of your participants
or how do you ensure their safety?
Interviewer no.
1

[10:46 – 12:13] Of course at the beginning we do risk analysis no. We don't do studies if the
risk is too high, it outweighs safety. For example, if we do interview in a
Informant 8 barangay, we coordinate with barangay officials. And we ask whether the
study is safe or acceptable. Or uhm, In the past I did a survey, election
survey. I learned from that experience and I'll never do that again. We did
an election survey in one of the district in Cebu. We never realized that it
was a politically you know, contested area no. So we realized that our
students were exposed to it because we hired students as enumerators. So
we decided not to use students anymore because we were not sure. Though
what we did was we coordinated with the barangay and the survey was
conducted with barangay tanod. But it was never a guarantee because who
knows not. God forbid an ambush could have been done by the opposing
party. That's very common during elections. So we decided at one point
that we'll never do the same study again using students. So pwede faculty
na lang.

[12:13 - 12:14] Pero nahuman ninyo ang study sir?

Interviewer no.
2

[12:14 – 13: 25] Yes, the study was done but we realized that it was really risky at the end.
Though with due diligence, the data gathering was always accompanied by
Informant 8 the teacher. So we never allowed the students to just go to the area by
themselves. So there has to be a chaperone or a companion. We
coordinated with the barangay and we see to it that whenever there is data
gathering, we have an escort. At least the barangay tanod or somebody who
knows the people. And we introduced ourselves of course that we are
students. We bring our ID. We let them wear the proper equipment. So
these are the risks. And whenever we go to the field, we have activity
permits approved by the school. So we don't just go out on our own.
Whenever we go out for data gathering, we have activity permits signed by
our authorities in the school. And we are using the institution's vehicle.
Vehicle sa institution ba.

So we do that. Or an accredited transport service provider.

[13:25 – 13:27] Do you perhaps offer incentives for participants?

Interviewer no.
1
 196

[13:27 – 14:03] Depende. If the study has what we call funding, so there's a there’s a, for
example, we say it's a grant funded by a grant of 1 million. So before the
Informant 8 grant is approved, we submit a proposal. There's already a budget proposal
for that. How much is the enumerator per day, the supervisor, etc. So if it's
approved, then we stick to it. This is how much we can pay you based on
the grant. But if there's no such thing, then it's pro bono.

[14:03 -14:04] So in your payment, it's in the form of money?

Interviewer no.
1

[14:04 – 14:12] Yeah, if there's a grant, if it's funded. So there is funding for enumerators
and everybody gets their pay.
Informant 8

[14:13 – 14:20] Okay, sir. And how about the hindrances, sir? What do you think are the
hindrances when meeting human subjects in research?
Interviewer no.
1

[14:20 – 15:39] Well, the risk there is, of course, you're familiar with informed consent. I
was just reminded just last week that the informed consent must have a
Informant 8 clause or a statement that anytime during the data gathering, if they find it
uncomfortable or if they think they are not any more willing to continue,
they can withdraw any time. So you cannot force them to continue. So I
think they have to be informed about that, that that is their right. That is
their right to withdraw any time they want. So from the start, if they think
they're not comfortable, they will say, “Okay, I will not continue”. And the
challenge of qualitative research, based on my experience, is the data
gathering is iterative. Meaning there's no such thing as a quick fix or
absolute method that you'll just be gathering the data once. But after you've
gathered, if you think that there's a need for a validation, verification or
additional, you also need to go back. So in a qualitative research, there's a
to and fro, going back and forth in the data gathering. So that's the iterative
process of qualitative research. So mao na, nga di lang, one-time lang ka
muadto to get the data.

[15:39 – 15:49] Has that been the same for your previous experiences, sir? Like, example,
if you experience a dilemma or a murag, they want to stop, you
Interviewer no. immediately stop the entire interview?
1

[15:49 – 17:25] Of course. To stop, pero usahay mudiskarte mi, mangutana unsa may
problema. Pero may insist na galing nga dili, then lost na na siya no. But
 197

Informant 8 we never experienced that much. There might be once lang nang nagdali
sila. The challenge po, aning qualitative is, you'll be taking their time. For
example, you'll be interviewing farmers and fisherfolks. So instead of them
going to the field to earn money, or going to the sea to catch fish, you
deprive them of that time and that means money. So usually when we go
there, we bring food or muhatag mig incentive. Pero, kana lagi, if the study
has funding. Kung wala, dili ka muhatag ana. Unya the challenge also for
looking for kanang mga qualified na key informants, because you depend
only on the availability no, or who are available. Because if they're not
willing, wala yung kay choice. So you can place that as a limitation. Or
again, as I've said, you just have to state that this is the limitation because
mu-withdraw sila. So the the the challenge of finding the kainformants ba,
and participants, because that would be subject to their availability, their
willingness to participate. Again, you cannot force them. Or there are
sensitive issues like study about AIDS. So what do they do is, they do what
we call unsay tawag ana, kanang what do they do is snowball sampling. A
referral ba.

[17:25] Referral sir.

Interviewer no.
2

[17:25 - 17:44] For example, you're an AIDS victim, you will refer to somebody you know.
*murmuring on background* So that's snowballing. So that's also
Informant 8 challenging. What if the snowball stops? So mao na ang challenges sa
qualitative. But I find the qualitative more kuan man gud sha, more
flexible. I find it, mao po yung training. Not quantity, not everything can
be quantified. So the study is about qualitative data, so the method should
be qualitative. Mao na? No?

[18:07 – 18:18] Naa koy follw-up. Personally sir, do you think that if you give incentives to
your participants, it influences their answers to your research? Like their
Interviewer no. willingness…
3

[18:18 – 18:56] We have not really looked into that. Pero yeah, it can be a motivator siguro
to do the study because as I've said, that's the challenge in the field. If you
Informant 8 interview people in the field, you're taking their time. And supposedly that
is a time lost for income, opportunity lost ba. Kaya time is money, di ba?
So naka-pangisda na unta ko, naka-baligya na unta kog isa ka kilo, unya
kay nang interview man mo, mao wala naka-*inaudible*. Usually that's
what we do. So naa gud mi dal ana pagkaon ba ron, paniudto ba ron, supply
ba ron, or magdala jud mi ug kwarta.

[18:56 - 19:04] So personally sir, do you think giving incentives is ethical? Do you think
that giving incentives is ethical?
 198

Interviewer no.
3

[19:04 - 20:54] There's an issue on that kung ethical ba na or dili. There's a debate on that,
it might kuno alter the results. Pero ang amo lang is, mao makonsensya ta
Informant 8 na wala silay gikaon ba or pasnackon nalang nimo. We do, kanang we do
kanang unsay ngan ana focus group discussion, either mag-pasnacks me or
magpapaniudto mi ngadto

That's what we do. But that's a good question. The question on whether na
ba na sya influence sa result or ethical ba na sya or unethical na imong
pakaun, not necessarily money, pero pakaunan siguro nimo oy. *Laughter
on interviewer*

Diba? Kay pasnackon ba, kay unsa may i-answer ana kung walay,
gipanggutom na sila. Ayun, not necessarily money mine no. Anyway, kuan
man ta public, tawag ini public servant man ta so, kuan man ta 8 to 5.
*interviewers laugh* Mao nang serbisyo para eskwela, pero usually in the
field we do tha, mao lage na kay ang among interviewhon mga farmers,
luoy man pud kaayo gud. Diba mga farmers, muingon na nimo nayes karon
adlawa pero naa unta na silay trabahuonon, mao lang na amo gitan.aw. But
that is a good question no, ethical banang paghatag or dili, para nako dili
man kay I use the principle of beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, whats
the other one? Autonomy.

[20:55 - 21:26] Uhm, sir ah the purpose of our study sir is to comply , its to assess the
compliance of the faculty researchers uhm on the research ethical standards
involving human subjects sir. Based na sir on our previous interview sir,
unfortunately there were some na di jud religiously mu-adhere to these uhm
protocols or these ethical standards so what do you think sir are the main
hindrances towards achieving these international ethical guidelines

[21:27 - 22:45] First is education. Uhm It's the role of the institution to orient all
researchers on this. Becauseuh if they're knowledgeable of its
Informant 8 significance, relevance, its substance, then they will realize how how
important these are. Because knowing the protocols will actually protect
you, protect everyone ba. So, there are risks, sir, if you don't follow these
protocols. I'm not saying that ah it's perfect, but at least these are measures
to prevent problems, conflicts, and complications in the future. So para
nako it’s fundamental, it's basic that we follow that. So, maybe, my my
assumption lang is they are not well-informed of this. Because in the
Philippines, murag bag.o ramani, these ethics reviews, in the past, we didn't
have that. Or we had that, pero it was not something na mura bag it was
institutionally imposed that this has to be followed. So, isa siguro na no
one of the reasons why a lot of institutions are not following it. Because in
 199

the first place, they were never educated, oriented about it, and they don't
have an ethics review board. So, once you have that, an ethics review
board, and by policy, you will be requiring the protocol, I think everybody
will just follow.

[22:46 - 22:51] May we ask, sir, if what institution did you submit your study for review?

Interviewer

[22:52 – 24:43] Ako before, I was with San Jose Recoletos, it was my previous employer,
before I transferred into VSU. I was just here last year. So, I'm very new.
Informant 8 So, that's why I would suggest that you interview also kanang science ba.
The one who's doing quasi and experimental studies. I've not done that.
So, what we usually do there, here is qualitative studies. As I've
mentioned, we do hermeneutics, we do content analysis, we do textual
analysis, discourse analysis, we do surveys, we do ethnography, we do
phenomenological studies, case studies, action research, uhm narratology,
historical research. These are the kinds of study we do in the labs. Wala
paman mi kuan dire pa, we don't have psychology, clinical, nothing yet pa.
So, I would strongly suggest uh that the departments of quasi,
experimental, or experimental that are involved in ug mananap tawo ug
tanom. So, I'm sure, animal science, kuan mga ano, vet med, nursing, naa
man tay nursing dre, biotech, biotech, diba anything that involves. In fact,
pwede sad mo mangadto sa business. Kay naa koy experience diay when I
was in a previous university. Naa may mga business students nga mag
develop ug product. Nya kami teachers, kami testingan. Bawal bawal
mana, for example, to create kag perfume.

[24:44] Food tech, sir.

Interviewer

[24:45 – 25:01] Food tech importante diay na sha , dili man ka pwede gud ana mudapat
gud. For example, nagcreate kag perfume no, imo idapat dayon sa taw.
Informant 8 Testingan gyud na sha kung safe bajud na siya, ang iya reaction. What if
naa diay allergic reaction sa mga substance na gibutang. Diba? Mao bitaw
naa FDA diba? Yes.

[25:02 – 25:04] Itest sa sir sa animals…

Interviewer

[24:05 – 26:44] [25:12 - 25:34] Dapat, dapat naa na shay maaprove na sha, naay clearance
ba. Mao na sha (inaudible) Mao nang problema sa business schools
Informant 8 develop products without going to that. Nakasuway gud kog kuan, kuan
inom ug *laugh*. Sauna rato ha, pero wala na ron. Kay mao lage na
theERB consciousness is already here because institutions are now
 200

setting up their own ethics review committees or ethics review boards.

Pero sauna wala mana. Mao these business students maghimo ra anang
malunggay tea, nya “ Sir naa mi gidevelop na product, testingi” Nya kitay
una muinom. Malanggay tea, nya wa ta kahibaw sa food handling, food
security, food safety. No, not food security but food safety. Handling ba.
Diba? Safe diay na? Maglain diay imo tiyan diay . Toxic diay to kay
naexpose into salmonella, mga.. lagi.. kanang food handling ba nya ikaw
nay mauna . Yeah, siguro naa man pud tay business and economics, diba
developed products. Kanang maghimo ug pagkaon, sagol sagolon .
*Inaudible* food tech sad. Safety ba handling. So naa jud tingali clearance
niani pagkaon safe ni siya, wa;a no kuan, mga issue ana , so isa sad diay na
sha na challenge sa ethics sa institution, ma-address lang na by the ethics
committee or ethics review board, which we still do not have yet.
Impossible ah, VSU?

[26:45 – 26:48] Wala sir, murag di sha institutionalized.

Interviewer

[26:49 – 26:54] Ah siguro ang inyo proposal nalang is university institutional siya.

Informant 8

[26:55 - 27:06] Yes sir kay ang, ang mga studies dire sir sa iba paman na institution
ipacheck. For example ang samo sa nursing, kay EVHRDC.
Interviewer

[27:06 – 27:10] Ah wa pa gyud jud diay tay ato.

Informant 8

[27:11 – 27:22] Yes sir, actually this is one of the stepping stones, kay ang head man ani sir
kay si Maam Janet,.. Mao sad amo kacollab sir, si maam ang first author sa
Interviewer quanti.

[27:22 - 27:23] Janet is the Dean?

Informant 8

[27:24 – 27:29] No sir, siya ang head sa University Research Ethical Board.

Interviewer

[27:30 – 27:32] Aw naa na lagi, naa nay Ethics Board.

 201

Informant 8

[27:33 – 27:38] Pero dili pajud sha like ni-commence. Murag wala pajud clearances, murag
wala pa gani office no?
Interviewer

[27:39 - 27:58] Ah dili, kung naa nay committee, trabaho naman gud na sa committee to
make the the policies, pwede ramana signan sa president. We already have
Informant 8 this and this, and this are the protocols… we are requiring offices that all
researches will be subjected into this following protocols. Ana rana.

[27:58] Ang challenge man jud sir kay…

Interviewer

[27:58 –28:03] Ang kuan ana magpacredit sha sa PHREB.

Informant 8

[28:04 – 28:07] Ang kuan tingali sir, dili man credit sa PHREB sir kay wala pa… ang
training pasad sir
Interviewer

[28:07 – 28:24] Di naa may requirements ang PHREB, aysus VSU, kaya rana, kaya man
gani sa mga gagmay na school. I know a lot of small schools in Mindanao
Informant 8 nga PHREB accredited. VSU pa.

[28:24 – 28:26] Basin kailangan nangita pa, nangita pa ug strong basis ila protocols..

Interviewer

[28:27 – 29:31] Pero must namana gud, di man kay ingana ka lisod naa naman guy existing
protocols na pwede nimo iaadapt. Diba, magdraft rakag email nya imo lang
Informant 8 to kopyaon ang general protocols nya maghimo ra ka adtog specific nimo,
mga uniquely VSU nga additional ay makit.an rana sa internet, daghan
ingon ana. Nya imo approbahan sa board nya imo ipaimplement, pasignan
nimo sa board na naa natay ethics review, ang amo gibuhat samo previous
school is naa mi ethics review committee by department so every paper
muagi ana so inig proposal tanawon na daan sa proposal palang pero
kanang mebers sa board dili sha counted as panelist mura jud shag separate
sha, separate jud sha na reviewer sha sa ethics. So gi train ang tanang
faculty about ethics review and its protocols para walay faculty ba
magyawyaw ba.

[29:32 - 29:38] Yes sir mao nya if ang students na ang magimplement ang faculty kahibaw
nasad sila…. magfacilitate sa students.
 202

Interviewer

[29:37 – 30:20] Kahibaw nasad ang faculty nya later magcascade nasad sa students pero
ang faculty nag-una na. Di na sha makahimo na magyawyaw sha. Usa sad
Informant 8 na sa reasons na magyawyaw kay wala man na orient ug tarong, wala na
sad na educate ba mao part na siya continuing education sa faculty because
there are new trends na, new requirements. Kani ethics review, dugay
namani, nagstart ethics review, nakaattend ko ethics review 2016, required
na kuno, PHREB accredited.

[30:21 – 30:31] Okay. So for our last question, sir, you already answered this a bit ganina,
sir. Pero just to elaborate more, sir, what are your views or perceptions
Interviewer about the creation of a research ethics committee here in VSU and how do
you think this would help the researchers?

[30:32 - 31:54] Yeah. As I've said, it's fundamental. It's basic. So it's a causa sine qua non.
It's something that we cannot do without because it's basic. It's
Informant 8 fundamental. As a research institution, we must have it. We ought to have
it. So therefore, the operationalization of the ethics review board must be
immediate. Must be immediate. So it should not wait for a study. The study
might be of help. It can provide a substantial input to how it is. But if there
are already assigned people who can do it, I think they can initiate actually
because there are already frameworks. There are already existing protocols.
You don't have to. Yeah, it's just a matter of looking for them and
establishing your own. So dapat jud immediate nani sha. Kay ako lang, if
small schools have an ethics review board, though dili sad siguro perfect pa
sila, pero VSU being a top research university, must have it as soon as
possible. Dili man pud siguro siya maglisod. Pwede lagi mo memo ang
board o president. Memohan lang ka ba. So, mana, sunod na tanan. It can
be done. It can be done.

[31:58 – 32:02] Usually, sir, sa inyong student here sa EVHRDC mo, sir?

Interviewer 8

[32:03 - 32:36] Actually, wala pa pud mi nakaconduct pa niana nang review. Kay wala.
Mao lagi na wala pa. Naa na siguroy review pero wala pa ka implement
Informant 8 pero maimplement nato requiring all students conducting all research all
faculty. I-subject ani mao ang proseso, musunod ramana. Musunod raman
gyud kay, university protocol. How I wish and pray, ma-establish na dayun.

[32:37 - 32:48] In your time here in VSU, sir, have you had students you advised? That had
involvement of human participants?
Interviewer

[32:48 – 33:19] So far, karoon, we have advisee. Sa high school, nami, koan nami, we're
 203

Informant 8 interviewing koan man, women politicians. Ang studies all about koan
naman. Women in politics. The other one is an ethnographic study on folk
medicine, specifically on Hilot. So, we did informed consent. Gihapon,
basic. So far, pero I asked them kung nabay ethics review. Ana man pud
sila wala. So far mao diay na, sa kaon asa mo magpareview?

[33:20] EVHRDC, sir.

Interviewer

[32:21 – 32:22] Sa Tacloban na?

Informant 8

[32:23] Yes, sir.

Interviewer

[32:24 – 32:42] Unsay pasabot ana? Eastern Visayas Regional Ethics ghapon? Kuan man
gud na murag biomedical ethics ang kuan ana no, review pero it applies
Informant 8 also to other studies

[33:42 – 33:53] Pero, if ikaw, sir, have you advised them, sir, to have their research
reviewed by an ethical board, sir?
Interviewer

[33:54 - 34:45] Mao unta akong request unta. Kuan raman pud ko, adviser raman sad kouh
ang ako mga advisees are not from DLABS, I have two groups sa senior
Informant 8 high and I also have two students from forestry. Pero ang amoa sa forestry,
kuan man amo charcoal man and its social and environmental impact.
Again, interview gihapon mi, tanawn man ang impact sa charcoal
production. Pero ang among forestry, kung ano na mong charcoal man and.
Tawag ko na may social impact sa charcoal production. Pero wala, mi
ethics review. So, mao na, it's very immediate. Immediate gyud na siya
kaya naman ko liability ang school, ang institution ba. Naa jud siya
liability. So, dapat, mao ragyud na siya. Ora mismo. Immediate. Maayo kay
nag-part mo ani na study?

[34:45] Yes, sir.

Interviewer

[34:46 – 34:54] Kamo ang gitap? Kay Ma'am Janet is from nursing?

Informant 8

[34:55] Yes, sir

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Interviewer

[34:55 – 34:59] Kamo gyud ang gitap, that’s good na naginvolve mo ug ingon ani.

Informant 8

[35:02 - 35:13] So, that will be the end for our interview, sir. Thank you so much for your
time. We have really great insights from you, sir. Thank you guys, sir.
Interviewer Happy lunchtime, sir.

Informant 9

[00:00 - 00:12] So may restart sir para makauli nata dayon. Okay, so... For you sir,
how do you define ethical research?
Interviewer

[00:13 - 00:57] I think ethical research in my own understanding is the conduct of

uhm research and investigations that considers that uh uh considers
Informant 9 protection of the uhm personal information from the respondents of
the uh study or project. Not only that, uh it also involves welfare if
the study uses humans as subject of examination.

[00:58 - 01:10] Okay sir, so can you share your previous experiences in conducting a
research that involve human participants and what is your area of
Interviewer concern?

[01:10 - 03:08] Okay, so basically I am in the field of uhm food technology, food
science and technology. I am into food product development and that
Informant 9 involves uhm quality evaluation of the developed products using
uhm laboratory instrument and also importantly sensory panelist that
involves human being to evaluate the sensory characteristics of the
product as well as their acceptability. And in terms of consideration
of the uhm ethical considerations to our panelist, we are uhm we are
aware that, uh we should be aware as the product developer of the
safety of our product because there are raw materials that may
contain uhm allergens that may adversely affect the health of our
consumers. And so we have to be familiar with our developed
product and whatever uhm allergens that they may contain and we
have also the responsibility to inform our sensory panelist. So that's
one of the considerations and not only that, uhm also the microbial
safety of our product. And prior to asking them to evaluate uh our
product, we are also giving them a, an informed consent so that they
 205

will not be, they will not be forced so that their participation in the
evaluation of the product will be voluntary.

[03:08 - 03:18] Okay sir, so how relevant it is sir, uh kuan sir to adhere to these
standards during the conduct of the study?
Interviewer

[03:18 - 04:17] It is important and relevant because not only we are uh following the
the standard, uhm kumbaga SOP in doing research. Uh it is important
Informant 9 because uh it protects your panelist or the subject of your research
and also it will help you in publishing your out..research output to a
higher impact journal. Because uhm nowadays journals require uhm
already approved ethical clearance.

[04:18 - 04:25] So during the conduct of your study sir, how did you recruit your
participants?
Interviewer

[04:31 - 05:47] Uhm we are, we have some requirements as to the sensory panelist
that we our, are required to conduct the product. First is that ideally
Informant 9 they must have undergone sensory evaluation subject because from
there they will be oriented on how to evaluate the product. But if not,
if if if we cannot reach the number of students or uh faculty because
when I was in college, we have our graduates of BS Food
Technology that served as the evaluators of our product. But if we
cannot reach the required number of participants, we allow uhm
evaluators that have not undergone sensory evaluation subject but
prior to evaluation we require them, ah we orient them on how to do
the assessment of the sensory characteristics of the product.

[05:48 - 06:05] Okay sir. So since sir you are in the field of food technology sir no,
where in naay ano, mao manang naay magpataste, oo kana. So, what
Interviewer steps did you take sir for the safety of your participants?

[06:07 - 07:25] In terms of safety, that's what I have mentioned earlier that we should
know the components, the chemical components of our product, the
Informant 9 chemical microbial so that we can, we should protect the safety of
our participants because they will not be evaluating the appearance of
the product. They are also required to actually taste the product and
so if there are allergens, if there are actually allergic reactions to
consumers, so that will not be good for uhh our sensory panellists. So
that's one thing in protecting them and also in terms of personal
information, we are not uhm divulging the uhm personal information
of our sensory panellists. In fact, we are uhm instead of recording
their name, we are labeling them as panelist numbers 1, 2, 3, up to
the required number of panelists.
 206

[07:27 - 07:31] Are there instances sir where naay nagka allergic reactions?

Interviewer

[07:32 - 07:33] So far, wala.

Informant 9

[07:35 - 07:40] Okay wala, so did you give any incentives sir to your participants?

Interviewer

[07:41 - 08:32] Yeah, just to, as a way, our way of saying thank you for helping us in
evaluating our product because it's really required for us to, uh for
Informant 9 our product to be evaluated by our, the people who are actually the
target consumers. So as a way, even though we are still students then,
we really save some money to buy at least some, personally I prefer
giving them fruits like orange, something like that. And then, uhm
chichiria, others gave candies, again this depends on our capacity to
buy.

[08:32 – 8:45] So the form of incentives that you've given sir kay, in form of food,
do you think sir that it would affect your evaluation, their evaluation,
Interviewer the incentives will affect their evaluation?

[8:45 - 10:27] I suppose it did uhm because I can recall some of, even I who have
also uh been subjected to, uh uhm was asked to evaluate a product
Informant 9 and some of my classmates wanted to know first what are the
incentives given to us before we evaluate. However, it did not,
personally it did not uhm significantly influence the objectivity of my
evaluation. However, I think in some instance, especially if the
product developer did not, does not give some incentive, I think, I
doubt it did have some merit on the reliability of the ahh comments
or evaluation of the panelists. But I also have experience being given
uhm some amount when I studied in yeah Los Banos, I was actually
asked to be interviewed and I was given some amount. And I think it
somehow ahh affected my, ahh maybe my my willingness to
participate in the interview.

[10:28 - 10:42] So do you think sir that incentives, do you think that incentives are
ethical in conducting a study or do you think na that it's only a part of
Interviewer doing the study?

[10:43 - 11:38] In terms of uh ethics, it depends on the amount and on the kind of
incentive that you ah are giving to your respondent because,
Informant 9 especially if they knew it beforehand. So I think it would be ethical if
 207

you are not informing uhm them about this because it will really
affect. But as a way uhm of the the investigator of showing gratitude,
I,I think it is ethical but for me it should not be taken prior to the
interview or evaluation.

[11:38 - 11:48] Okay sir, so uhm who will have access sir to the information or to the
raw data of your study?
Interviewer

[11:49 - 12:01] The ah proponents or the investigator, the researchers and then also
the respondents.
Informant 9

[12:03 - 12:10] Okay sir, so what do you think sir are the hindrances when dealing
with human subjects in research?
Interviewer

[12:17 - 13:16] Hindrances, I think the willingness of the respondents of the, the
human beings to participate and their, I think it also will boil down to
Informant 9 their appreciation in terms of importance of research. The, uh usually
the researchers should be able to convey to them the significance of
actually getting ah this data from them, what are, uh how will this be
used and uh uh what will be the impact of your output in the future.
How how can this help them improve their way of living or help the
policy makers improve their something like that.

[13:17 - 13:23] Okay sir, So what ethical committee sir did your research went
through for process of evaluation? Naa bakay institution sir or ethics
Interviewer committee?

[13:24 - 13:47] In terms of, fortunately, I just know, I was just informed, because I
have undergone sensory evaluation subject and we are taught of
Informant 9 some ethical uh considerations although we are not required to apply.

[13:48 - 13:50] To institution sir or to ethics committee?

Interviewer

[13:51 – 13:55] But we are actually applying them somehow.

Informant 9

[13:55 - 14:00] As of now sir, but you have studies before sir na nahuman na?

Interviewer

[14:01] Yes.
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Informant 9

[14:02] But wala sha na ano?

Interviewer

[14:03] Wala wala actually.

Informant 9

[14:03 - 13:54] So what are your views or perception about the creation of a research
ethics committee here in VSU? How do you think will it help
Interviewer researchers?

[14:17 - 14:46] I will be very much happy if that will be realized and uh uhm
rationalized because there are a lot of researchers here in VSU
Informant 9 already, because this is a research academic institution. It is one of
the things that we are lacking. Actually in region 8, I think there is
only one in Tacloban.

[14:46 – 14:50] Uh, EVHRDC sir no?

Interviewer

[14:50 - 15:14] And they are uh knowing the number of SUCs here in the region,
they cannot really uhm accommodate, cater all of the requests,
Informant 9 ethical applications by the researchers. Maybe even in the issue
alone, I don't think they can cater all of the requests. If we are ano,
we are murag guest mi tanan ba.

[15:15 - 15:19] So how do you think sir, will this affect our university?

Interviewer

[15:20 - 16:49] It will really, uhm I think it will help uh a lot and will bring the,
improve the research civilization of our university. Ah, for one, ah
Informant 9 think in general we are not practicing, I think only few researchers in
VSU, religiously applying ethics clearance in in doing research. I
think only maam ano uhm, I cannot. I think ah establishing a, ah an
ethics committee review here in VSU uhm would really help a lot in
improving our research output, in protecting our uhm clients,
respondents, and also standardizing our uhm research methodologies
to uhm keep up with the uhm research output of other universities or
even other countries.

[16:49 - 17:20] Okay, so that would be all sir. Thank you so much for your input sir.
 209

Interviewer Thank you Kayu sir for your time, for your effort, and for giving us
insights. It has really helped a lot and you, makatabang jud ka sa
input, you're one of the inputs for creating a research ethics
committee here in VSU kay this study will be one of the baseline
information in creating a program sir, in which mam Janet is working
on that po. Thank you so much sir.

[17:21 – 17:26] Thank you for conducting this study and it's my pleasure to be one of
your respondents.
Informant 9

Informant 10

[00:02 - 00:08] So, maam may I ask, how do you define ethical research?

Interviewer no. 1

[0:09 – 00:30] Ethical research is a research... uhm Saglit lang hahah. Nawala ako
doon ha. Ethical research are those research conducted na ah not in
Informant 10 violation of the rights of the informants or the respondents.

[00:31 – 00:35] So, what was the area of concern in your study, maam?

Interviewer no. 1

[00:36 – 00:48] The dangers or the peril encountered by the fire officers during their
firefighting operations.
Informant 10

[00:48 – 00:54] So, what ethical standards in the conduct of your study did you
know of?
Interviewer no. 1

[00:55 - 01:17] Uh, first, you need, you need get the approval of the regional
director in order for the lower officers to, for me to get information
Informant 10 and the consent as well of those informants of yours.

[01:17 – 01:22] Okay ma’am, So, how relevant it is maam, to adhere to the
standards?
Interviewer no. 1

[01:22 - 01:47] It is very relevant because, as a human being, there are so many
rules that we need to follow. And then, as a professional, as fire
Informant 10 officers or firefighters, there are also protocols that they need to
follow. Ah, here are some experiences that they, that should be kept
 210

confidential. So, it should not be leaked.

[01:48 – 01:57] So, how did you recruit your participants? *participant laugh*
Maam, in your previous study by the way, was it quantitative?
Interviewers

[01:58] Quali.

Informant 10

[01:59-2:00] So, you had an interview, maam?

Interviewer no. 1

[2:01 - 02:25] Yeah, I conducted an interview with the fire officers. Then, ah there
are qualifications.
Informant 10
I set the qualification for my informants, actually. Oh kay, based on
my ano, research, I need the experiences of the fire officers. So, the
question is… *laughs* ano an question?

[02:26 – 02:32] Gin-ano nim pag- paghatag, paginvite?...

Interviewer no. 1

[02:27 - 03:19] Actually… Actually, ah in the fire… in the line of duty, if you are
uniformed personnel, whatever be the direction of the highest in
Informant 10 rank, you should follow. So, I wrote a letter, a transmittal letter to
the RD in order for them ah to give me, or at least, ah makakuha
ako ng mga informants sa kanilang ano, sa kanilang bureau. Then,
I wrote a transmittal letter. Then, they approved it. Then, the
goodness in it, sila yung nagbigay ng mga tao nila sa akin. They
give names, the location. Then, pinuntahan ko na lang sila doon.

[03:23 – 03:27] So, how did you give consent, maam?

Interviewer no. 1

[03:28-03:33] How did I give consent? Paano? Or… Di ba sila yung magbibigay
ano mag aano mag-consent?
Informant 10

[03:34 – 03:41] Sorry maam. How will you ask? How will you ask for their consent
maam? How will potential participants be consented?
Interviewer no. 1

[03:41 – 04:14] Actually, I sent an interview guide sa kanila. Before, before I

 211

Informant 10 conducted the ah interview, I sent an interview guide. Di ba sa

interview guide, there are the ques.. ah the content of interview
guide are the questions for them to know and be ready for the
answers. Then, then, as well as the letter coming from the regional
director, na sila yung pinili ng regional director to give.. as my
informants.

[04: 14 - 04:19] So naghatag ka haira maam hin letter na ira pipirmahan, that they
allow..
Interviewer no. 1

[04:20 – 04:21] Sa Informed consent. Yes.

Informant 10

[04:21- 04:26] Or bagan waray na hira choice kay bagan ginpili naman hira han

Interviewer no. 1

[4:26 – 4:32] Actually if bureau, if the protocol of the bureau will be followed,
ganun talaga.
Informant 10

[04:32 - 04:37] So, bagan nagsigi hira maam kay tungod they were instructed.

Interviewer no. 1

[04:37] Yes

Informant 10

[04:37 – 04:42] So bagan waray na maam pareha ani na moment…

Interviewer no. 1

[04:43 – 04:49] Actually, in my interview guide, there is also an informed consent.

Binigay ko yung sa kanila. Then, they put their signature in there.
Informant 10

[04:49 – 04: 57] Ah okay ma’am. So, what steps did you take for the safety of the
potential participants ma’am?
Interviewer no. 1

[04:58 - 05:33] Uhm, I actually, I went in there. If it's a kaon danger during travel, I
went to their stations. I personally will go, went to their stations.
Informant 10 Then, I conducted a one-on-one interview at their office. Then, in
the informed consent, it is well stated na na the whatever be,
 212

whatever be the information na makukuha ko, it would be kept

confidential.

[05:34 - 05:40] Okay. So, an imo maam interview, do you think bagan mayda po
emotional or psychological triggers for them?
Interviewer no. 1

[05:41 - 05:55] Yes, because they are dealing with the operations, firefighting
operations. And there are people ah who were injured or dead on
Informant 10 the spot. Habang nagbibiyahe pa lang sila papunta doon.Then, at the
scene, meron mga taong nagja-judge sa kanila because of this and
because of that. So, there is a, a may nagti-trigger sa kanila
psychologically. Pag yung pinag-uusapan na is yung ano, yung mga,
the community itself and the tao na involved.

[05:55 – 06:29] So, during the interview, ma'am, if you think na bagan mayda,
triggers or koan maam han imo mga participants, ma'am, how did
Interviewer no. 1 you address it, ma'am?

[06:29 - 06:47] We pause. I give them a break. OO, If there is a need for them to be
given a break, nag-a-ask ako kung okay lang, sir, kung stop muna
Informant 10 tayo. Or ikaw, sir, kung gusto mong magpatuloy. Parang ganun
yung inaano ko sa kanila.

[06:45 – 06:51] So, uhm mayda ka po ginhatag nga incentives ha ira po?

Interviewer no. 1

[06:51 – 07:04] As a government employee, hindi naman kasi pwede yun. So, oo
nagbigay ako ng food. Nagdadala ako ng food, actually, para sa
Informant 10 kanila.

[07:05- 07:10] Do you think, ma'am, that this kind of incentive will affect their
responses?
Interviewer no. 1

[07:11 – 07:19] No. Kasi pag nag-conduct naman kasi ng interview, ma-fi-feel mo
yung sincerity ng tao. Lalo na pag face-to-face.
Informant 10

[07:19 – 07:28] For you ma’am ano an an mga benefits na makukuha an im

participants han im ginconduct na study?
Interviewer no. 1

[07:29 - 08:39] Hingahan. *laughs* Ano ba, like they, at least they know that there
is someone who is listening to them. And they know na when this
Informant 10 study is already completed, uh this will be, uhm are those na mga
mga agencies na kailangan, kailangan malaman nila yung
 213

experiences nila, mabibigyan bibigyan ko ng copy. And then, in that

copy, there is an implication for practice. Kung saan, yung mga
recommendations ko, based on the data gathering and the analysis,
ah yung recommendations ko na andun, mababasa nila, as well as
the community, they will be they will know the hardship, the risk of
the firefighters in firefighting operations and their job as well. Ano
ba talaga yung job nila.

[08:30 – 08:39] Okay, ma'am. So, how did you keep the confidentiality and
anonymity of the participants during the conduct of your study po?
Interviewer no. 1

[08:39 - 09:50] Uhm, If there is, if there is off the record, though relevant siya in
the study, if it is off the record, parang it will, it will trigger the
Informant higher ranks for the personnel to be punished, medyo hindi ko
sinasama doon. Though it is medyo unfair, but if we're going to, if
we're going to, ano ba, yung iisipin na lang natin what will be the
consequences. Pag pinalabas mo yun, na dapat off the record, kasi
may protocols na silang, inaano tapos baka ipatapon sila sa malayo,
ganoon naman yung tri-bureaus kasi. than more delay sila ipaupod?
Delay ko nila ipaupod. Do you give consequences?

[09: 38 – 09:47] Do you, in those kinds of cases, much more dili sila ipauban right?
Dre kuno hira ginpapaupod?
Interviewer 2,
Interviewer 1

[09:47- 09:48] *laughs* wa ko ka gets

Informant 10

[09:48- 09:50] Do you give consequences ma’am, ana.

Interviewer 2

[09:51] Di ko nagets.

Informant 10

[09:53 - 10:04] [ (interviewer 1to interviewer 2) Can you tell me...?. (interviewer 2
to interviewer 1) If di ba sila musunod sa protocols mugive ba sila
Interviewers ug consequences?. (interviewer 1 to informant) Kun dre daw hira
sumunod mayda badaw consequences ha protocol nahatag badaw
hin consequence or punishment?

[10:05 - 10:16] Yeah, kun uniformed personnel ganun talaga. So, kailangan medyo
ano tayo sa ilalabas nating information kasi kawawa din sila.
 214

Informant 10

[10:17 - 10:28] So, hino po ba ang mayda access han data or information na mayda
ka, an imo nag-gather na data from your participants, hinon ang
Interviewer 1 nagka-ada hin access po iton?

[10:28-10:29] Hi ako la. So far, ako la.

Informant 10

[10:30-10:33] How did you store the data man po maam?

Interviewer 1

[10:34-10:37] It's on my cell phone. It’s on my cellphone.

Informant 10

[10:37-10:40] Like, kakano po ba na-year ito na-accomplish ini na inyo study?

Interviewer 1

[10:40 - 10:53] Actually, it is under editing pa kasi ang tagal-tagal ng process sa

school namin. It took three to four months before ibalik sa amin.
Informant 10

[10:53 - 10:56] So, up until now, ma'am, di rin pa discarded an kuan?

Interviewer 1

[10:56] Dire pa.

Informant 10

[10:53 - 11:03] So, what do you think, ma'am, are the hindrances when dealing with
human subjects or in research?
Interviewer 1

[11:04 – 12:03] Their, their time. Inaasahan yung time nila. Yung, yung consent
nila. Kasi in my study, wala naman problema sa akin. Nung pag-
Informant 10 data gathering ko talaga, smoothly sailing siya. Pero kung i-general
natin with the experiences of my ah colleagues, ganoon, yung sa
consent, sa time. Tapos, yung konti lang yung experiences na
maga-gather mo kasi limited lang yung sinasabi nila. Tapos, yung
objectives mo hindi mo makuha, hindi mo mabigyan ng sagot yung
mga objectives mo or makuha yung objectives mo because konti
lang yung information na binabato nila sa'yo.
 215

[12:02- 12:14] Okay, ma'am. So, what ethical committee did your research went
through the process of evaluation? Like, nag-paundergo ka ba yung
Interviewer 1 ethical clearance?

[12:14- 12:26] Sa school na pinag-aaralan ako, parang sa time namin, wala yun.
Walang ganon. Oo, pero ngayon, siguro meron na. Hindi naman na
Informant 10 kami mag-undergo nun.

[12:26 – 12:30] So, for your research, ma'am, hindi na siya nagundergo ng ethical
committee?
Interviewer 1

[12:31 – 12:33] Hindi. Hindi. Parang ngayon lang yan na nangyari.

Informant 10

[12:34 – 12:40] Okay. So, okay la po ba ma'am, if mag-ask ak if what school are
you in, ma'am? Is it for your post-graduate degree, ma'am?
Interviewer 1

[12:41 - 13:08] Actually, I am currently... Actually, hindi na ako enrolled. Kaya e-

editing na lang naman sa UC main campus, university, masters ko.
Informant 10

[12:55 – 13:08] Okay, ma'am. So, what do you think, ma'am, or the hindrances,
wala man no ethical dahil wala man yung ethical clearance, ma'am
Interviewer 1 no. Okay, so ma'am, may I ask, ma'am, if what are your views or
perception about the creation of a research ethics committee in
VSU?

[13:09 - 13:58] It is very important and significant para at least wala tayong ma-ano
ma-violate ng mga rules pertaining to humans. Kasi minsan, kasi
Informant 10 minsan para makagawa lang tayo ng research, magawa tayo ng
paraan para makuha natin yung information, para ma-accomplish
lang natin. So, there are, syempre, tayo as human, mayroon tayong
sine-set sa atin na no and yes. So, kailangan, there is an ethical
committee talaga para ma-sera, ma sera, kuan ano bat winaray aw
tinagalog hin basta masara hiya kun ini ba hiya kun ini ba hiya
nagundergo ba talaga hin ethical considerations for the informants
or the respondents.

[13:59 - 14:05] Okay, so how do you think, ma'am, will this affect our university?

Interviewer 1

[14:06 – 14:21] At least, we will be makitao. Diba, maging makitao tayo kasi
kinakonsider natin yung mga rights nila. Rights na hindi to express
Informant 10
 216

other ideas. Diba?

[14:22 - 14:49] Okay, ma'am. So, do you have any follow-up questions? Perhaps,
ma'am, in the near future, if you plan to create or conduct another
Interviewers study involving human subjects in the same field, ma'am, would
you highly be considering ethical, being ethically geared?

[14:40 – 15:09] Yes, most especially if it's not in the tri-bureaus, the uniformed
personnel. Kasi ngayon, kasi under the direction of the RD, binigay
Informant 10 ko sa kanila yung letter na doon yung pangalan nila. So, wala silang
choice. Kasi may pinanghahawakan ako signed by the RD.

[15:10 – 15:20] Do you think, ma'am, if nag-undergo kayo yung ethical clearance,
do you think it will be a problem? Diba, ma'am, considering na
Interviewer 1 they're vulnerable subjects ghapon kay…

[15:21 - 15:56] Siguro, kay in our ano field tapos sa UC din, kaparehas kami mga
criminologists and we know the line of duty. Siguro, it will pass kay
Informant 10 because alam namin na ganoon talaga yung protocol sa loob. Pero
kung sa labas, kung iba yung informants ko, siguro hindi. Probably
hindi. Pero dahil alam namin yung protocol nila na sinusunod ko,
kaya nakaano yun.

[15:56 - 16:09] Okay, so I think that would be all, ma'am, for our interview. Thank
you so much. It's like a different perspective maam. First time kami
Interviewer 1 maka-interview hin from criminology na field maam. Bagan more
on safety, humans.

[16:10 – 16:16] Iba kasi yung ano namin. Iba kasi yung study namin compared to
study nyo.
Informant 10

[16:17 - 16:30] Bagan yana lang kami makakita kami an iyo mga protocols from the
ano. Na always higher ups jud ang masunod. Do you think that
Interviewers would like, may problem na ethically mo? Bagan. Murag. May
problem ethically maam?

[16:31 – 16:38] Oo. Bagan. Pero bagan hindi ka naman kasi pwede magreklamo.
Uhuh sasabihin lang yan, wait until you become.
Informant 10

[16:38 - 16:39] So you're a criminologist po ma’am?

Interviewer 1

[16:40 – 16:47] Yes. So ano, narere- ano naiintindihan ko yung ano ng bureau.
 217

Informant 10

[16:47 – 16:54] Okay, thank you so much. Your insights and input will really
contribute to institutionalization of our REC, ma'am.
Interviewer 1

[16:55 – 17:07] At least nakabawi na ako doon sa mga informants ko. *laughing*
Ganoon lang naman yung cycle ng research.
Informant 10

Informant 11

0:19 – 0:29 So, first, our first question, sir, how do you define ethical research
and can you share your previous experiences in creating research
Interviewer 1 involved human participants?

0:31 - 1:29 Uhm about ethical research, this is basically uhm on the context that
no harm is done to the participants, and in soliciting those
Informant 11 informations, especially for us on social science, where basically we
would like to get information, that sharing those information are of
their free will, voluntary, and they gave their consent to share. And
they can also, at any point in the research, choose not to respond to
the question or not to continue with the data collection. So that's
broadly more on the ethics part on what we are doing. The second
part is broadly on the conduct of research. Uhm can can you repeat
that second part?

1:29 – 1:34 Can you share your previous experiences, sir, with regards to the
conduct of the study?
Interviewer 1

1:36 – 2:59 So, uhm I've been connected with the university way back in 2005.
After graduation, I was already part of a research team, so that's
Informant 11 when I graduated in 2005. And then from there, basically, that's my
research exposure after doing my ah thesis, then continued to work.
So I was just following at that time uhm instructions from our project
leader. And after I finished my PhD, that's the time I also lead the
conduct of research. So it's always other several aspects we study
related to agriculture economics, related to environmental
economics, involving humans, involving uhm socio-demographic
information, involving uhm collection of income, the sensitive
information, and their practices, knowledge, behavior. So basically
on social science, on economics. So a lot of uhm research, so
environmental, environmental, for agricultural, we move from
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vegetables to coconut. Uhm now we are working with uhm natural

resources related to mangroves, coastal resource management. So
what specific part do you want to know more about ah the research?

3:00 -3:10 We just want to confirm your experiences, so murag kanang naay gi
study sir bah that you're really engaged with human participants.
Interviewer 2 That's the purpose of the question sir

3: 10 – 3: 12 Ayy, so

Informant 11

3:13 – 3:18 Pero usually, sir, the area of concern of your studies are social
science research.
Interviewer 1

So to confirm, sir, your area of research is uhm social science uhm

3:18 – 3:26 leaning on economics, you said?

Interviewer 2

3:27 Yes

Informant 11

3:29 – 3:37 Okay, sir and what ethical parameters did you consider in your
research, sir? And what were the steps you took during the con
Interviewer 1 conduct of your study?

3:38 – 5:43 Uhm at the start, uhm this changes, this evolves with time. So at the
start, we always uhm, in collecting the data, you always have that
Informant 11 introductory part, and then you tell them about the objectives of the
study. And then uhm in terms of the practices, I think way back 2014
to 2019, around that period, usually that we know that we inform the
participants that participating is voluntary, and that the collected
information will be solely used for the purpose of this research, and
then it will be anonymized, so no specific information will be uhm
publicized, so that to protect also the respondents. But now, uhm in
terms of ethical consideration, this part that they can withdraw has
been emphasized, that as long as the data has not been processed, so
ah we we ualready incorporated that one in the informed consent
form, that they can withdraw uhm any time, as long as wa pa na
process ang data kay lisud na kaayu ug na process ug, you come up
already with the averages, and then that's the time they withdraw. It's
a bit difficult also on our end to remove, and then you redo the the
analysis. So as long as up to the encoding part, wa pa siya na
 219

process, so they can choose to withdraw. But so far, no one actually

withdrew based on our experience in doing research. So the informed
consent now has been further enhanced, improved. So una imo focus
ra ana on doing research, and then your participation is voluntary,
you have been selected, and the data will be solely used for the
purpose of the research. So those are the changes, improvements
related to practices, informed consent. Sa una gani kay wala pa tuy
signature, karun, pa sign non na man jud ang respondents especially
for the informed consent, that they are giving their consent to
participate.

5:44 – 5:48 How do you usually recruit your participants sir in your study?

Interviewer 2

5:48 – 8:34 Uhm recruiting participants is based, ah usually we do random

sampling, and then the random sampling, the list of participants, we
Informant 11 take it from the barangay officials, so they have the names, they gave
us the names, and then from there, that's where we randomize. So for
example, uhm recently in Cabintan, we are doing study, and then we
ask for the list of farmers, and they gave us 600, and then from the
600, we randomize around 200 respondents, and then we have also
back up, in case they would say they will not participate, so we have
back up participants. So that's how we select it, based on
randomization. To do this one, you just generate in Excel, random
number, and then you sort, then the first 200 from the list, yeah. So
that is if you have the list. If you don't have the the list of
respondents, and if you want to randomize, so it's a bit difficult,
because you need to have the list. So what you can do is, you can
also do systematic sampling, that if you know that you are to survey
300 or 200, then you randomize the first, if it if it's geographical, so
you randomize asa ka dapit mag start and then once you randomize
the starting point, so that's where the systematic comes in. Like for
example, diri nga distance, we have 10 houses, I'll randomize, so
naka select ko ug number 5, and then so uhm the systematic now is
every 5th na pud na household imong kuhaon hangtud mu abot ka sa
imo 10. If they choose to participate, then you move. I mean, if they
will not participate, then you move until ma abot imo sample. So
that's how we do it, uhm either randomization or systematic. The
other way, if randomization is, kinahanglan man gud ta
magrandomize for the, to reduce bias, self-select, nga kana bang
there are people who would say, I want to participate, so that's self-
selection, uhm to give equal chances sa representative, so mao ng i
randomize. But if there are studies that will not heavily rely on
internal validity, on statistics, sometimes dili na pud ka mag
randomize. If you just wanted to get some information on case
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studies, mu refer rami sa barangay, always we go with the officials,

then ah related to this topic, kinsa kahay pwede namo ma interview.
And then that's where Snowball sampling. Okay, you can interview
this, unya ngadtuon namo sila, then we would ask, who do you think
would be suited that we can interview in the barangay. So depending
on the design. But most ah of the research that we did are on random
sampling. So that's how we recruit participants.

8:35 – 8:38 How about the safety of your participants, sir, how do you ensure
their safety?
Interviewer 1

8:39 – 10: 45 Uhm these are, how to say, uhm because we are collecting socio-
demographic information, like safety is embedded, we are
Informant 11 interviewing them at the comfort of their house. So in terms of safety
between the respondents and participants, so uhm mas safety sila
because they are doing it at the comfort of their homes. Mas ang mga
enumerators kay kana bang, naa diay tuy iro , naa diay tuy mu
lingkod sa lingkoranan nga naay lansang nga dita kahabiw, so. But
the participants knows this place. So uhm in terms of ensuring safety,
part na lang pud siya sa amo informed consent nga to flag us if there
are things that they need to do. I'm not really related to safety, but
more of the roles and functions. So kung mag interview mi unya ting
paniudto na, magutman, so pwede sila mu stop, then they do their
stuff, and then we go after. So uhm safety relating to risk to health,
not that a big problem, but our experience lang siguro as a researcher,
kana bang mag randomly interview ka unya wami kahibaw unsay
mga conditions gani sa taw. Later nami nakibawo nga nag unsa diay
mo atu nga balay, ingon pud ko nga part man gud sa amo survey sir ,
nganu dugay kuno mo adto, naa mana siyay TB. We were not aware
and informed with that. Hala bitaw nuh ana nga mga risks. Murag
mao ratu, relating ra sa mga nag conduct kay interview baya is you
speak and then , sa baranagay mahibaw an na nila if kinsay mga naay
sakit, nagkasakit, pero ang researcher ang ang wala, so murag mao
tuh among kuan pud kananguhm lesson learned nga mga ing ana nga
cases. Pero wala ra man pud namo gi change kay if there are health
issues that you want to declare before we conduct the survey, pero
mao ratuy, so far, mao ra man pud tuy na flag sa amo a nga relating
sa sakit sa among mga enumerators nga wala mi na aware pud, pero
wa man pud ni ingon nga natakdan siya.

10:46 – 10:53 Pero wla say intances sir nga murag ah na trigger gani inyong
respondent sir about maybe about the questions that you asked?
Interviewer 1

10:53 – 13: 54 Ah there are cases, but you know they like to air out things,
 221

Informant 11 especially relating to income, nga kana bang below poverty line,so
mangutana mi so unsa may kanang source of panginabuhian, income,
if you ask the housewife, so that's where a lot of stories, especially
kung ang husband walay stable source of income, parahubog so
that's where a lot of drama comes in. But I think they just needed to
air out those things. So sometimes we gravitate back to the question,
because that can take a whole, I don't know, one hour for them to to
express their sentiments and I think, in a way, ako rapud ingnaon ang
mga enumerators, if ing ana gani just listen to them, just let them
pour out things kay ma capture na man jud tuh ang ubang mga
information nga gi questions. Sometimes, gani mu mu ask na relating
to source of livelihood, daghan na kaayug I hatag ang ang
respondents nga kana bang bisag dli sila kaila but the way Filipinos
respond to kuan it’s still easy to collect those information. I mean, it's
not that difficult compared siguro sa mga developed countries nga
very sensitive na sila ana. Sa atu pangutan on nimo ang mga nanay,
kini akong bana nga parahubog ra jud kaayu way tarung nga trabaho

So, there are, so far, I would say it's a positive trigger for them, nga
naay someone there nga naminaw sa ilang concern. But not in a way
that triggers some emotional burden, nga kanang ma unsa man sila
ma depressed nuon because of those things nga unsa ba kaha maka
trigger ug seizure or or other. Wala pa man pud so far. Wala pako na,
I was not able to participate all the data collection kay mga
enumerators na man ni akong ipa kuan ug among RA. But there are
times that I would visit, especially kung ongoing ang data collection.
So, I go on track so kana. Uhm naa puy uban nga interview hon nga
hubog, dugay jud kaayu ma human especially ug farmer unya
nahubog atung farmers kay mag inom inom man gyud na sila so
makaa interview mi ngadto nga hubog, dugay kaayu ma human ang,
bisan ra gali pag pangutana, are you married It would be a life story
nga minyo siya ug nganu siya na minyo ana ug ing ana. Just those
questions can elicit a lot of response. Even their life story is kuan.
Sometimes, dili ra man sad namo sila I cut basta if they want to say
something, we'll just try to get uhm get that information. Ing ana pa
sila ka open kaayu in terms of data collection in terms of of sharing
this information. But we handle them, uhm kay kuan mana pen and
paper man amoa, dli man pud mi mag record. So, only those
questions nga naa questionnaire ang among ma dala. Uhm the rest
siguro pa either naminaw ra ang enumerator or naay mga funny
sotries ma capture. Uhm only those information nga naa sa paper
amo makuha.

13:56 – 14:04 Maybe also ask, sir, in your previous conduct, sir, what were the
benefits and the risks of the participation of your respondents in this
Interviewer 1 study?
 222

14:06 – 16:04 Uhm in terms of the benefit overall, uhm it's more on the knowledge
generation. But I think ang mga respondents dili kaayu sila concern
Informant 11 anang knowledge generation. But it's more of the feeling of being
included kay if you go out in the community, there are many cases
nga excluded sila dili sila ma apil sa interview. So, if they feel nga gi
interview sila, they feel they have some value, so they are included.
and in a way, that's ah where sensitivities comes in. Ingon namo nga
this is purely for research kay basig mag expect sila especially for
4Ps,sensitive kaayu na sa una nga kung kinsa ang ma interview sa
4Ps,so you get beenfits out of it, kung dili ka ma apil more likely you
don’t ger benefits. So, ah it's more on the inclusion side of the
respondents. That's the benefit that they want to participate. But
overall, for the research, it's more on the knowledge generation. In
terms of risks, so very limited ra man pud ang risk either we are
collecting sensitive information, but we don't collect that much
relating to credit information, kana bang ilang mga utang and all. We
just ask if they have, especially for economic aspects. So, those are
some risks, ah especially on their credit status, but we don't divulge
those kind of information. Uhm I think those are some of the risks,
economic risks to say. Because if you know, like you're, but in the
community, they already also knew this one kung kinsay kusog
mangutang nga dili mu bayad more likely access to resources would
be limited. So, that's your risk. But they would know it in the
community already, that ah dli nana kautang balik kay dli man or
lisud mu bayad so, those are actually the risks, if you know. But uhm
very minimal on their side in terms of economic related information.

16:05 – 16:11 How about in terms of confidentiality sir, how do you ensure the
anonymity of your respondents?
Interviewer 1

16:11 – 17:03 Uhm okay, we have, uhm either we use the Excel software or the
SPSS or Stata. So, either SPSS or Stata will be used for encoding and
Informant 11 here it will be anonymized. So, from the paper, we get information
and then it's coded number one, two. What goes into the computer or
to the system is now coded as one, two, three, four, five. There are no
more names. So, even if ma access ang information wala na siyay
names nga mu reflect ngadtu sa database. So, it's with the paper lang
ang name only. Then we keep it for the next five years and after five
years, we dispose. Sometimes gani 3 years ra unya I shread sa una
kay sunogon pa tuh unya karun kay bawal na man, so I shred na lang.
Pero sometimes I sud rag sako then i labog .

17:05 – 17:14 With regards to that, how do you store your data, sir? During the
conduct of the study before analysis?
Interviewer 1
 223

17:15 – 17:17 Na I butang sa mga cartoon, ing ana

Informant 11 It's put in the cartons.

17:17 – 17:19 Ikaw ra jud ang maka access sir?

Interviewer 1

17:19 – 18: 00 Ah mga RAs pud, so naa pud ngadtu sa office but yeah only the
researchers and I can access. Naay isa ka office ngadtu, VISERDAC
Informant 11 so tua ngadtu aang mga hard copies sa mga data . But after minimum
of two years to five years, I pa dispose nana namo nga mga ah
information. Kay naa man gud ngadtu ilang names and contact
details, pianak dugay na gyud ng 5 years nga mag accumulate nga
rang daghana kaayu, mao na ma dispose na after. Shredder,a ng
shredder namo kay tua r apud ngadtu gamay ra galli tuh among
paper shredder , usahay kay kung dli na madala ug shred, kuha a ang
I shred na lang ang frist page nga naay name, tanggalon then the rest
kay dli na man ma igo .

18:01 – 18:05 How about in terms of incentives, sir? Do you give incentives to
your respondents?
Interviewer 1

18:05 – 18:48 Uhm if the survey is only for less than an hour, there are no
incentives. So, just talking and talking. If mu lapas na siya ug 2 hours
Informant 11 kapin so that's a significant amount of time. So, that's where we give
some token. Either sabon,sabong panglaba if you're talking with
housewives, for farmers, either, I think mang hatag mi ug usa ka kilo
nga rice or sugar or salt, depending on household needs. So, those
are some of the tokens. Or kung wla gyud pwede ra kanang mga
ballpen among I hatag for their kids basta mao ray (inaudible sound).
So we make sure nga we can collect data less than an hour. So, at
least we don't disrupt much of their time

18:49 – 18:51 But generally, sir, what do you think about..

Interviewer 1

18:51 – 18:55 Personally? Do you think that giving incentives is ethical?

Interviewer 2 Or more effective as a result of the study, sir?

 224

18:55 – 18:58 Or mu affect siya sa result of the study sir?

Interviewer 1

18:58 – 19:05 Do you think it influences the participation of your respondents?

Interviewer 2

19:05 – 22:59 Uhm it ah influences ah participation. Because if you know that's for
two hours, and then I get nothing. I'm spending a lot of time. That's
Informant 11 an opportunity cost on their end. They could have done something
else productive, but they choose to spend time. So, as a sort, we give
ah them rewards. Especially, basta more than two hours, kay that's a
significant amount of time. Pwede ra unta sila manglaba, manghinlo.
In terms of responding, whether it influence. There's always that bias
you have to try to minimize with your respondents nuh kay you are
just there. Uhm mura bag pila ra murag wa, they don't know you and
you start asking their names, you start to ask their promises. I can
just come up with anything to that one. So, that boils down to the
honesty and how they are open with you. So, that's uhm how to say
that dependent already on the honesty. So, in the conduct of research,
it's between the honesty and trust of the respondents. So, that's why
for us, we need to gather as many information as possible or as many
samples as possible, 200, 300. Some of it are outliers. So, mu drop,
pud siya. But I think that's basically research that you trust that they
are giving us information. Whether you get incentive or whether
they get incentive or not, still boils down to how honest they are. Just
like if I’ll ask, okay uhm how many cellphones do you have? Those
kind of information. So, I don't know. Either, they would also look at
like who is asking the question? Is this coming from the
government? Am I expecting,uhm let's say, benefits after
participating in this survey? So, kung tga DSWD mu ingon jud ko na
wa jud koy cellphone, akong bana way trabaho. So, I'll try to make
my situation as miserable as possible. Because if I know that in the
future, they would try to rank kung knsay pwede tabangan. But if a
friend is asking, then I'll try to make myself, okay, I have five
cellphones, ang uban gani ddli nako gi gamit, usa ray ako gi gamit.
So, depending on who's asking and depending on how honest. So
whether mao na, you just rely that they have been at least 100%
honest. Now, by layer of honesty. I mean, yeah it's built on trust. You
just hope that they share those information. So, mao na whether you
give incentive or not, it doesn't matter. It depends on the person nga
kung honest ba sila ni share sa information. And like how honest we
can be if a stranger comes in and asks your information. In terms of
 225

household size, what assets you use, do you own a land, what are the
types of work. Even for me, as to who is asking, uhm that depends.
But it's good at the start that you clarify things, what's the objective,
what's the purpose of this research. I think that would help them uhm
level off. Kay in the end, kung honest ra gyud ang usa ka tawo sa
kadaghang question, more likely honest, mu answer ra man gud pud
siya, pero if there are those that are playing around , the more you
ask question so the more also they play around your questions, so
mao nang sa amo dagahanon gyud namo ug survey kay in the end
naa may dli mag some up, it doesn’t make sense the whole thing, so
pwede siya I clean ang data, you drop the outliers, the extreme so
that you can what do you call (inaudible sound) atleast are reflective.
So, yes?

23:00 – 23:04 How about the hindrances sir? What do you think are the problems
when dealing with human subjects in research?
Interviewer 1

23:05 – 24:25 Oh Once you do the survey, it depends on their time and what they
are doing. If you do it with businessmen, women, ah you cannot
Informant 11 solicit information and ask the survey. Unless you put in, just like my
case, unless you book your time so that you get to show. But once we
go out there and just do the survey, they're doing something else. So
uh depending on their priorities and what they are doing. But if you
collect survey with households, so more likely naa man juy
mahabilin sa balay so you get to have data. But in our recent
experience with Kavintan, farmers are very busy at their morning
time and also daytime. So usually we interview them ah in the
evening if you want to get that information. So we ask them what's
their convenient time for the interview. We can go back. I think those
are some of the challenges in terms of collecting information on the
ground. Nga mag much lang bah ang ilang available time and the
time that you visit to the to the area. Layo kaayu ka ug bisitahon for
example kadtung amo assignment nga didto mi ug Butuan unya
mungadto pa jud ug Iligan unya ig adto nimo kay wa ra diay ang,
dli available ang imong respondent, so you have to book so you
spend time. Mao ng maka challenge sa data collection and gathering.

24:26 – 24:31 How about with regards to complying with ethical standards sir?
Unsay inyong hindrances?
Interviewer 1

24:32 - 26:48 Uhm sa VSU karun, ah we have now uhm dli pa gyud siya system in
place. But we have now a committee that would evaluate ethics.
Informant 11 Then that's where you go with ethics approval. So dli pa kaayu siya
in lace but with internationally funded research project for our Asia
 226

project. So we have to go through with ethics application before we

get to implement the project. We have to respond like how do you
archive your data? How long will you store the data? All these
things. And they also look at the information whether we are
collecting sensitive information and how do we collect so we get
ethics approvals so we actually have a code that you can cite in your
publication that this research has been ethically approved with code
something like this. So all our Asia. How many Asia projects I'm
involving now? Three. We have ethics approval with Asia because
they have they have a board. For the Philippines, ang mga funded
projects with the DOST PCARD will be shared. Dili pa gyud kaayu
siya gi require wla pa, so we can we can implement the project
without ethics approval. You can subject it. You can uhm apply for it
but it's not required. So if there's a decision to to get delayed with
more time or to just implement now. So the choice is to implement
now kay kung mag pa ethics paka it takes time. Depending kung full
board or kadtung express or expedited version so, but if it's not
required, our researchers will just go like. We just adhere to the
informed consent that we have that as a first page. Sa VSU, in plce
pud na siya nga policy pero wlaa pa jud siya na fully implement wla
pa man gali siguro tay subject dri nga I pa approve sa ethics first
murag ang mu gawas pata, I think within Eastern Visayas, there's an
ethics board that we want. Especially for us on the social science.
Even sa thesis, wala pa pud siya gi himo nga policy natu nga gi
require nga I ethics. I'm not sure about sa mga vetmed ug sa mga
medical related. Especially kung manguha na ug dugo kana mangita
nag

26:49 - 27:08 Pero personally, sir, you said that your compliance on ethical
research kay more on protocol lang nga needed sa imo funding, am I
Interviewer 2 right sir? pero you sir personally, do you think that all researches
that nga i conduct kay need jud mu agi ug ERC?

27:09 – 29:06 Yes. Uhm because it's uhm it’s part of doing good research, that you
have ethics. Even if it's like, yeah, I'm observing into that one. You
Informant 11 still need at least a third person to say that, okay, you adhere, you
comply to these ethics. Duha mana naa may mag full board ka mao
tung langan langan or expedited version uhm we are doing it in
research kanang mga uhm informed consent uhm how do you handle
these things. So that's actually in place. I don't know if I have a
sample questionnaire. Wa siguro koy sample questionnaire nga makit
an bah nga naa siya nga, ah wa wlay mga questionnaire, more on
class observation mani and invitation. So we are adhering to it. But
it's still good that someone would evaluate. And say, okay, like you
are done with your ethics. It just needs practice that all researchers
are conscious about it. Karun naka received ra gali ko diay ug
 227

kanang partner ba nga mag collect ug data nga walay informed

consent, way statement, what’s the objective, how long does it takes
so in terms of transparency and clarity like involvement. It's good to
tell them, like okay we'll be serving you for 30 minutes. Do you have
time? Ana nga ,nga murag estimated time nga they'll spend with you,
so wla jud, diritso ra dayon, name and all, ingon ko nga murag dako
pa kaayu ni ug trabahuonon. So in terms of question, yes. All the
research should go. At least have an ethics component. Ang mg
internationally funded research so naan a jud na silay mga ethics
clearance. Pero dli man pud kaayu dugay sa ila mu ingon lang ang
partners nga we are subjecting this for ethics. Then mangayo sila ug
information namo nga needed for ethics approval. Kanang A-share
project naa gyud nay ethics. Pero dali ra man pud labi nag mangayo
ra silag unsay kuhaon namo nga mga information sa respondents nga
amo ra I share.

29:06 – 29:11 In your research, sir. What ethical committee did it go through sir?

Interviewer 1

29:11 – 29:23 Ang kuan, dli ko kahibaw kung full board ba tuh sila basta kadiyot
ra man pud within a month naa na may results sa among ethics
Informant 11 approval naa ra mi form nga fill up pan so im not so sure whether.

29:24 – 29:25 What institution, sir?

Interviewer 2

29:25 – 29:43 Ah this is the Commonwealth Scientific Institution. In CSIRO. With

Asia project, kalimot ko unsa tuh basta it's a DOST equivalent sa
Informant 11 Australia. CSIRO ilang agency, so mu adto mo mu go through sa
ethics

29:43 – 29:48 So usually, sir imong local na mga researchers sir, wala pa jud kay
ing ana?
Interviewer 2

29:48- 29:57 Wala, pa. Only naa mi informed consent sa atubangan pero walay
nag approve in terms of ethics
Informant 11
 228

29:58 – 30:12 Ah, we may kuan sir verify sad ang imo ang imong informed consent
naa didto ang imong mga like kani siya pareha ing ana sir bah nga
Interviewer 2 nag mga risk, benefit, naka stipulate ra pud didto tanan sir?

30:13 – 30:28 Yes, pero kani kay kuan na man kaayu ni murag very detailed kaayu,
pila ni ka page (participant flipping through pages and counting the
Informant 11 number of page). Usually 1 page ra man ang mga kuan, the second is
sign.

30-28 - 30:37 Unsa man ah, amo lang I reiterate, ang usually ang naa jud sa inyo
informed consent kay ang objectives of the study, risks, unya pwede
Interviewer 2 nila mahitabo

30:38 – 30:56 Ilang participation, voluntary. How we manage the data. Are you
willing to share this information and then they can choose to exit
Informant 11 anytime they want. Dli man sila mu exit, kami gani mahuman nami
daghan pa kaayu sila ug I hatag na isturya, hahaha.

30:57 – 31:06 Okay, now, sir what are your views or perceptions. About the
creation of a research ethics committee here in Visayas State
Interviewer 1 University and how do you think this would help the researchers?

31:07 – 32:11 I think that's a good step forward in terms of making our research as
part with international standards. As I mentioned ang mga research
Informant 11 especially funded by international donors required na gyud sa ila nga
ethics, whether short or long yu go through I, with ethics, murag ing
ana bah. It goes through the ethics. Ang naa pa man sa VSU karun is
more on the content itself, on the technical aspect so naa tay
technical working group, so kana lang pud siya nga ethical
component or the ethics part should be embedded. Yeah, to make our
research uhm in terms of generating knowledge that we respected
uhm humans uhm even the environment and all. Like above all we
do no harm in the conduct of ah research. So, again my view is t's a
good step forward that's a progress that's a good sign of development
and sensitivities are in place that we know we are collecting some
information and researchers should be responsible.

32:12 - 32:17 How about. For the university. As a whole. Sir. How do you think
this would benefit the
Interviewer 1

32:17 – 33:02 This would benefit because in terms of the quality of our research
output so it would elicit a higher respect and trust that what you are
Informant 11 doing is credible and respectable. Sometimes you extract information
without respecting all these things. So, in terms of the overall
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practice so, it would be beneficial to the university as a badge of uhm

credibility of the research that we are doing not just in terms of
substance and technical aspects but the ways of doing it the ways of
collecting information and how we handle our subject. I think that’s
the way forward for improvement in our research practice. We go for
ethics..

33:05 – 33:11 So I think that is the end of our discussion sir. Thank you so much or
your input sir. And for your time.

Informant 12

0: 06 – 0:23 Hello again sir, good morning. I am Roque Jose P. Alcaraz. I am here
to conduct ah an interview with regards to your compliance and ethics
Interviewer in the conduct of studies involving human participants. So ah my first
question is, what was the area of concern in your study?

0: 25 – 1: 18 Which study? Ah were still like working on a study uhm together with
Dr. Janet actually. Uhm the department is now drafting uhm a study
Informant 12 on dengue. And then we also have another study working with the
College of Engineering, but it's more on hydro-metrological. But with
human participation, we have them too, because we have like survey
aspect or socioeconomic nga side. So I'm currently working on two.
But those two are, these two are actually not approved yet but
working on the proposals. So dengue and then the other one is the
socioeconomic uhm impact, sorry, uhm impact of landslides on the
socioeconomic status, something like that, on the residents along the
highway.

1: 18 – 1: 26 So how do you define ethical research and can you share your
previous experiences on creating research that involve human
Interviewer 1 participants?

1: 27 – 2: 32 So, actually, uhm I know something about the ethical uhm research
because I did a course in my master's, na clinical trials. And then uhm
Informant 12 we always are being unsa ni reminded about being ethical in all the
the things you do, especially when you include humans, not just
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humans, actually, apil pud ang mga animals. Like in clinical trials,
phase one, phase two, kay normally mga mga animals pa man na ang
gamiton or or sa pre-trial. So if I can define it or describe it, uhm it's
like a set of actions or set of procedures that we need to follow in
order to kanang attain eh ethical or kanang unsay tawag ani win-win
na na uhm outputs with with you and then and your clientele.

2: 33 – 2: 39 And can you share your previous experiences on creating research

that involve human participants?
Interviewer 1

2: 41 – 4: 27 Wa pa man jud koy kuan , uhm in my bachelor's, I did uhm I did not
like incorporate like humans jud directly because I only have like
Informant 12 uhm secondary na data and then for my master's pud secondary ra
gihapon akong gigamit. Pero uhm I was involved in one research
previously, pero more on survey man to and then we do not like really
do some interventions with our participants, rather like asking only on
their perceptions, knowledge about uhm their mathematical
experience in the university. But with that, of course, we always
include like informed consent na uhm they can uhm refer to that the
their participation is voluntary, and then they can also withdraw and
all those uhm things written on a on a piece of kanang paper, nga na
unsa ni informed consent. Uhm, normally, we do it in a just way kay
we follow our uhm procedure pud nga ah in the data collection and of
course without any harm from wlay wlay wala mi nag cause ug any
harm in any aspect like emotionally, physically sa mga participants. I
think wla kaayu mi kuan involvement into like naay mga treatments
or interventions that we give to our uhm human participants. More on
survey ang amoang atake.

4: 28 – 4: 37 So to expound more on the ethical parameters, which includes the

voluntary participation, what ethical parameters did you consider in
Interviewer 1 your research?

4: 38 – 4: 42 Uhm unsa ni nga mga parameters?

Informant 12

4: 42 – 4: 45 Like ah the informed consent, the benefit safety.

Interviewer 1

4: 46 – 6: 18 Oh uhm of course we always kanang kuan but normally, I think, we

know na we have these parts on in the uhm informed consent.
Informant 12 However, uhm in in the data collection process, really, we do not
normally follow it nga we explain it one by one because that's the
kuan diba proper way of doing it na you explain uhm that these are
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the benefits that they can get from uhm participating and everything.
Di ba tanan jud na ang mag concern sa ilahang participation. Uhm
what we do normally, kay ihatag ra man ang informed consent. But of
course, we always consider pud that uhm the social unsa ni
demographic background of our participants. Like uhm if they are in
the college nuh or they they really know how to comprehend what
they're reading like in college or post nga unsa ni post-college na
mga participants and that's alright, I think, na we just give these letters
sa atong mga uhm participants. But of course, when you go down in
household levels, we do not expect na everyone knows what they're
reading. So, kinahanglan jud na I explain gud but that would be really
uhm unfair pud na practice kay dili man lagi i-follow ang proper way
of uhm sending or explaining the informed consent.

6:20 – 6: 23 So, how will the potential participants be recruited in your study sir?

Interviewer 1

6: 24 – 6:25 Ang kining sa Dengue?

Informant 12

6:26 – 6: 27 Yes sir

Interviewer 1

6: 28 – 6: 32 Uhm kuan ni kanang unsaon pag select?

Informant 12

6: 32- 6: 33 Yeah

Interviewer 1

6: 33 – 6: 42 Im not like really sure about it kay im uhm assigned for the modeling
aspects on the dengue dengue na mga cases.
Informant 12

6: 43 – 6: 45 Ah how about on your previous studies?

Interviewer 1

6: 45 – 6: 47 Ang katong sa mathematical

Informant 12

6: 46 – 6:48 Like your undergrad that involves survey?

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Interviewer 1

6:50 – 6: 51 Unsa tuh ang question?

Informant 12

6: 51 – 6: 55 How how how will the potential participants be recruited?

Interviewer 1

6: 56 – 8: 10 Ah okay. So, normally, di ba, we start with uhm identifying the target
population and then, after that, we have to determine if uhm the target
Informant 12 population is equivalent to the sample population because sometimes
what we really target nuh kay cannot uhm be included in the uhm
selection of our respondents or our participants. So, after identifying
the sample population, we employ uhm random selection process
nuh,, depends on the situation could be simple, could be stratified in
terms of other uhm stratifying variables. Then, after that, after
identifying uhm by random ah in random uhm way, we send them
some notifications that they were selected randomly and then we
explain to them na what is the purpose of the research and then uhm
who can benefit from the research and then uhmmao natung naay
uhm apil na sa informed consent, ing ana man tuh kay surveyor man
pud tuh.

8:11 – 8: 18 So, what are your measures, sir, with regards to ensuring the safety of
your participants as well as the researchers?
Interviewer 1

8: 20 – 9: 52 I think it's not like really an issue kung mag-survey lang ka because
wala man ju nay safety na kailangan as long as uhm you are in a
Informant 12 comfortable kanang place nuh and then, in there, of course, most uhm
kanang convenient time sa mga participants, okay lang. I think dili
kayo issue ang safety if you are only doing a survey. But, of course, if
you do like like experiment or kanang observational studies that you
give an intervention or treatment sa imong mga participants, naa nay
uhm biggest issue about safety, nuh, including toxicity sa imong
ipanghatag nga treatments or interventions. But for survey, not really
because uhm I think safety in terms of the environment man lang as
long as walay, unsay tawag anang mga probable kanang hazards nuh
nga naa sa imong surroundings. As long as safe lang pud nuh of
course. Normally, ang survey pud I hatag man karon or sa amo sa una,
it wasn't that rampant ang the use of online so, it's like a printed one
and then we ask them one by one ing ana in their classroom or
sometimes kanang ipadaha na lang namo ang questionnaires sa
ilahang dorm or sa ilahang boarding houses. So, uhm I think very safe
raman siya wala may corresponding nga mga probable hazards as
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you've mentioned.

9: 52 – 9:58 So, will any incentives be used to increase the participation or

response rates?
Interviewer 1

9: 59 – 11: 29 No, very against with the, char lang, haha. Personally, I don't like
really take nuh the concept of giving rewards kay of course uhm I'm
Informant 12 a statistician myself and then we always uhm know that giving
incentives could lead to any bias, like measurement bias or response
bias like people may tend to uhm to go to a particular direction of the
answer or answers kay they know that they will uhm be given some
incentives, nuh, ing ana. But yeah, sometimes I think it may work if
the population of interest or the target population of interest is uhm
like some sort of hard to get one nga mga or the topic, for instance,
would be really sensitive kana siguro murag it will work because at
least nuh kanang naa juy mo ingon na ah sge mu join mi kay naa man
diay mi makuha. But for like in this way nga kanang nothing in
particular is a hot issue on the uhm or uhm hot topic in the research
nuh murag di man kinahanglan jud. As I've said, it will create some
bias on the responses, especially measuring uhm especially pud sa
survey because we cannot like, we always depend on the the
responses that they will give. Dili ta maka measure jud like the
actualy ones like numerically.

11: 30 – 11: 34 So, how do you maintain the confidentiality and anonymity of
participants?
Interviewer 1

11: 35- 13: 33 Yes, of course, nuh apil diay na sa informed consent kanang pag
disclose sa mga information. So, normally, uhm we only tend to use
Informant 12 the names on uhm tagging them, na mao na ang respondent name, so
that uhm we can go back to them if ever naay kanang unanswered na
mga questions or items. So, we can do a follow-up. Then, after that,
na ma-follow-up na namo, we normally delete the name columns, the
contact numbers, and then replace them with uhm identification
number, like actually, kuan ra kanang consecutive number ra jud from
1 to the number uhm the last person ing ana ra ang i-consider. And
then, after uhm we process the data and then analyze it uhm in the
publication now, or in writing the manuscript or the paper, we do not
like disclose any any information nuh wala na kay makita na
pangahan and everything, although you will see like socio-
demographic information, sex distribution, age distribution, but you
cannot uhm pin down to a particular person or participant ing ana and
then, we do not normally or we do not share jud the information that
we collected unless kanang uhm it is necessary to do so ing ana. But
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for now, I'm im still like 6 years sa institution and I have not ah im
not taken a lot of research works pud. Pero in my experience, I
kanang kuan did not receive any inquiry on pwede bag mag-share kag
data into something ing- ana ing- ana. Wala pa ko ka experience ing-
ana. But of course uhm, I know that we have to follow protocols nga I
think we have legal officers sa university and we should ask them if
it's possible to share the data that you have collected or not.

13:33 – 13:39 Yes, sir. So, what are your measures, sir, in protecting the data that
you have gathered from your participants?
Interviewer 1

13:40 - 14: 06 Oh, that's a good question kay normally we just store it in a computer
or ing ana ing ana. Yeah, I didn't like really think about it until now.
Informant 12 Yeah, it should be, I think, a good cause nuh na if someone can open
your drive, they can easily open the dataset. Yeah, I think wala jud
nay. But in your research, sir, what is your usual practice?

14:06 – 14:09 But in your research sir, what is your usual practice?

Interviewer 1

14:08 – 14:45 Wala. We just keep it on our drive murag ing ana lang. Wala mi jud
ang unsa ng naa juy encryptions nuh. Maybe next time we need to add
Informant 12 encryptions to the data banks na among na na himo or data, unsa na
repository nga amo na himo. That's really a good question. Karun
pako ka-realize na nuh you should like really add encryptions on uhm
these data nga available online or maybe uhm available in your hard
drives or in your computer so that no one can easily access it, only
you.

14:45 – 14: 48 But who will have access to the study data, sir?

Interviewer 1

14:49 – 15: 33 Ang kuan, normally, of course kami nga mga nag mga ang mga
investigators, but if we have like funding agency, I think they should
Informant 12 also have an access for the dataset ah who else? For instance like if
because we studied like kadtung amoang na-publish na paper on the
experiences, murag learning experiences in mathematics kanang we
also, I think, provide uhm access or not provide but really share uhm
the results to the Department of Mathematics, I think kay ila man tung
mga studyante and then I think mao raman siguro.

15:33 – 15:42 Okay, sir. So, what ah, how relevant it is, sir, to adhere to these
standards during the conduct of the study involving human
Interviewer 1 participants?
 235

15:42 – 16: 08 Very relevant because, first of all, kanang it will protect them from
any uhm problem na mo unsa ni, it's like a written and legal kanang
Informant 12 document to protect them for any possible nga mga issues in the next
coming years or so mga ing anaVery relevant. Pwede ra ing ana?
Hahahaha.

16:09- 16: 18 So, uhm what do you think is or are the hindrances in complying with
the ethical standards given by these international or local ethical
Interviewer 1 guidelines?

16: 09 – 17:43 I think rigorous jud ang process uhm knowing nga, for instance, in the
EMA, the European Medical Association, uhm it's always being unsa
Informant 12 ni mentioned in our clinical trials sa una na. It's not just like an
overnight that you can prepare all the procedure. It will take time nuh,
especially pag-draft pa lang and then, uhm of course, following the
recruitment, kana jud ang recruitment ng pinaka-problemado pud uhm
mao ng hindrance. Ang first, kay I think the time it will take to really
uhm get a structured na uhm procedure. Kana time. Second, kaya
monetary because you also need funds pud. If you're doing it alone,
okay ra ug dato ka. But, of course nuh, for someone like you na
studyante pa, you will require some fund pud. If you can ask for fund.
And then uhm, other researchers actually skip on this part kay they
think na it's a waste of time and then that they don't like really require
it aww they really need it nuh ing ana. I think sa mostly diri sa VSU
kaya di ba wala pay ethical review jud. We we depend on sa sa DOH
bana sa Eastern Visayas.

17:43 – 17:44 EVHRDC.

Interviewer 1

17: 48 – 17: To be honest ang katung among na publish nga kuan wala tuh, wla tuh
53 nag agi ug ethical

Informant 12

17: 53 – 17: Ay ah you mentioned that you have kanang studies sa imong master's
59 sir did it went through an Ethical Research Committee?

Interviewer

18:00 – 18: 21 Wala pud to siya. Secondary data man gud ko pud. Wala pud ko nag-
involve ug human jud generally I'm just counting man sa cases. Uhm
Informant 12 ut I'm sure, I'm pretty much sure kung adtu ka sa gawas, kay naa man
ko sa gawas man ko ni skewela di ba? I think they follow it kung nag-
include jud ka ug human. But for us, wala.
 236

18:21 – 18: 27 For example, sir, if mag-publish ka ug work, naa juy ethical
clearance, is it a requirement jud?
Interviewer 3

18: 28 – 19: If naa juy involvement na mga human, I think uhm or even animals,
05 like naa pud mi bioethics man sa university. But for us lik I did kuan
statistics man jud, Wala koy ethical clearance actually sa kun, master's
Informant 12 or even diri pag kuan I did secondary data, I just used secondary data
both in my undergrad and my master's. So wala pa ko ka wako
kasagugat anang ethical clearance. I also did uhm study with
mathematics nga department pero wala pa mi nag agi, na publish na
siya, pero walay walay walay clearance.

19: 07 – 19: Not really a requirement sir ang ethical and ethical.
09

Interviewer 1

19: 10 – 19: It should be a requirement, pero mura mag real unsay tawag aning,
15 dli ra.

Informant 12

19: 12- 13 For publication?

Interviewer 1

19: 15 - 19:39 O bitaw nuh for publication because other pub uhm publishers or
journals, they don't require it. Unless the the journal is on biomed na
Informant 12 side, I think, because they really require it. But for social science, I
think, dili kaayo siya requirement. In fact, na-publish ang amo a wa
man tuy, wla man mi unsa tuh kanang ethical clearance.

19:40 – 19: 44 So personally, sir, what do you think is the impact of having an
ethically research-cleared paper?
Interviewer 1

19:47 -19: 48 Unsay impact?

Informant 12

19:48 – 19: 49 Yes sir, sa quality sa imong paper.

Interviewer 1

19: 50 – 20:41 First, kay very humane murag kana jud siya and because you follow
the standard nuh and the protocols, uhm ethical protocols. So, ang
Informant 12 impact I think is on, uhm can I say kanang uhm integrity siguro sa
 237

results, diha siguro. At least on both sides, sa researcher ug sa uhm sa

unsa ni mga participants jud na you will build, ang impact kay kuan
integrity of the results

20: 41- 20: 44 Or how about on the side of the university sir? How do you think will
it impact?
Interviewer 3

20: 44 – 22: Ah, dri? Nuh, lagi grabe ang VSU uy ninety-ninth ninety-ninth
02 anniversary na wala pa gihapoy ethical ethical committee. Very
relevant, of course, like, for how many years nuh since it has been
Informant 12 established wala man tay ingon ana. Although uhm others might feel
na uhm there's no need of having an ethical kuan kay we are used to
it. But of course, we need to uhm adopt to changes and follow this
kay why other universities are doing this and kita wala ra, diba and
uhm most especially na kanang we always include, I don't know if
apil ba ang plants, but I think animals and then humans in our uhm
researches diri bisan pag undergraduate na level. So the impact
would be really great nuh of course, as a kick starter sa university, it
would probably uhm unsa ni meet some problem along along the
kuan process pero in the long run, it would be good kay I think it's
one uhm of the many indicators that the university is doing uhm a
really good research kay we follow ethical standards.

22: 04- 22: 11 Uhm in terms of creation of a research ethics committee here in the
institution, what are your views and or perceptions about it, sir?
Interviewer 1

22: 12- 23: 00 Ma happy ko, ma happy ko kay atleast uhm ma correct n apud ang
mga wrongdoings especially for mga researches lagi nga mag-include
Informant 12 ug human or an animals nuh. I hope na dili lang human participation
including pud dapat ang mga animals but I believe kay ang kanang
biotech and biology kay they always seek clearance sa San Carlos I
think ang pinaka duol kay sila ra ang murag naay bioethics pud , ah
dli ko sure sa Eastern Visayas ug asa dri dapit. I will be really happy
na naay ingon ana kay it’s it’s not new actually kanang slow ra jud mu
adopt sa ingon ani na mga changes.

23: 10 – 23: How do you think, the REC creation will help the researchers sir?
13

Interviewer 1

23:13- 23: 14 Sorry?

Informant 12
 238

23: 14 – 23: How, how do you think the REC creation will help the researchers
18

Interviewer 1

23: 20- 23: 39 Mmm, well sila ang mag mag set ug uniform standard so in that way
maka follow sila ug what are the proper kuan jud procedure in
Informant 12 conducting researchers researches involving human, ana siguro.

Informant 13

0:27- 0:33 So, how do you define ethical research sir, for you?

Interviewer 1

0:34- 11:20 Well, ahh, well, well research is ethical if you’re actually doing it for
the purpose of uhmm improving what is uhhm, what is the current
Informant 13 datus or what is the current situation. I always say this nuh, we do
research because we wanted to improve something in our society and
for as long as that is the main anchor of what you do , whether this is
in agriculture, whether this is in in environmental science, whether
this is in social science or whether in nursing if your intent is really
to improve let’s say, uhm improve the lives of the people who would
you like to help because of the new varieties that you’re developing,
if you wanted to let’s say improve current uhmm practices in
nursing profession, if you wanted to in our case devcom if you
wanted to promote a particular technology that you think would be
beneficial to the farmers and fisherfolks, uhmm and I ehh think we
do research because diba nuhh, essentially we do research because of
that but at some point nuh auhm there are ethical ethical
considerations that we have to take into because even if even if we
believe that let’s say even if we believe that ahh a particular research
is beneficial to a set of people, there are uhm there are possible
consequences pertaining experience out of the research that you’re
doing uhm especially ahh I im looking at let’s say example uhmm
in the case of biotechnology for instance it’s a very very polarized
issue that you have scientists and agriculturists who actually saying
that uhmm for us to be able to increase agricultural productivity, you
need to uhmm you need to use modern scientific ahh mechanisms
like that of biotech and there’s nothing wrong with that because they
intend is really to increase agricultural productivity knowing that we
want that our population is growing but of course you have
environmental envrironmentalists who would actually oppose it
because it’s not a natural way of breeding nuh uhmm uhmm
although uhmm biotech people would not want to use the word
genetically modified organisms because that has been demonized so
 239

much nuhh but then uhhm but then first environmentlists they
also have they also have some reasons why they they woud not
want that because in the end of the day uhhm there many fears
about it na it may actually cause for us to develop super weeds isa
yan pupwedeng it may actually a lead to ecological imbalance
because it’s unnatural nuh, uhmm I I I’ve read somewhere before na
uhm GMOs can be con can be Frankenfood nuhh, from the word
Frankenstein uhhmm and it may actually have health implications in
the future but of course scientists agricultural scientist are already
assured of this knowing that they need to go through regulations
stringent regulations before a particular product gets to be introduced
in the market like in the case of bt corn as far as I know it took them
more than a decade to be able to test it in the field uhm get approval
from the regulation bodies in the same manner golden rice went
through that nuh along with bt talong because I can only recall 3 3
biotech GMO products uhm agriproducts that have been approved
nuh, uhm that’s biotech talong and uhm bt corn and then of course
golden rice which we brought last week about it being promoted by
Philrice right now because it’s in terms of nutrional value it’s really
very good nuh uhm in fact uhmm im not sure if I got the data right
1 cup of golden rice is equivalent to I think consuming around 15-20
cups of your kangkong that’s how nutritious it but it’s not it’s not it’s
not a product that was breed naturally just like how it’s done before.
It's eh eh it has been fortified with with with micronutrients that are
essentially lacking for filipinos right now nuh especially for pregnant
women and and and children and uhmm in that particular example
for instance you’ll see how ethics nuh is very important nuh maybe
later on I’ll be explaining that on on ah apply to social sciences to
which you are going to appreciate more but in the case of technical
sciences that’s how it goes nuh uhm in the development of these
knowing that these are uhm ahh scientifically bred not necessarily
bred the way they used to to have it cult to have it uhm before nuh
their questions as as to ahh uhm whether not this is this is actually
uhm safe for uhm human consumption, the first place and this is
where probably your environmentalist are actually uhm anchoring
their fears nuh na for instance because it’s it’s unnatural it may
actually become a dominant species that may cause ecological
imbalance and then at the same time, so how do you how do you put
the balance in that, that’s the reason why uhm ethics is is really be
because any research as far as I know the purpose is really to
improve what we had in society right now, well then fortunately
uhm in our intent change things , there may actually be consequences
for it, if we don’t necessarily become vigilant from how things are
done. Im not against biotech in fact I I I support some of some of the
uhm what do you call this some of their ah some of the products that
they’re pushing for including golden rice but there’s also a need for
 240

us to reflect on to be vigilant about it , thereby, thereby, any research

nuh whether technical or social sciences you need to actually imply
ethics nuh you you need to be able to kanang outline aww you
need to be able to emphasize uhm what are ethical considerations,
let’s say in the development and deployment of a particular food
product nuh knowing that this is not naturally grown as what we’ve
used to nuh. Now e e if we’re going to apply it let’s say in social
sciences uhm yun food yun derek pupwede bang I ingest those
certain questions to technical sciences nuh nuh, if we go to social
sciences for instance if you’re if you’re studying let’s say an ethnic
community , how do you how do you ensure that you get to protect
because you’ve some some ethnographers or some some
ethnographers only go to the field nuh and gather so much data from
them and knowing that this minority group or indigenous people
have uhm have actually kept those uhm traditions and sometimes
they don’t even have working documents on that eh they passed it
via via oral traditions time and someone gets to document it and then
put it onto writing who has ownership of that? And then will it not
actually cause uhm will will it not have problems when it comes to
proprietary uhm propriate tiery and oh ownership who owns that
particular story in the first place, will there be consequences to let’s
say uhm for the indigenous people let’s say if you uncover some uhm
strange practices that they do and then you put it to a book and make
it public, will that not actually put a harm on their group nuh so when
you apply it in social sciences, these are things that you need to
actually to look into and then ohh okay now uhm let’s say if you’re
ano let’s apply it another way let’s say if you’re doing a an impact
assessment of let’s say of a particular development project being
done by this particular organization and then uhm you being able to
ano work with human subjects of course you’re gonna be able to
document both the positive and the negative. Now, if let’s say the
funding agency is government and you know how how fickle minded
government people are, what if you get to , you get to actually
document let’s say more about the negative impacts of a particular
development project and then the government decides to pull it out
because of because of them getting of it rid of what you found out,
so, these are ethical considerations nuh uhmm that a researcher
must be able to must be able to uhm reflect on nuh in in in doing
any any form of research and this applies both to technical science
and human sciences nuh , uhm and and I believe that uhm as a
university we should actually clearly laid that out nuh uhm we
should be able to come up with mechanisms in which we get to to
anchor whatever research activities that we’re going to do into into
what we believe is ethical , thereby, uhm policy should actually be
put in place to clearly ahh to clearly put that in paper nuh.
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11:23- 11:28 Okay, that you for that sir, so basically about its social implications

Interviewer 1

11:29 hmmm

Informant 13

11:29- 11:55 And sometimes it really it depends on what field are you going to
like apply those ethics. So, sir may we ask if if it is ok for you to
Interviewer 1 share your previous experiences on your conduct on your studies that
involved human participants and can you also share to us sir if what
area is the concern of your study

11:56-20:58 Uhmm I did my dissertation in Davao city ahh its nuh it took 5 years
to be able to develop my dissertation. It’s also on biotech nuh, it’s
Informant 13 even here, the title of the paper ahh Communication and Optic
Pathways in the Adaptation of a Corn Variety with a Perceived
Herbicide tolerance in Mindanao, Philippines it took me 5 years to
be able to ano, 3 years of data gathering nuh in in several ahh
communities of ano before the pandemic several uhm upland
communities which also includes indigenous people. I graduated in
Jaa July 20 no in August 2021 but I haven’t published it yet. The
reason for that being is uhm one of the many things that I have
uncovered in that particular in that particular research is the presence
of a supposed, alleged alleged crack biotech corn nuh bt corn kasi
yung Bt. Corn supposed to be the Bt. Corn that they first developed
there are 3 types of Bt. Corn that were developed before I hope that
you will be able to to uhm to understand where im coming from here
nuh knowing that medjo technical siya. There are 3 types of Bt.
Corns that were developed already and are already being used for
commercialization. Number 1 yung pinaka una is yung Bacillus
thuringiensis or Bt. Kaya yang tinawag siyang corn or although BT
right now means biotech. a type of bacteria that you get from the soil
nuh and this Bacillus thuringiensisis uhm ano siya eh uhm when
con ingested when ingested by by a certain ah what do you call this
certain kind corn borer a certain kind of pest in corn, when they get
to ingest that they die okay so for humans uhm of for humans its it’s
a different case, safe daw ang Bacillus thuringiensisis na corn nuh
kasi they’re saying na the toxins that are released when you get to
ingest uhm Bt. Nuh uhm is not something that is harmful to human
beings but it’s harmful to a pest. nuh a particular pest that has been
prevalent in in in corn production and that that’s that happens to be
the corn borers nuh so that’s the first bt the bt corn ah that’s the first
kind of variety of bt. Corn. Now, uhm na fixed na man na siya nuh
naay girelease pud na another kind another variety of Bt. Corn called
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herbicide tolerant , ito yung ito yung nakita ng paper ko. Herbicide
tolerant corn siya meaning to say kasi one of the key problems in
planting corn really is weeds nuh, mag tanon ka ug corn bali uhmm
mutubo gyud ang weeds ana from time to time then it competes with
with ah the growth of the corn plant nuh, karun for small scale
farmers uhm lisud na siya because in the end of the day uhm mag
guna na gani ka dri sa sugod sa pikas wa paka na human sa kanang
pot lang mao pa lang pagka human nimo sa pikas nagsugod ka sa
pikas mutubo na pud ang pikas because that’s how weeds are are are
are kanang they grow persistently . So weeds are really a perennial
problem nuh in in corn plantations but not just and also ang ang I
know before ang practice before is to actually apply herbicides nuh
but there’s this kind of corn nuh na bisag ka kanang gid ala pud na
biotech corn nga bisan pag ma srayhan pa nimo ma kay herbicide
gani any plant will actually die out of it, correct diba? So, there’s this
kind of corn called herbicide tolerant nga bisan sprayhan nan io ug
herbicide di siya mamatay ang mamatay ang weeds, okay? And the
reason for ah and I get the point of developing that kind of ano
because it addresses a particular problem in the field nuh ang weeds
gyud kontra baya sa corn farmers and then if you’re a small-scale
farmer mahurot ang imong time sge kag sge kag welding nuh wla na
wla nakay laing matrabaho while if you have ano a kaning ah a
herbicide tolerant na kind of kanang corn nuh mag spray lang ka
mamatay man ang mabuhi ra is kadtu rang imohang corn plant
because it’s definitely herbicide tolerant nuh and uhm that was also
been commercialized in the Philippines already but of course if
you’re gonna look at it uhm environmentalists would claim na ah
that’s very ano that’s very ahh that’s very dangerous because if
you’re going to look at it, why is it that that particular plant doesn’t
actually get to be killed with with with that herbicide while the other
weeds the natural weeds gets to get killed, purpose is you have to
understand that it went through regulations we’re not just In the
Philippines who’s using that because it addresses a particular
problem in the in the community in the field nuh and then yun nga
uhm it has been used by uhm with with the help of uhm ano kasi
approve na man siya for for for use and as far as I know yung
ginamitan talga nila nung herbicide tolerance na kind of crop is yung
ginagamit na klase ng corn for feeds nuh so hindi na man siya
directly ingested by human beings nuh so inaprove siya sa
Philippines nuh and then uhm by the company’s came in to the
picture they’re the once who is actually selling this kind of kanang
this kind of what do you call this uhm this kind of crop nuh and uhm
ang ano niyan is F1 dapat yan, pag sinabing F1 isang beses mo lang
yan kapag ano kasi nga isang beses mo lang pupwedeng itanim diba,
ang iba kasi, diba pag usual natin sa farmers diba, diba nay F1 like
ako I tanom unya pagka human magkuha ko pang binhi nako then I
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tanom balik diba mao na siya, but most biotech crops are F1 meaning
to say dli nana siya produce ug ano imo na siya anohon ug balik ang
iya herbicide tolerance would no longer work and then pagkahuman
di pud na siya maka produce ug kanang yield okay, so F1 ang
thinking anang ang herbicide tolerant nga kanang ano and then
eventually useful jud siya kay aside from naa gani combined pud na
Bt. Ano siya bt. resistant kadtung Bacillus thuringiensisis so corn
borer resistant siya nga klase nga corn and at the same time herbicide
tolerant mao ng gitawag nila nga combo nuh and it’s being sold it’s
being sold commercially right now and it’s approved for use in in
ano now uhm but most of the people who gets to access it are the
ones have means nuh kay means meaning resources kasi mahal
mahal if ever you’re going to buy that kind of crop medjo mahal siya
nuh. Now, ahh ang ang ang ako nakit an is there were regulations
mao gani na ang ang usa nila ka kuan atuh is safe bana, kay kana
siya para mana sa mga corn plantations and then para man pud na
siya sa kanang feed production okay kay diba kabantay mo we need
to actually increase of our agricultural production because we use it
not just for our food but for food of of for feeds the livestock that we
we we need to grow to be able to have your regular chicken your
regular uhmm baboy nuh, that’s what they use. Now, karun sge feed
production man in their of course in fairness it went through a
scientific a rigorous scientific process. Now, you may ask, sir
Maganda yung paper mo kasi ganito, bakit hindi ko pa siya
pinapublished? Later on I will tell you, kasi im still having a
dilemma about the ethical ethical considerations on it. Now, let’s go
back to ano, karun uhm this particular dissertation documented nuh
kasi, supposed to be dapat nga F1 lang gyud ang imohang biotech
corn diba. Well, F1 ra jud na siya dapat tapos at the same time ang
kinakain kasi sa Mindanao and Visayas ambot kung gabugas bamo
ug corn , diba naa manay

20:58- 20:59 Kami sir ka try nami before

Interviewer 1

20:59 – 21:02 Puti nga ano dli man yellow ang gamiton ana diba, puti man

Informant 13

21:03- 21:04 Murag yellow man tuh sir

Interviewer 1

21:04- 21:14 Puti, puti dli siya kanang yellow kaya ang yellow is sweet corn para
na siya feeds and kadtung feed for kanang ano for bugason is
Informant
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21:14- 21: 15 Yellow corn diba tuh sir

Interviewer 1

21:15- 21:52 White, white, white. Wa may na develop so far na white corn na
variety na bt. corn usually Bt. gani yellow jud na. Kanang sweet corn
Informant 13 Ninyo Bt. na okay? Karun ahh mao lagi tuh siya so mao mana siya
ang akoang ano kay uhm mmaayu untag product na siya it’s
supposed to increase agricultural productivity but what I found that
when I actually went to the field this bat uhm ahh, using traditional
kay you know farmers they’re not they’re not stupid nuh and they’re
doing that kind of

21:52- 21:55 Can I ask sir if diba sir ni ingon ka ganiha ethnical communities?

Interviewer 1

21:55- 21:56 Oo

Informant 13

21:56- 21:59 Aww, unsa sir na like murag kuan, unsa na

Interviewer 1

21:59- 31:34 Mga ethnic groups? Mga ethnic groups, nakalimot ko uhmm, naa
mani siya dri sa akoang ano, basta ethnic groups in Mindanao. Karun
Informant 13 here’s the thing, my dissertation found out na a group of ethnic
people saw yung planting nung nung nung ano nga nung Bt. na
herbicide tolerant , they understood na wait laing that’s very useful
kasi at some point it addresses the problem of weeds that we get to
face everyday and you know you have to understand na ang mga
ethnic people ano na sila ha kanang uhmm kanang small scale
farmers rana sila, so their the ones who actually clean the land so
kanang kanang lang mag tanggal lang weeds bitaw sa ilahang things
that they need to do will will allow them to do quite a lot of things in
the farm so when they saw this particular technology as documented
by my dissertation they were amazed kaya lang ila thinking is mahal
man siya dli man namo ma access kay pobre baya mi ing ani kay
indigenous people, but they they understood how a corn is bred nuh,
so what they did was as as documented by the dissertation was using
traditional breeding method kaning I tapad bitaw kay ang hangin
bitaw ang kana bitawng corn kay ano mana siya mo mo mao bitaw
ng corn usahay kung naa sa border bitaw imong ano lain lain ug
color naa may ing ana nga different colors of corn kay iyang cubs
bitaw kay ang cubs niya lain2 siya ug color, nuh. Ang ila gi buhat,
kahibawo man sila gud nga cross pollinated man gud ang kaning
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corns and mu hangin kanang gikan dri sa ano so nag call sila ug
sample of the the the herbicide tolerant because that’s the
characteristics that they like but in the end of the day it’s expensive
for them, nuh. So, gi tapad nila with the native corn nga kadtung
white kanang bugason then at the same time pag tapad ana nila
siyempre gi breed nuh so, ni cross pollinate siya, ni tabok ang gikan
sa Bt. padung ngadtu sa white corn nimo nga imong bugason, then,
tinuod man pag ano nila ang documentation nako saidnga ang first
nilang cubs na nakuha are combination of white and yellow.
Meaning to say, ing ana na siya so, so ila thinking “okay , we’re
gonna plant this” ang gi kuan nila is kadtung puti kay cross cross
pollinated na man na siya, so traditional breeding techniques mana of
farmers . So gitanom nila ang puti, gisulayan nila ug spray and
infairness herbicide tolerant na pud siya pero there’s a reduce amount
of kanang reduce amount of uhm herbicide of their ano, pero ang
ang ang ano ana ang danger ani is number 1 ha danger ani is number
1 the white corn is directly ingested by human beings im not saying
na ano ha im not saying na dli na siya safe because im not the person
to do that it should be someone from biotech who should actually
looking those ano kasi what they kaya nga ang alam namin is per
seed eh ang tawag nga nami diyan sa dissertation ko crack variety,
kasi they have , they have a termed for it na ano na kay gi pasa pasa
na man by kanang farmers kay pag pag pag ano nila by pag sang gi
bali ni kuha sila gi tanom ug gi spray han ni work man so gi tanom
nila balik kay maka ano, mao na gi tawag nila ana sge sge na, sge
spray sge tanom okay, so they called the corn white corn na sge sge
nuh, so that kind of native corn nuh so na mix nila nuh pag mix nila
bali karun kay pwede na man lagi ka mag tanom ug dinaghan kay
wla na may problema ang weeds kay ang ila ganing gi ingon dri kay
kanang pwede nako matulog sir mu balik rako sa akoang corn farm
kung ting ano na na kay atleast sprayhan ra man gud nimo compared
sa kanang mag sge ka ug puyo didto sge kag sge kag pangpanang got
murag ing ana ba so ang nahitabo was uhmm ang kaning DA sa
taclo aww DA sa Davao City they think that what there people are
actually cultivating are the regular native corn pero dli na. Pero ang
ako problema ani is you spray it , you you do not know how, kasi di
siya scientifically ano eh uhm you spray it you ano uhm there many
many ano the same time who would actually think na mamama
crack nila yung yung yung ano ng genetic genetic characteristics
nung pagka nung nung regular na herbicide tolerant crop. So, now
you may ask, sir ang ganda ng findings mo kaya lang kasi pinasa
pasa na nila from different provinces and some people market it as
native corn but it’s not nuh it’s the the the crack ano na kasi kaya na
nga nilang, eh tinuod man nisaka ila income makapalit na silag
makapalit na silag kanang motor, di gud ing ana ka kuan
monumental ang iya increase pero there are accounts of them telling
 246

me na nag improve ilang kinabuhi compared sa una nga ako kung

corn farmer ko tapos native ko kinahanglanon ko mag puyo sa akong
ano unya dugay pa jud na mu anow la koy laing mabuhat while kung
sa una (karun) ako rang biya an, balikon ra na nako I can do other
things diba plus ni karun maka expand nako ug kanang akoang corn
farm kun gpwede ko manghulam sa yuta sa akong iya an, tam nan
lang nako unya sa opan nako, ing ana bah so daghan siyag benefits
pud for them but the thing here is that’s an unregulated kind of crop
nobody even kanang ano now, why am I not publishing it, okay sge
next question for that why am I not publishing it because in the end
of the day if this gets published ang ang ako fear is tingalig unya
mag create ug mga policies, policies ang government that will stop
them from cultivating it and one particular farmer nga indigenous I
still remember his face, he told me sir why are you concerned about
what we’re planting, sayop amo gi buhat? Uhmm kung ano di, ako ni
prangka ko, ko nga actually there’s there’s so many ano I wanted an
expert to be able to look at it, kasi we’re not sure if this is really safe
and then you’re selling it even and then you’re you’re cooking as,
you’re cooking it as food nga so , ana siya pero sir kay imo baya
huna huna an sir bah tinuod mana na kasabot man ko nga posible nga
naa ni long term effect sa amo a pero unsaon mana namo ang long
term effects kung mamatay mi today because wla mi kan on,
because this particular product allowed us to expand enough scale
our farms, So ako ayy now in the dilemma of whether or not im
going to publish this because it would stir the community and that’s
the reason why im still not publishing it because ah aside from the
fact imong ano kay naa nakatawa gani ko kay naa koy paper nga
nabasahan bag o lang nga naa kuno silay na discover na mga native
varieties of corn that are naturally herbicide tolerant nag sge ko ug
katawa kay mi ingon ko actually dli na siya naturally herbicide
tolerant mao na ila gi crack na ila ng gi pasa pasa from one province
to the other, so that’s an example of what are the ethical implications
of the research that you’re doing in my case fro from the technical
filed nuh, in the in the ano kasi they’re the once who actually
introduced this particular kind of technology in the first place eh they
never even kanang they never even look at it from a perspective na
posibleng gamitin ng farmers kasi in the end of the day diba uhm ah
it solves a particular problem that they have, now as a social
scientist who was able to document it ah I also have I also have a
responsibility with my human subject because if ever if ever this gets
published it may it may allow me to get uhm citation counts and and
so many ano awards probably but then what will happen to them
because you know how how how reactive not proactive ha how
reactive our government would be diba? And ing ana oh I cut na siya
don’t eat it, what will happen to them? Diba? That’s why if ever gani
nga mubasa ko ani na manuscript ang ako jud mahinumduman is the
 247

kid that wo that the kid na that was in front of me nga bitbit sa iyang
nanay when one particular kaning indigenous person told me na sir
unsa may among buhaton if ever gani na I gawas na nimo, that’s why
ako pung gi pa prohibit ang publication ani usa even gani ang access
sa UPLB, so that was an example of why ethics matter, okay and I
hope na kanang ano ang I hope that you’re learning from it , okay at
the end of the day im also sharing some privilege information to you
as to how I experience it first hand, diba?

31:35- 31:36 I have a question sir?

Interviewer 2

31:36 uhm

Informant 13

31:36- 31:48 Ah, just like a curious question, did you supply the information about
the ah kanang Bt. corn or sila lang from other sources tuh nila
Interviewer 1 nahibaw sir an nga naay ingon ani nga

31:48- 31:52 Well, ahh kahibawo sila daan, kay they’re already cultivating it

Informant 13

31:53 For years na?

Interviewer 2

31:54- 32:52 For how many years, so one one thing that you should do as a
researcher is when to actually kanang introduce something new to
Informant 13 them eh nuh ahh ahh I was just the the original the original
manuscript that I was supposed to do was to evaluate evaluate the
impact of using an agribiotech in improving the agricultural
productivity in the people but then I tweak my paper into this now
because I saw wait lang hindi hindi hindi yun gusto kung sulatin nun
gusto kung sulatin is yung problema nila on the field but this is what
they’re doing right now so from an original impact assessment
research nuh kasi sometimes when you go to ano ang assumption
lang nimo okay nag apply nana silag particular technology so ang
ako na lang tan awan kung unsa ang mga benefits nga ilang nakuha
on that, I could have done that, but at the end of the day pagka
hibawo nako nga wait lang there’s an anomaly here, this is what I
wanted to focus on.

32:52 – 32:56 So, how did you sir introduce man that corn to them
 248

Interviewer 1

32:56 – 32:29 Not necessarily, I did not introduce anything for them

Informant 13

33:00 They develop it

Interviewer 2

33:01- 33: 03 They develop baya and able to do it their own

Informant 13

33:04 So,kaning.

Interviewer 1

33:04 – 33:14 I just documented how they develop it, how they pass it and what
were the benefits of it, of it for them right now
Informant 13

33:15 – 33:26 In establishing sir your paper like in the initial the initial steps, like
what what ethical parameters sir did you include.
Interviewer 1

33:27 -33:31 Well, number one UPLB was very very clear about ethical practices

Informant 13

33:31: 33:33 Aww so you reviewed this paper to

Interviewer 1

33:34- 34: 01 Hindi. First, merong meron kaming mga ethical uhm ah what you
call this documents that you need to have, that we need to to
Informant 13 accomplish lahat ng informants ko, aside from informed consent, I
also told them na yung confidentiality of their ano kasi transcripts ito
eh if you’re gonna look at it, sge ha, ipakita ko sa inyo para nagkaka
intindihan tayo, I hope im helping you ha.

34:01- 34:04 Yes, sir we get it, we understand

Interviewer 2

34:11- 35:39 Madami kasi tuh that trinace ko kasi from how it was passed from
 249

Informant 13 one farmer to the other, so may tracing siya of how it was passed
from one farmer to the other kung gi unsa like uhmm trader
dependent adoption flow, yung adoption flow papano nila inadopt
tapos at the same time ito yung mga transcripts nung nung ano nila
nuh but then what im actually trying to tell you here is simple nuh
uhm merong ahh policy and UPLB on that that you need to actually
make sure that you have human informed consent you need to make
sure that yung confidentiality ng informants mo should actually be
there I still keep all my uhm transcriptions on it including all the
recordings so that I can go back to them from time to time and then
when im already ready to publish it, hopefully I’ll be able to to
publish it soon nuh but then nandon parin ako sa dilemma nung
whether or not im going to publish it knowing the possible
implications that may happen to them kasi totoo anng sinabi nung
isang ano eh indigenous person eh kung ah sir unsaon mana na ang
long term effects kung wla mi gi kaon karun and this has been
beneficial for us na nuh, and we’re not even dependent to we’re not
even dependent to let’s say uhm private companies who supplied this
kind of corn we produce it ourselves , so you you get my point?

35: 39 Yes sir

Interviewers

35:40: 35:58 So, uhm ako nuh and I think that’s very very classic example what
ethics is all about and that’s the reason also why I’m hesitant to
Informant 13 publish that, although I know that this will actually steer quite a lot
of uhm issues

36:01 36;04 So, this is a focused group discussion, sir?

Interviewer 1

36:04- 36:34 Interviews, naa siyay un unstructured interviews, focused group, then
naa pud koy survey, komplete na siya, I’ve dealt with, I think for
Informant 13 human subjects, interviews is about a hundred people and then ah in
that interviews for 100 people that that’s why it took me 5 years nuh
then I surveyed around 350 farmers tapos may focus group
discussions din ako with uhm 10 groups with 15 participants each

36:35- 36:37 Pero, no incentives po?

Interviewer 1

36:37- 37:17 Yes, and then if you notice ang photos ang ang ila pictures are
blurred, ok because that’s part of the ethical considerations that you
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Informant 13 have looked into and look at look at the label for ano uhm ito ito for
instance knowing na ako ay nag dedecide na ipa publish ko ba siya
or hindi ito uhm, Thesis can be accessed only with consultation with
author, thesis can be made available to the general public, yes, thesis
can be accessed only consultation with author ako panang gi
blangkuhan because that’s also part of of us protecting the the ones
that I interview

37:20: 37:32 So, what do you think sir are the hindrances when when dealing with
human subjects and how were you able to like resolve the ethical
Interviewer 1 dilemmas in your experience sir?

37:32:39:40 Depende kasi sa researcher yan eh, kung researcher ang gusto niya
lang eh wla na man siyang paki alam kung ang gusto niya lang maka
Informant 13 pag publish nuh na kung gusto lang talaga ng isang researcher na
mapublish, ang tagal ko na dapat ni labas to , eh ang problema ko
kasi sa totoo lang, what will be the implications of ano what will ah
ako kasi personally speaking when you talk about ethics ang it’s
something personal eh to the researcher, it’s something personal to
the researcher they can actually come up with document rin na I did
this I did that kana bang daghan kaayu kag gi buhat unya kunuhay
nga pdocumentations of how you ano na base with ethical standards
pero at the end of the day ako per personally speaking more than the
processing of documents and regal work nuh needed for you to
consider one particular research as ethical it’s more personal as to the
ah ah as to the the the point of view of the researcher who’s doing it,
kasi like what they said if my intent is really to to make myself
kanang ano like ah I know to this can be published but this is very
publishable but at the end of the day you need to actually look into
how will this impact to people that I that I tried to help I tried to get
data from. So at the same time uhm at the same time, thinking na ang
thinking lang nako gyud nuh was delay it in a way na delay it muna
while im still not sure on whether or not uhm what will be the what
will be the potential implication of the paper in the first place. So ako
personally speaking when you talk about ethics, it’s a personal a
personal thing to the researcher himself or herself

39: 41- 39:46 Thank you, sir. May we ask sir if what ethical committee did your
research undergo
Interviewer 1

39:47 – 39:53 Sa UP merong uhm merong sa university meron din sa graduate

school. Now kasi, UPLB pag may dissertation ka
Informant 13
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39: 53- 39:55 Kani sir, UPLB graduate school?

Interviewer 1

39:55- 39: 56 Oo yes, UPLB graduate school

Informant 13

39:56- 39:58 So, you had an ethical clearance from UPLB sir?

Interviewer 3

39:58 - 40:04 Yes, definitely you cannot actually go the field without getting that
nuh, and your uhm
Informant 13

40:04- 40:09 What were the ethical parameters sir you’ve included in your in your

Interviewer 2

40:09- 40:10 When you say ethical parameters what do you mean?

Informant 13

40: 11 – 40:23 Like the risk, benefit. Like the UP had a list then you just complied
their sir
Interviewer 2

40:23 – 41:02 Complied, basically I complied only for ano pero sa totoo lang uhm
sa totoo lang yun nga eh paperwork can actually make you appear
Informant 13 that you’ve complied with everything but at the end of the day what
you do in the field is between you and your informants, nuh. Ah,
what you do in the field is something, and ah I think nuh as a social
science researcher when you do when you do research, you establish
rapport in the trust of your kaning informants kasi talaga, na , and
that’s very important for them to tell you their narratives their stories

41:02- 41: 07 Did you, did you inform them sir nga about the benefits, about the
risks
Interviewer 1

41:07- 43:50 Ay and that’s the reason why I actually accounted for ano because
one particular indigenous person was very concerned, sir why are
Informant 13 you very in this? Why do you want us to map this, who got it from
 252

where and ano why are you interested in this sige sige na ano nga
variety. Ingon ko na, I was not supposed to tell them about it, but I
then I ended up telling them because I wanted not just to establish
trust but at the end of the day tell them that this is what I’m
interested in ,ingko ako jud gi ingnan sila nga kanang kanang bai ing
ani man gud uhm we’re not actually sure of whether or not as to the
safety of what you’re getting right now , what you’re knowing that
you’re you’re currently ingesting it this particular crop but derivative
crop that you have tried to develop and now cultivate is something
that is not going through proper kanang ano bitaw bah proper
regulations from government and im afraid of what may happen to
you and your children kay it may have, you don’t know eh it may
have ano like for instance maling move niyo about uhm the amount
of herbicide that you ano posibling may health implications yan sa
ano kasi kinakain eh, gets niyo and then nobody even taught you of
how many times are you only allowed to spray , so kasi these are
things that you have just identified on your own, practice trial and
error lang , so at the end of the day sabi ko ok uhm yu yun nga ah ah
yun ang sagot niya sa akin sabi niya sir tinuod lang sa una bukid man
gyud ni kay ay ah tinuod lang piso na lang jud ang pamasahe langit
na ang ako mga areas kanang ing ana siya kalayo nga from Davao
city main ah Davao city nga mismo mu travel ko ug mga 3 to 3 ½
hours going to the community nuh , bukid na yud siya piso na lang
jud langit na kay ano gyud kanang skylab jud ko mu sakay kana
bitawng just to go to the communities that I went thru and he told me
nga their their lives are better because of sige sige and at some point
mura kog na concern ana ko na kung wait lang what if na na ma ma
ma ma ano mo ani ma unsa tawag ani ma posion mu ani because of
it they they don’t care because in the end of the day their earning

43:51 – 44:02 Sir, would it be okay if I clarify you about this na if, you told us
ganiha na you you you’re not supposed to tell them you’re not
Interviewer 1 supposed to inform them , nganu man sir?

44:03- 44:44 I had to because ah again in the end of the day I I I had to tell them
kasi that’s that’s really part of ah ako kasi as a social science
Informant 13 researcher transparency is really very important,nuh, transparency is
very important to the human subjects that you’re dealing with , nuh,
uhm and I said I said to them ko nga ah I could have just not actually
tell them about it but at my at my point of view ako jud silang gi
sultian because I know nga what they’re currently using is
problematic ingko nga ako kung parehas lang

44:44- 44:51 Kung kuan sir, before you even conducted the study na kuan na
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Interviewer 1 sturya na nimo sa ila sir na naay

44:52- 45: 00 Dli, kay diha ra man na nako nahibaw an na mao ng ilang gina
tanom, wla man may nag tanom sa kadtung kadtung commercial
Informant 13

45:01- 45:03 They were like the pioneer of making the crop crack version sir?

Interviewer 3

45: 03- 45:11 No, not necessarily, na pasa na siya. Wla na, ano na na kasabot na sa
tanan
Informant 13

45:12- 45:15 Aww. So wla jud trace sir kinsay pioneer sa crack na version

Interviewer 3

45:15- 45:33 Wla, pero what I can actually what can what what my my
dissertation can provide is how they actually passed it on from one
Informant 13 person to the other, where did they get it , who was their source ing
ana bah, how did they develop it.

45: 34- 45: 44 Okay sir, so for the last question sir what are your views and
perceptions about creating a research ethics committee here in VSU
Interviewer 1

45:44- 49:29 It’s needed nuh, it’s very much needed but ang ako a lang concern
ana for for kuan lang ha kasi the problem with us nuh the problem
Informant 13 with us is we create layers and layers and layers of bureaucracy nuh
to the extent they don’t even know na like for instance sge uhm wa
man koy problema because in the end of the day nuh at the end of the
day ethics is really very important, imagine imagine someone else
working on my dissertation right now they could have not considered
the possible implications to to the the communities that they went
thru diba, and just published it because I wanted to get published ang
get get this particular uhm what do you call this get this citation rate
and credits to all like ing ana. So, ano ang ang ako ako lang nko ano
ani becaue in the end of the day ang ako man gud ning journalistic na
background nuh when I I was able to to trace it, pero ang problema
man gud is sometimes nuh kana bitanwg ilang gi ingon nga ethical
ano at some point for me it’s just a compilation of paperwork it it
appears to be that way nuh for me rather than rather than uhm eh it’s
just a pile of paperwork rather than making sure let’s say nuh ako ha
if im gonna ano there’s a need for us to come up with a committee
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but at the end of the day one particular professor from De La Salle
contacted me, D****, how were you doing your thesis in ano diba
one is to one ang VSU, ingko nga oo, dumadaan sa ethics committee
niyo? Kasi pinapadaan na dito ngayon eh and right now group nan
ga yung thesis nila ha kasi in in one particular thesis apat yan sila,
tatlo, or lima ay sa nursing kasi ganyan ang practice niyo sa VSU
before due came in talaga namang ano uhm individual ang thesis so
ano, sa DEVCOM individual bana ang amoang thesis , so after na,
aside from the committee naa pa gyud mu review nga ethics
committee so in other words in this committee is only composed of
how many people? 5? And they will be reviewing let’s say mga
1000 thesis? Will they be able to finish that? And you you can only
goto the field before ang befo ah ah only after you get their approval
in the first place , so for me it adds like an an additional layer of a
big layer of uhm a big layer of bureaucracy that at some point the
intent is clear nuh that they wanted to ano but at the end of the day
it’s added an added layer in which in which it becomes uhm
something that that that will limit limit uhm the students kay number
one, time ,kay magbuhat paka sa ing ani tapos dugay pa gyud na sila
maka approve mag sge mog … (inaudible sound) , aside from your
committee na supposed to be dapat imong mga committee members
are already informed of ethical considerations what im actually
trying to propose here is aside from boring as all with paperworks
nuh, how about all, all students will actually be going through thesis
should actually be be ano subjected to a particular one day lecture I
required kuno about ethics and of course given na dapat na yung
faculty members, lahat yan gawaan ng ganon rather than come up
with a committee who actually makes a decision and review
everything, gets niyo?

49:29 Yes sir.

Interviewers

49:40- 54:36 Uhm rather than kanang someone come up with a committee and
then pagkahuman kung approve na sa imohang college isaka pa didto
Informant 13 sa ethical ano tuo kang mubasa sad sila tanan, you get the point?
You’re wasting time so my take is simple nuh come , the that ethical
committee is important nuh pero dapat ang ginasaka didto are the
ones that are flagged nuh only by their respective kanang uhm
panels , like for instance if the panel in DEVCOM sees, nga uyy,
parang may mga ethical ethical considerations that has to be ano on
these I re red flag ko saka ko I aakyat sa taas hindi dapat lahat I
aakyat mo sa taas gets mor? Kasi ending niyan that’s going to be
another layer of bureaucracy that will impede on creativity that will
actually waste all our time, so that’s my take, kasi nga, ang ang ang
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ano natin na ang ang koncepto kasi para lang yan ganito nung
nangyari ito ito na lang nuh uhm merong namatay na set ng
studyante ah and di ka magaling mag Pilipino lagi akong na
bwibwisit sa ganyan. Merong set ng studyante na namatay sa
Bulacan because of a field trip they did nuh and they found out na
maraming mga violations in terms of processing papers kay wla nila
gi assess ang risks sa area kay ano gud tuh kanang kana bitawang
ilog bah na rumaragasang ilog na gi tabok sa mga bata and then
naay namatay na kasuhan gani ang presidente ana ang president sa
eskwelahan kay ano mana kanang command responsibility, unsa may
gi buhat sa CHED, ang gi buhat sa CHED is to add another layer of
paperwork rather than to yung para bang ing ani bah, mag himo ug
waiver na mag ka unsa unsaw lay labot ang university sa imoha,
get’s nimo? That’s not accountability for christ sake, nuh what you’re
doing is you’re actually covering ass if you want if you want to
actually improve on something it’s more than the paperwork, so what
they did was to add an ah ah a strange pile of, a strange pile of
documentation nuh nga mag mag ano kag paper nga mag checklist
ka nga kanang safe ni kanang ipa ano ni nimo, kinahanglan i ipa
check nimo didto nga mu perma ang tanang nga safe , pero actually
ot be honest with you I don’t find that safe even because I can doctor
those documents and fill up fill it up na okay this is safe kanang gi
assure man sa kanang ing ani private company nga ing ani, ako
tinuod lang if you want to if you want to to to fix a problem with
with student ano those students who actually go outside, get them
require them an insurance , so that atleast if something happens to
them an insurance company will take care of a some of the basic
needs that they have in the same manner nga parehas anang ano
infirmary, mao bitaw ng nahilom sila pag pangutana nako ana , take
ko nga mu require na sila ug medical certificate for all the ones
whose going to play and then at some point kumikita kabuhayan for
them kasi mag CCCBC ka, mag gaganito ka, lahat ng test gagawin
mo diyan oh, kita diba? Kumikita ang kabuhayan , pero ang tanong
ko, let’s say na found nil ana ikaw for instance all the tests that you
did nuh all the test that you did kasi basic ra man na CBC, kanang
mga ano all the test that you did for instance found out that you’re fit
to play and then eventually something happened to you because that
particular basic test did not identify that you have a congenital heart
disease, oh ako pangutana, gi certify man sila sa infirmary nag bayad
man sila, will infirmary be accountable to the student ? oh, see? ,
diba? So stupid siya , see in the same manner nga this is my take on
ethics, it’s important to have it uhm to have it to to make it one of the
core nuh but I believe that adding layers of bureaucracy would not
fix it, but rather make it make it something that should be understood
by kids who will actually be doing that research, the scientist who
will be ano , if there’s a committee that will be created for it my take
 256

is simple allow the department to red flag those research that they
think are violting some ethical ano and then refer it to the higher
committee , rather than everyone gets to to have the approval of the
higher committee thinking that the panel members are stupid , that
they cannot actually pinpoint that in the first place , oh mangutana ko
dli man sila ka pinpoint na, nganung di man ka pinpoint, kay wla
Ninyo gi seminar , di I seminar na sila , diba? So that’s my take. Gi
pangita nako

54:36- 54:40 Aww okay sir, thank you kaayu sir. We had a very meaningful
discussion sir
Interviewer 1

54:40 – 54:42 So, mao na siya, ahh sige sige ba bye

Informant 13

54:43- 54:44 We thank you so much sir.

Interviewers

Informant 14

0:00 – 0: 07 How do you define uhm an ethical research sir and can you share
your previous experiences on creating a research that involved
Interviewer 1 human participants?

0:08- 0: 41 Because we are in social science, usually the research projects that
we have implemented really involve people. Ah It's always a a
Informant 14 requirement for social science people, for for social science research
to to to what do you call this one to tap the participation of of
people, of communities, for example. So it cannot be a social science
research without people. Ah that's why our research is always geared
towards that that line.

0: 43- 0:47 Ah so uhm so usually your area of concern is social science?

Interviewer 1

0:48 – 0: 53 Yeah, ah well, my because my field is on communication, we are

investigating communication variables.
Informant 14

0:55- 0:59 So what are the ethical standards that you use in the conduct of your
 257

Interviewer 1 studies?

0: 59 – 1: 28 Yeah, number one is that, basta I think in the 1990s when we started
the human informed consent, we've been doing that uhm the
Informant 14 permission I think the human informed consent only was born in the
mid-90s or early 2000s, but before that one, ah the requirement was
we ask permission from the people, we ask permission from the
authorities, from the barangay captain, the mayor, and even ah the
people that we are interviewing, for example, or we are observing.

1: 29 – 1: 33 So in in essence, sir, how exactly do you define an ethical research?

Interviewer 1

1: 33 - 2: 11 Ethical research for me would mean that we follow the ethical

standards. One is uhm people ah know what we are doing and how
Informant 14 the data will be useful to us and useful to them and how the research
will benefit them and also we have to have their their consent.
Without that consent, it becomes unethical. We don't force people,
we don't coerce people, but we have to have ah their their full
consent and usually we say that ah any time of the interview or any
time of data gathering, if you feel ah like ah withdrawing, you may
do so.

2: 12 – 2: 17 Uhm how how about in the process of your recruitment, sir, how
exactly do you do that?
Interviewer 1

2: 17 – 3: 08 Ah it depends on the research pud, ah normally we ask people to

participate in the research if their participation is very, very much
Informant 14 relevant to to our research. Meaning to say, we choose people who
can provide answers to our research questions. For example, in our
project now that we are implementing, this is a carbon trading, but of
course we are dealing with forest-based communities. I just know if
you are familiar with carbon trading, you know, trees, sequester
carbon, your carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and then these are
deposited in trees. And later on, for example, in five years or seven
years or 20 years, uhm there's a measurement of how much carbon
has been sequestered in that plantation and so now with climate
change, carbon is is a potential now commodity that can be marketed
by local communities. So that's the thing that we are working on now

3: 09 – 3: 14 And how about for the safety of your participants, sir, how do you
ensure their safety?
Interviewer 1

3: 14 – 3: 57 Ah so far, we don't have risks. Ah we interview people right in their

 258

Informant 14 homes, right in their communities, and we don't bring them outside.
Just in case there are opportunities for us to bring them outside, we
provide, you know, vehicles, we provide our project in our case. Now
we provide vehicles, and these vehicles, we follow the HSE, that is
health, safety, security, and environment. Because our project at this
time, our project is very, very strict on, you know, safety and
security. We have no way, even for example, the speed limit is only
about 60 to 80. If we go beyond that one, we will be warned, and we
are being followed by our Australian partners.

3: 59 – 4: 03 And ah we are curious to know about your opinion on giving

incentives, sir.
Interviewer 1

4: 04 – 4: 50 Aha yes, yes. I think to some extent we have been, we have

implemented that incentive, and I think it's just proper. Because we
Informant 14 are, for farmers, for example, we are depriving them the opportunity
to earn a living. You know, for example, if they will be hired as
laborers, they can receive as much as 500 or 600. Now if we, for
example, would interview them, we will bring them to the field, and
then uhm without giving them incentive, chances are they will be
experiencing famine. Because ah ah fortunately or unfortunately,
what we are dealing with, the people that we are dealing with are
resource-poor farmers. So every day, every day, they need something
to bring back home so that they will be able to provide food to their
families

4: 51 – 5: 00 Perhaps, sir, do you think na if they know that they are receiving
incentives, this could affect the result of the of of the conduct of the...
Interviewer 1

5: 00 – 5: 12 Not necessarily, I think because in the first place, we don't inform

them that there's going to be incentive. It just happened, I mean, this
Informant 14 is just given as a surprise, just to say thank you to them.

5: 12 – 5: 17 Okay and how about the confidentiality and anonymity of your

participants?
Interviewer 1

5: 17 – 5: 57 Yeah, we maintain that one uhm because these are there are
potentially, for example, risky information or ah confidential
Informant 14 information, so we have to hide their identity, I mean, the identity of
the person saying that. For example, if there had been research, for
example, on HIV, ah where else, uhm like on on on criminality, I
think of children ah chlidren in conflict with the law, CIL, and so we
have to hide their identity. The reason is that they are still minors,
and secondly, that is our agreement that we will never, never reveal
 259

their their identity.

5: 58 – 6:00 So you make use of pseudonyms, sir?

Interviewer 1

6: 00 – 6: 03 Yes, yes, yes, ah codes normally

Informant 14

6: 03 – 6: 09 Okay, sir. And how about the study data, sir? Who has access to this
information?
Interviewer 1

6:08 – 6: 40 Okay it depends, but but in our case, we have the database, we are, in
our in our research, that we are maintaining a database, and everyone
Informant 14 in the project has access, including our partners in Aus in Australia.
And ah, well, if the paper is submitted, for example, to a journal,
depending on the requirement of the journal, oftentimes we provide
the data. But again, the confidentiality of the ah of the person
providing the information is always kept.

6: 41 – 6:48 Is there a specific ah time duration, sir, as to when you ah discard the
data?
Interviewer 1

6:48 – 7: 27 The data, so normally we, in my case, for example, I have the data,
dating back as ear as late as 90s, and I still have this data because I I
Informant 14 say to myself, I'm telling myself that this might be useful later on. So
as much as possible, unless otherwise the computer breaks down,
that's the time to say goodbye. But for as long as we are able to keep
the data, that's okay. Like, for example, I have this uhm external
drive, I'm keeping this, and these are full of data. If that if that
external drive will give up, then we will say goodbye to the data,
including even pictures.

7: 28 – 7: 37 Ah what physical parameters do you use, sir, to keep ah ay to keep

these hard drives or these computers safe sir from (inaudible sound)?
Interviewer 2

7: 37 - 7: 55 (Laughing), well, whether we like it or not, computers would only

last for about two or three years. So oftentimes, if this is not anymore
Informant 14 working, if we acquire something new, uhm we have a technician,
our technician who can manipulate and then keep the data still intact.

7: 57 – 8:01 Thank you, sir. Now, what do you think, sir, are the hindrances when
dealing with human subjects?
Interviewer 1
 260

8: 01 – 9: 31 (Laughing), number one, their schedule. Number two, even if their

schedule, I mean, the mothers, for example, are always loaded of of
Informant 14 their activities. Like, for example, there are there are cases when we
are interviewing, yet she has to attend to the baby. And so even if our
interview, for example, is scheduled only for 10 or 15 minutes, that
may last for about 30 minutes. But we still have to contend with it
because this is given. This is given. And there's no way out.
Otherwise, we will not be able to get the data. The other one, yeah, is
schedule. Uhm we have a lot of experience, again, in the forest-based
communities. Uhm these farmers are are working very, very far from
their comfort. This is their community and you've got to walk to their
farms. So if they say that they are free at about 4 o'clock in the
morning, there is no way out. We have to interview them on their
free time. I think that's what, and sometimes, but not not really
pronounced here, the peace and order situation. Nga sometimes, well,
in our project, for example, the police would say, you will not go to
the place, you will not go to this community unless otherwise we
clear, we give you the the clearance. Ah but this is particularly
happening in Samar. But so far, we have never been reprimanded yet
by our brothers up there.

9: 32 – 9:37 But in the case, sir na ah eventually that happens sir, how do you
plan to go about that, sir?
Interviewer 1

9: 37 – 9: 38 Ah whi which one, the the

Informant 14

9: 38 – 9: 40 Ah, kadtung murag reprimand mo sa

Interviewer 1

9: 41 – 10: 00 Well, wla pa pa, hopefully dli (laughing). Because it's going to be a
problematic, you know ah our project, for example, is being funded
Informant 14 by an international agency and so if that happens, there will be no
more project and we are hiring how many people? About 45, 43. So
these people will become, hopefully, dili mahitabo, jobless.

10: 01 - 10:04 Pero naa, so like, naa jud moy specific time to...

Interviewer 1

10: 04 – 10: 10 Yeah, it depends again on on well clearance and advice of the police
and the military.
Informant 14
 261

10: 10 – 10:19 Uhm, I see, sir. Pero usually, sir, when there are ethical dilemmas
that go in uhm, upon your conduct, sir, how do you solve these
Interviewer 1 hindrances, sir?

10: 20 – 10:45 Uhm, (giggles) so far, wala pa man wala pa may (inaudible sound),
because we are we we just try to explain to them the purpose of the
Informant 14 research and how how useful this may be uhm so far, we have not
experienced ah somebody who will say no to our interview. If he or
she says no, but we have to reset another time.

10: 46 – 10: 49 Okay, sir. Uhm how about ah...

Interviewer 1

10: 50 – 11: 36 And by the way, when we talk about data gathering, we also do
workshops. Like, for example, when I did when I did a research on
Informant 14 use of climate information, we did a workshop. So we brought in
people, like 15 or 20 of them, and then they, we developed ah farm
calendar, historical, and so on and so forth, including even their...
You know ah strategies to to cope with the changes in their
community, like flaunting uhm El Niño, and we are all familiar with
this, La Nina. So again, uhm we we explain to them that if you feel
like going out, if you feel that uhm this is you are already becoming
uncomfortable with the situation, you may go.

11: 36 – 11: 39 So during that workshop, sir, data sir gathered?

Interviewer 3

11: 40 – 11:43 Yeah, yeah, yeah and the data would be in a Manila paper, for
example.
Informant 14

11: 43 – 11: 47 Uhm and they were aware, sir, nga kani kay for research purposes.

Interviewer 3

11:45 – 12: 09 Yeah, Yes, yes, yes. Research purposes, and we are saying that this is
going to be used by something like this. And so we we normally get
Informant 14 back, and then, you know, in in a focus group discussion and even in
in-depth interview, it's part and parcel that we get back, diba? Ngadtu
sa community and present, this is what we have gotten from you. We
are just wondering if we have captured your ideas.

12: 13 – 12:28 So we are well aware, sir, of the international and the local ethical
guidelines when conducting research, not only the Philippines, but
Interviewer 1 you know kanang standard jud siya. So what do you think, sir, are the
 262

hindrances towards the compliance of these guidelines, sir?

12: 28 – 12:58 So far, ang ako nahibaw an is that because of our lack of information
before, and uhm we did not implement ah ethical standards, we did
Informant 14 not follow ethical standards before even, and then until now. Uhm I
think, bag o ra siya ng ani uso, but of course abroad, in the US, for
example, uhm this had been this has been happening for so long
already. But I think in the Philippines, especially in VSU, this is a
relatively new phenomenon.

13: 00 – 13:08 But in your research studies, sir, do you ah have kanang, do you
submit your papers ah to our research ethics committee?
Interviewer 1

13: 09 – 13: 31 Here, not yet, because we are not yet implementing, but ah our, how
do you call this one, the ethical standards, the ethical measures,
Informant 14 because our our research is, we are doing this research as project
with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. So the ethics,
the ethical measures were examined by our partner university in
Australia.

13:31 – 13: 35 So it was submitted, sir, but not just here in the Philippines, but there.

Interviewer 2

13:35 – 13: 59 Yeah, yeah, it's their methodology, it's their standards that got
followed, not in the Philippines, because we are aware that we don't
Informant 14 have it yet. What we have here in the Philippines are from DOST.
But ah now this, as I've said, this is a relatively new phenomenon and
I think chaired by Dr. De Los Santos on VSU, and for animals, it's
Dr. De La Pena, Santiago De La Pena.

14:00 – 14: 10 So to clarify, sir, uhm ah other than the that research na in
collaboration with Australia, sir, you don't have any studies sir?
Interviewer 1

14: 10 – 14: 16 At this time, I have given up my other research projects because this
is very, very demanding.
Informant 14

14:17 – 14: 19 How about the former researches sir?

Interviewer 2

14:19 - 14:35 Ayan, the former researchers, in terms of ethical standards, we as

what I have said, it's about ah getting consent from the authorities,
Informant 14 Barangay Captain, Mayor, and anyone who is an authority, as well as
 263

the people who will provide the information.

14:35 – 14: 40 But their as to submitting it to any formal research at the committee
level
Interviewer 2

14: 40 there was none.

Informant 14

14: 41 There was none

Interviewer 2

14:42 -14:51 As what I've said, this is a relatively new phenomenon here in VSU,
except for our research project that ah we are partnering in
Informant 14 collaboration with other universities.

14:52 – 14:58 Okay. Now, for our last question, sir, what are your views or
perceptions about the creation of a research ethics committee here in
Interviewer 1 the Philippines?

14:58 – 15:42 I think it's very, very relevant, very, very important, because as a
matter of fact, we have been suffering ah suffering from rejection of
Informant 14 articles because of the lack of the review committee. So meaning to
say we are unable to publish our works in high-quality, reviewed pre-
reviewed journals because of the lack of the ethics board. So if we
have that, if we will have that, that will be a smooth sailing. At least
we are able to comply with that requirement. It might sound simple,
but this is very, very important, because one of, how do you call this
one, ah one of the requirements, checklist, is that has this gone
through the ethics board? If no, it will be returned to you.

15:43- 15:46 And how do you think that would affect the researchers, sir?

Interviewer 1

15:46 – 16: 11 I think we will become conscious to become more ethical and avoid
risks, as well as take care of the people, including the animals, that
Informant 14 other people will do. Uhm without that, ah I think if you are
violating, if you are a researcher in social sciences, for example, if
you keep violating the ethical you know ethical measures, ethical
standards, you don't deserve to be a researcher.

16:14 – 16:17 How about in university levels, sir? How do you think it will affect?

Interviewer 2
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16:17 – 16:31 I think it will build the image of the university because whether we
like it or not, ethics is part and parcel of the backbone of the
Informant 14 research. If our research are unethical, no one will respect us.

16:38 – 16: 42 So I think that will be all, sir, for our interview. Thank you so much
sir.
Interviewer 2

Informant 15

0: 49 – 1: 01 How do you define ethical research uh can you share your previous
experiences on creating research involving human participants and
Interviewer 1 can you please state what was the area of concern in your study sir

1: 01 – 1: 07 So, tulo tuh ka gipangita Ninyo unsay akong unsay akong take sa
ethical research
Informant 15

1: 08 Yes sir

Interviewer 1

1: 08 Second, is?

Informant 15

1: 09- 1: 10 Your experiences sir

Interviewer 1

1: 10 – 1: 12 My experiences in conducting research

Informant 15

1: 12 – 1: 15 Yes sir , involving human participants

Interviewer 1

1: 15 – 1: 17 Ah okay, involving human participants, and then third

Informant 15

1: 18- 1: 20 Is what was the area of concern sir

Interviewer 1
 265

1: 20- 8:47 Area of concern, okay so . first is on the ethical aspect of doing
research , especially on ah especially if you you involved, because
Informant 15 my field is on social science research , so my my it’s different from
ah like ah chemist the chemist and the physicist , they are in the
laboratory but in social science you have people as your
respondents and ah in in social research social science research we
we refer them as research partners because you are if talk about if
you talk about respondents they are more on you look at them as
an objects but if you talk about research ah research partners, so
that means that you are one in doing the research nuh, so of course
in in in in philosophy we talk about ethics and it’s balancing our
act, whether in line of good or in line the evil nuh , so ah in dealing
with research we have to be ethical because when we talk about
research for the improvement is gaining new knowledge you know
in order to contribute to humanity , so it it would be very difficult
to to rip of fruit from a bad tree , right, so, because if your method
is ah nonethical then you have data and you use a data , for me its
not proper, so in conducting research ahh we have to follow ethical
standards so like basis in ethics your your research partner must
have freedom it must be voluntary so he must have, he/she must
have knowledge that what he is going in to is part of a study, so
otherwise ah we would be deceiving our our our research partners
if we we won’t be adhering to this, actually that’s the basic for
research and like what you have done today ah you let me sign the
informed consent so it it is already an evidence a manifestation that
the your respondent you your research partner is willing to share ah
what he know of the questions that you will be going to ask from
him, and then with regards to experience of human human
participants, one of the things that you have to consider if we talk
human about human participants is that you have to really let them
know what you are going after, so for example in my field I go into
conservation and restoration involving ah farmer involving ah
people in in in the realm of conservation, especially in in
community based conservation initiatives, what we are going what
what is a prerequisite for me is to enable them to know of my
objectives, second is what are the the the pros and cons , what are
the repercussions with regards to the results of of the study and
they must be known of the the the students oh no not really the
students but the research partners must be told about the whole
truth about what you are ah what the subject matter of your
research for instance in our case now we are we are of we are
studying about a a tree that is a a tree that produces high quality
fungus, the agar wood, the the reason that it sells about a millions
and we we talk to fartners. Some of them willing to share their
thoughts but most of them because at this point the trade is still
illegal they consented that they won’t ah let the the the they won’t
 266

ah reveal their idede they ask us not to reveal their identity,so we

we comply with that so when we were asked we we presented the
research in in in in because it wah ah one of my students, master’s
students going into study and ah the the one of the panel of the
graduate ah graduate academic community ah talked about
informed consent , we told them that it it would be impossible to
have that because the the the the respondent are the research
partners at least willing to share information, so we have we have
to we have to tell that in your paper in your data that, that is the
limit ah of informed consent with regards to that particular
sensitive information about research because there are ah because
there are instances in which our respondents would be hesitant to
reveal their identity because they might be affected their their lives
their means of making a living maybe affected with that particular
thing , so but most of the time if if for example, like what you did
you asked me whether I will consent to your recording and paper
and that’s part of research ethics already, and with regards to areas
of concerns , yeah as I told you that the areas of concerns are the
the gray area on what are the limits of ah of of of ethics like for
example ah the like the once that they would like to share
information and then they don’t want to reveal their identity and in
in research ah we have to identify to to to to validate bah but it’s
okay in my experience that we we we just say in in our presentation
or in our publication that that respondent A says or respondent B ,
because the researchers ah the responders , the research partners
don’t want to have their ah identi identity revealed especially if you
represent your paper in an academic audience or you publish it in
an academic journal, so actually another concern is that there are
there are funny there are funny things nuh in the field, of course
recently as I told you earlier that we are going we are into ah
research on the Aquilaria malaccensis of the agar wood research in
Abuyog and this funny thing one one of our respondent says that
okay I I I I I will I will not consent to the interview because Im
afraid to do to something but (participant giggle) when we have
our casual conversation he started to reveal things that I wanted to
ask and then my my , Am I in the liberty to to include the the the
the the information the data that I got out of this well he must he he
got drunk and because it was fiesta then he keep on talking and one
of my research assistants, sir you need you need not to interview
him he’s already revealing everything, we don’t have that because
ah as far as research ethics is concerned it would be unethical for
me to do that so, even to be honest even if I really needed the data
but I did not include it in my notes because it is against the the the
rules of ethical research

8:47 – 8: 48 Yes sir , that’s right

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Interviewer 2

8: 49 – 8: 59 So, the next question sir what ethical parameters did you consider
in your research and were the steps that you took during the
Interviewer 1 conduct of your studies sir

8: 59- 9: 00 What do you mean by ethical parameters

Informant 15

9: 00 – 9:08 Ah you said earlier about voluntary pariticipation, ay voluntary

participation, you said earlier that kanang mga parameters risks,
Interviewer 1 benefits

9:09 –11: 27 Ah , yeah , yeah of course there are always , yeah you have really
to as I told you earlier you really have to to let your respondents
Informant 15 know, the repercussions, when we talk about repercussions, there
are risk if they share information, there are also benefits of course
ah but we have to explain to them the balances nuh, but for me as
long as there are we go back the basic ethics, there is knowledge,
there is freedom and it is voluntary then that for me that research is
that that that that uh that what what would you term it that ability
nuh to to go into research is already there is already ethical as long
as you for me as long as you do not hide anything as long you don’t
ah deprive your respondent of any risks, any repercussions ah any
information about the end the the end product of research whether
it benefits them or not whether it ah it would put them in danger or
not if you don’t if you hide some of of of of of information about
that then it is already unethical because you you are researchers are
the one who is asking for a favor from your respondents
especially when we talk about human human subjects, they are
your night glory nuh they are source of information, so it it is just
fare and proper that you give them the the the you let them know
the things that they ought to know that the things that they have to
understand and let them evaluate whether or not they will consent
to be one of our research partners or not, so if those things are not
present, if you hide something that is already unethical and sad to
say there are a lot of unethical practice in the filed before, before
before research ethics become, become ah become a ah a
requirement nuh, because sometimes you know probably you will
have a clinic and then you you extract the information with that,
those were done before but now it is already a no no.

11: 27 Yes sir

Interviewer 2
 268

11: 29 So, how did you ah potentially ah how did you recruited your
participants before sir?
Interviewer 1

11: 37 Sorry?

Informant 15

11: 38- 11: 42 How did you recruited your paticipants before, what were what
were your methods sir?
Interviewer 1

11: 42- 13: 43 Okay, ah, im into qualitative research especially if for the past 15
years I’ve written around 20 journals , 20 journal publications per
Informant 15 reviewed and of course 4 books ah most of them if not all of them
are qualitative research, so in sampling qualitative research I
usually make use of purposive sampling so unlike quantitative
research in which you have a very big population you go into
random sampling diba, and then you go into , you choose what
statistical ah method this fit to to gather data, but in in social
science research of course, nursing is more on on nursing, is more
on qualitative, you deal with with patients in fact ah qualitative
research started with the nursing profession, ah grounded theory
and something, and this is adopted by of course anthropology also
have the samethe same method so, uhm purposive sampling
because you have to to to for me ah I have to choose the re the the
respondents that would give ah answers to the questions that I
asked oh that that that I will that I want to be answered on a given
parti particular topic that I want I want to dealt into for instance ah
one of my earlier university mandated research is on
mainstreaming reforestation in the Philippines so what did was to
to interview or to to ask the reinfestation adopters that the one that
adopted the technology nuh ah for the past 20 years, because I
cannot just, I just cannot pick randomly from the streets, whom
whom to ask because some of them may not know anything about
the subject matter so ah as a for me im on into qualitative research
most of my sampling is purposive sampling

13: 45- 14: 04 So, you said earlier sir na, you ask consent in your to your
participants, so how how, what are the steps sir taken for the safety
Interviewer 1 of your patici for the safety aspect of your participants before sir?

14: 04- 14: 05 Wha what do you mean by safety

Informant 15
 269

14: 06 – 14: 07 Like uhm,

Interviewer 1

14: 07 - 14: 17 That is it safe, is the is the place safe from kanang mga landslide,
like wlay mga falling debris
Interviewer 2

14: 15- 16: 07 Yeah actually, ah, yeah yeah yeah, so, yeah, so we talk about
physical safety you have you have to ensure that our research
Informant 15 respondents or our research partners will be safe and in fact when I,
usually when I request when I write a letter requesting them to be
one of the respondents I would at the end of at end of my request I
would say I am very willing to come for interview at any time at
any place at your convenience, so because it should be the research
partners who would choose the days and time that they are most
comfortable, yeah because we are the ones asking for favors, so we
have to you know we have to ah we have to adhere to what they
want ah and of course we have to also use the language that there
are most comfortable , because you could not talk English to the
farmers, ahh englishero mani (laughing) and so and ah and you
have to be careful because sometimes ah they are very sensitive
eh, is there use of recording or you use a camera so sometimes you
have to ask them , can I use a camera , because some some some
methods in qualitative research ah so that you can capture the
emotions so suggested that you have you have to ah use a camera
but some of our respondents are not comfortable with so, yeah
that’s why we have to to ask them what are the most comfortable
ah wha where the most comfortable venue the most convenient
time, so probably after they have all this already done their chores,
ah probably on a Sunday when they don’t have the they don’t have
to work to to met ends ah met ends meet at the end of the day
something like that.

16: 08- 16: 14 So, did you give before sir in your researches did you give any
incentives to your participants?
Interviewer 1

16: 15- 16: 16 It depends, it depends

Informant 15

16: 17 And

Interviewer 1
 270

16: 17- 16: 43 Because ah because sometimes participants if you give something
they might be insulted, so you have to read, you have to read, ah as
Informant 15 a researcher you have you don’t only go into ah, you your
respondents but you have to listen you have to listen to the
ambiance ah basig ma insulti niya nih, diba or basig ana so you
have to read and you have the as a researcher you must have that
intuition to identify that.

16: 44- 16: 49 So sir, I would like to ask sir, what are your views in, is it ethical to
give incentives?
Interviewer 2

16: 50 – 19: 09 It depends. For me it depends, as I said earlier ah because there are
also for example I I I ah I interviewed a group I I had a focus group
Informant 15 discussion, this was the time this was done during the time when I
have my dissertation ah for my a Phd and you know it eh I I went
into ethnography so I have to stay with the community, at first you
you already, really don’t know don’t know what to, later on you
will become familiar with them because you are participating,
participant observation, so I feel that it’s okay for me to to to give a
little gift or incentive after the interview and that made them happy
like for example ah because there’s fisherman’s so ingon ko oh uy
kuan diay para sa inyo oras wala raba mo naka panginabuhi so,
for example nag kuan ko ug worht 500 usa ka bundle nga grocery ,
ahh lipay, maikog man, ah ok ok rana, lipay sila ana, diba? But you
have to find out lagi , you have to find out, you have to find out you
have to listen, kay di kanang di man ka maka ingon, pwede raba ka
nako bayran ig ka human, di man ka maka ingon , ikaw boss, ah
pila man imo rate? diba? You cannot say that nuh in the field so,
you have to listen. But for me, there’s nothing, it’s not a bribe as
long as its not a bribe as long as it’s not it is not an as long as it is
it is, you don’t term it as incentive we termed it as a token , it’s an
act of gratitude nuh, ah ah a symbol of gratitude that you give to
them because if you say incentive, you are paying them and that is
against ethics eh eh if if you if you say incentives but a token of
gratitude could also suffice it could also make our respondents
happy, yeah, so you have to listen if you don’t, eh eh if you have
that, you have to listen to you know to you have you have to, not
really listen to them, but ah metaphorically listen to the ambiance
nuh, okay raba kaha ni sya taga an ug pasalamat tingalig ma insulti
ba siya, something like that.

19: 10 – 19: 15 So how did you upheld the confidentiality and anonymity of your
participants before sir?
Interviewer 1
 271

19: 16- 20: 09 Ah, actually ah after my interview I usually asked them is it okay
for you if I will publish this, say, yeah okay and is it okay for you
Informant 15 that I will use use your name publish your name, so of my
respondents are proud to have their names on it. But some would
say no no, just don’t sir, just ah ano , so just ah share the
information but not my name, so you will just say respondent A,
respondent’s B but some of the participants are happy are proud ,
like for example in Pilar , ah ah in Pilar we aw aw we we I have a
research a a study on ah restoration initiative done by a public
school teacher and I ask him, sir, can is it okay for me to to have
your picture to get a picture of you and then publish it with your
name on the book, he said, yes Im I will be very honored to have
that so I did, something like that.

20: 10- 20: 19 So, ah did you share to your participants sir how, who will access
your , who will access the data of your study sir, how did you
Interviewer 1

20: 20 – 20: 34 Yeah, actually it’s one of the after you interview, after my interview
it’s those are the standards that I have to to to let my respondents
Informant 15 know ah , is it, yeah

20: 33- 20: 38 How will they be stored sir and how, yes sir

Interviewer 1

20: 37- 23: 33 Yeah because, when you say ah ah I, the first thing is, is it okay
for, the first thing that I will tell them is, is it okay for me to,
Informant 15 because im doing it as a study a part of my academic ah academic
ah mandates of my work and I ask them is it okay for you to to
share this information to a com a community of educators. Like for
instance, presenting it in a national or international conference and
then ah published it in a reputable peer reviewed and open access
journals, so you have you have to to you have to ah you have to ah
you have to inform them about that and in my some of my
publications ah I listed some the names of of my respondents
because during the research process, during the the the the process
of research they consented that ah I will use I will publish your
names so its okay for them, so that was ah that was wha, that as
that was how this done , ah but ah but sad to say that there a lot of
specially during during the times research ethics committees were
not just were not yet very popular nuh ah I just ask them verbally
write it in on my notes and I did not let them sign ah informed
consent because informed consent is something already new so but
as a standard procedure we have to to ask our respondents if we
could use their data, we could have let other people access the data,
 272

who could print the data, so who could read their stories actually
because we talk about data to them its it doesn’t make sense so we
have to say can can we share your story to to to a presentation to a
group of academics to a group of people to a group of farmers
perhaps and then they consented just above all with that but going
back to sensitive information just like ah our Aquilaria, yeah
actually ah we were talking about that whe whe whe when ah
during the the during the thesis, the proposal defense of my
student, ah because one of the tac members said that you have to to
have, you have to have that informed consent, but I say they will
not, ah practically they will not write their names because they
want they don’t want their their identity to be to be revealed but
they are willing to share their story so they are willing to share
information those informations are very significant. So, we don’t
have to reveal, we have to share information but we don’t have to
reveal ah the the the source of that information because that is the
discretion of our research partners.

23: 35- 23: 44 Okay, how about your physical uhm materals sir, like imong mga
consent, recordings, how do you keep them sir?
Interviewer 1

23: 45 My recordings?

Informant 15

Interviewer Yes sir

20: 45

23: 46 – 24: 19 Actually many of my recordings are kept in my computer ah

because ah ah especially my personal computer at home I have I
Informant 15 have keep them but ah and those computer I am the only one who
can access them of course my wife who can access them but they
don’t know about that, so it’s insignificant for them nuh to access
that so my daughter are also into science they are not into social
science so its also insignificant to them, so.

24: 20 – 24:25 So, what do you think are the hindrances sir when dealing with
human subjects?
Interviewer 1

24:25 – 25:49 Yeah, ah one of the hindrances is when they have apprehensions
with regards, their interest about their safety for instance, about
Informant 15 their means of making a living for instance. So those are really the
hindrances because some of the, there are a lot of times that we
were refused by our participants when we asked them. So we have
 273

nothing, we cannot do anything but to look for other respondents

because you cannot force, you cannot bribe, in line with ethics, it
must be free, they must have knowledge of this matter and it must
always be voluntary. Diba sa ethics nuh, naa man moy ethics nuh?
What are the parameters of human has nuh ? Mao nay standard
gyud sa ethics, bisag unsaon pa ug bali bali na uban na mga
technical terms, mu balik gyud gihapon ta diha. Informed consent
is knowledge diba?, freedom, voluntary, it must be like that, you
don't hide, you oath not to hide anything from your respondents if
you are dealing with human participants. You have to be
transparent because after all if you will not be transparent then you
can have your data but it is already unethical

25:50 – 25:55 So I believe sir you are already familiar with local and international
guidelines as you said earlier.
Interviewer 1

25:56 Okay.

Informant 15

25:56 – 26:06 That we should always comply. So what do you think sir are the
hindrances of researchers in complying to this guidelines and
Interviewer 1 standards sir?

26:07 – 26:10 Guidelines and standards. In what sense?

Informant 15

26:11 – 26:14 Like dili sila maka comply sir bah, what do you think that..

Interviewer 1

26:14 – 26:17 Did you submit your paper to an ethical committee, sir?

Interviewer 2

26:20 – 26: 59 Ah unfortunately for this, we just approved our ethical committee
with Dr. Delos Santos as the chair three months ago. So, my
Informant 15 papers, actually, when I was assigned to the OUS nahinay gyud ko
sa research because of administrative work , I was delayed in my
research because of administrative work. But when I was still in the
faculty doing research, wla pa jud na siya . But there is always a
subject, when you go to graduate school, even in your undergrad,
there is always a subject in research. And in research, it is always
emphasized to adhere to the standard, ethical standards in doing
research.
 274

26:59 - 27:09 Ah how about in your masters and PhD sir, did you comply, did
you submit your papers sir into research ah ethics committees?
Interviewer 1

27:10 – 27: 20 Actually ah I graudated master’s 1989, wa pa tali m u ma tawo ana

nuh? So wla pa na ang research ethics committee, so wla pa na
Informant 15

27:20 – 27:23 So basically sir, wla juy naka write na guidelines sir

Interviewer 2

27:23 – 27: 35 Yeah Yeah. and then ah I graduated in University of San Carlos ah I
graduated my PHD in 2016, there was no ethics committee yet at
Informant 15 that time

27:35 – 27:42 So the ethicality of your paper is basing on the unsa tuh nga, unsa
tuh autonomy sa mga murag ethical ?
Interviewer 2

27:43 – 27:47 Yeah, based on the standards of ethics that are taught of us in the
research courses.
Informant 15

27:48 – 27:53 Can you cite some, sir? If you can remember, like, mga guidelines
and the parameters, sir?
Interviewer 1

27:55 - 29:11 The one that I told you, that you have to to informed consent , you
have to write, and if you record you asked that to be recorded you
Informant 15 dont hide your you don’t hide your ah you know ah you must
actually those that are written in the ethics committee are the ones
taught are the ones taught in research subjects and research ethics
subject they just formalize it as a research committee but all the
things that ah of course as the university secretary I have read that
personally and it they are all ah the elements there are all taken
from what I taught from the research ethics committee. So, now
that VSU just approve that but the way I see it its more, actually
when when Dr. Delos Santos craft that its more on laboratory,
human, animal subjects but its not more on social science research
but ah there are there are also instances but they are more on
laboratory, medyo medyo test on animals something like that, more
on the technical aspect of it. Have you read the research ethics ah
(inaudible sound).

29:11 – 29:16 Ah yes sir its more like kuan sir kanang, anything sir basta mu
invovlve lang ug human participants sir.
Interviewer 1
 275

29:15 – 29:16 Yeah, yeah.

Informant 15

29:17 – 29:27 Ah okay sir, I think this is our last question. What are your views or
perceptions about the creation of a research ethics committee here
Interviewer 1 in VSU

29:27 – 29;29 Actually it’s the right what what do you

Informant 15

29:29 – 29: 35 Aww naa pa sir, how do you think it would be helpful for
researchers and how will it affect in the university?
Interviewer 1

29:36 – 33: 00 Actually long overdue that the university ah, we should have done
it 5 years ago, or 10 years ago, but now is it , you can say that it is
Informant 15 better late than never nuh, so ah because actually ah, this is very
one funny thing when I presented my Paper in Australia in La
Trobe Univeristy, I was asked what was the comment of your
research ethics committee, ingon ko my God we don’t have it,
HAHAAH, the same was true when I have my fellowship in
Washington DC and I presented a paper also, I was asked, ah did
this gone through the ethics committee review? And I just said yes,
ah okay yes sir, but anyway ah actually ah because we don’t have
an ethics review at that moment, I just told them actually I wish I
have but at that time when I was having my first post doc in the US
its more actually it’s a short Christmas fellowship I think ah that’s
the 6 weeks and on the 6 weeks more on research and then you
have to present your paper and you have to publish it because its
post PHD and some of my friends who are form Europe from from
my claassmates from china ah so did you find it difficult to to have
you approve with your ethics committee, ingko my god we don’t
have ethics committee, so I told them that aw when I come back I
will support anything that will lead to creation of that, but actually
ah it was already practice many ah way ahead of us but atleast as a
university we we have that already and it would be a great benefit
to the researches because if you go to because now you have to
admit it VSU is already going global, you have foreign students, a
lot of faculty members are going outside for research, for
fellowship ah and and and and maybe academics not really
academics but professionals ah in other countries are already aware
of research ethics and they have they have ah they have there they
already have their research proposals, research input approved by
the ethics committee, so, in in some countries could be you cannot
present your papers if this is not approved by the ethics committee
 276

in some countries, ah in the Philippines it’s not yet very strict as of

the moment, yeah ah in Yale university which I presented a paper
also in January ah it is also very strict but fortunately ah we
collaborated with the yale professors, so it was approved by their
research ethics not ours but we have the data so, but as a university
we ought to have that so that if we go anywhere in the world we
can also show that we have done we have done our due diligence in
following ethical standards that are articulated in a research ethics
policy through a research and evaluated by a research ethics
committee

33: 00 – 33:16 So sir, just a follow up sir, now so aside from the uhm protecting
the welfare and integrity of your research partners of having an
Interviewer 2 ethically cleared paper, what are the benefits of having an ethically
cleared paper on the quality of your research paper?

33:17 – 36:14 Ah, atleast you say that one of the benefits your conscience could
say it, you are truthful with what you are showing to your people,
Informant 15 yeah so, you atleast ah you can also say that no one is being
disadvantaged if you are very transparent because if you don’t say
something, if you don’t tell the whole truth to your respondent, they
might be disadvantage with sharing information in the process, so
at least if you manifest them it is in your conscience as an
individual, as a researcher ah you can say that I have done my due
diligence and I have gathered and shared my data fair and square,
you have not disadvantaged somebody, because most, for social
science research nuh, most of our of our ah most of our respondent
are the marginalized sector in the society, the farmers and they
don’t have any , their voices are seldom heard nuh in mainstream
society, so as a researcher you can be there voice and if you want to
be their voice, then you have to let them know what you want to
speak for them and you have to be transparent so if you adhere to
the ethical standards you have to be as much as transparent at least
you can say that I have contributed something that could augment
the quality of life of my respondents, something like that. Just like
you, you are nurses, ga interview sa masakiton, “unsa may imong
kuan nay”, ah lahi ra man gud ng data nga pila kabuok gisakitan ug
tiyan duwa, tulo, lahi ra man gyud ng mu ingon “ unsa may cause
sa imong sakit sa tiyan nay kay tingalig love sick rana, diba maka
ingon ka, so lain lain. Lahi man gud na ang quality because ang
quality, ning gawas na siya to give voices to the numbers that we
can only see the data in quantitative research so mao nan ga if we
ah if you already want to ask the benefits aw, following the ethical
standards that could be it that you have done it, you have share
your story according to their to to to to what this to to to according
to what they wanted to be and ah also sharing to them the truth as
 277

far as your respondents is concerned because you are just telling

their story to those people who have not given the chance to hear
the story of these people, who have not given any voice at all,
something like that, something along those lines

36:15 – 36:22 So how about in the publication process sir, how did having an
ethical cleared paper helped you?
Interviewer 2

36:23 - 38: 44 Ah atleast my paper is accepted in my evaluation, I can be a

professor, I can have my promotion but ah honestly to be honest,
Informant 15 our publications in the university, our publications we were not
asked about ethical ano ethical ethical something. As I’ve told you
I’ve written around 20 papers for the past 5 years for books, I have
not submitted them to ethical committee because, we don’t have it
yet, so if you ask me what are my benefits of having submitted it to
ethical committee, di man jud ko maka answer ana , kay wala pa
man ko naka himo , but but if you ask me , how is an ethical
research an ethical publication benefit the community, I can say
that at least at least you you you atleast I published their thoughts at
least I I published, I published the things they want to air so that
everybody will be… so that those who are supposed to have access
on this information can learn something out of it, but one of the
problems is in publication gud, it is a peer review, in the process
usahay ang reviewer naa may comment bah and sometimes I look
at the reviewers comments which are nont acceptable for me , I’d
rather not published it than go into, because that is not the thing
that I promise to my respondents, so there are times that I
withdraw, I withdraw my because there times na pa usbon ka, mao
ni ipamutang, there were many times that I withdraw my paper, I
would rather have it withdrawn than have it published following
the things that are not already in conformity with what I promised
to them, to my respondents. Now I can afford that because I have
published a lot of papers, so ok rana, HAHAH

38:46 – 38: 50 I think that would be all sir, thank you so much sir

Interviewer 2

Informant 16

0:00 - 0:08 First, Ma’am, how do you define an ethical research and can you share your
previous experiences in creating research involving human participants?
Interviewer 1
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0:08 - 3:40 Okay, so uhm, ethical, uhm, research noh i-it follows the guidelines how you
will conduct the study especially for the human participants. So, uhm, since
Informant 16 2008, I’ve been conducting research but my problem is wala ko ka-published,
noh, ky, uhm, during those times dili pa ana ka kuan, ah, strict, ang sa ethical
review. But in terms of publication if I will relate that to current jud na
guidelines, uhm, they are, ah strict in terms of the ethics noh. So they need to
check sa imo study if there are some principles na imohang nakuan, uhm, kana
tung wala nimo nafollow. So in my experience, noh, because of my previous
studies noh it was a collaboration with nongovernment organization, so they
were able to publish the study. However, wala ako name. Ky nahagbong akong
enumerator. Enumerator, when you say enumerator, mao toy tig-collect sa data
and the research assistant. So, I cannot claim also the study because the main
jud na author ang nagpa-process sa review is kato jung organization. So, mao na
ako experience. But in terms of the ethics, it’s quite meticulous. Noh,
meticulous, and it will take time. Reviewing the paper will take time noh, so,
uhm, if previous experience nako, uhm, way back 2008, 2017… 17, 18. Basta
karon lang ni siya nagrabe na nabalik gani. Sa ethics man gud not only sa time
but also the money. Because when you will, ah, submit your paper for review, it
will cost depende sa level sa organization like for example that time level 3 ky
hospital-based man to siya na reviewer ba. It cost us Php20,000. Php15,000 -
Php20,000. So most of the researchers quite hesitant because of the amount noh
or the cost for the review. However, that will also be the basis if your paper is
qualified for the publish. I-publish or i, for publication. Now, current, ang ako
definition jd aning ethics kuti jud you have to check the instrument. You have to
check what is the kuan, uhm, what could be beneficial for the participants. So
mao na siya. Okay ang siya ang ethics ky usa na sa quali-, uhm, criteria for the
publication. Ah, however, gasto siya. Ga-, mao lang na. If I am a sole
researcher, ako lang una ang usa na researcher, it will cost me money to publish
my study, noh. Depende lang og naa koy collaborators that they can shoulder
the, for the publication. So if they will shoulder the publication apil na pud ang
pagkuan, pagpa-review sa paper. So I think unsa pay follow-up?

3:40 – 3:46 Ah, in your previous experiences Ma’am, what was your area jud of concern na
imo studyhan?
Interviewer 1

3:46 – 3:47 Public health.

Informant 16

3:47 - 3:48 Publc health.

Interviewer 1

3:48 - 6:54 Public health and then uhm, sa public health, ah, broad man gud ang scope niya
so apil diha ang school-based. I also deal with indigenous people. But before
Informant 16 dili pa kaayo strikto. Karon we have a national commission for that. So dili na
 279

siya dali ky I have to talk to the, ah, president sa kanang national commission
handling the indigenous people. I have to talk to the gatekeepers daghan.
Daghan siyag process. Now, currently, naa koy kuan karon study for the
Mamanwa and for the uhm, tribe sa Mindanao but nakuan siya na-freeze siya
because mu-undergo pa siya og kuan, review sa national commission. So, uhm,
aside sa public health, so school-based, school-based mga uhm, nutrition, ah,
programs. So more on community-based health programs and also uhm, the
socio-, sociocultural factors affecting the health status of people in the
community. So mao jd ako scope sa public health. Pero, aside from that, maoy
main, pero ang akoa ky na, ako nahuman is Doctor of Education man, more on
the nursing education. So curriculum, ana. Sa curriculum lang sad, sa ako sad
experience, wala kaayo ko nidaghan og studies sa curriculum depende sa
organization. Like in my previous employer, uhm, if I will deal with the
curriculum lisod siya i-bend. Kung naa koy studies ba naay mga
recommendations because naay gifollow na uhm, guidelines from CHED and
then the CMO. And then, also, uhm, an impression also from my employer that
if I have findings related to nursing education that is already part of my
responsibility as an instructor. Like for example, uhm, uhm, I had this study
about the strategies of the clinical instructors. The approaches of the clinical
instructors. So nganong gagmay mag kuha sa exam ang mga students. There
was a question about the strategies, the approach, how did they implement the
core subject. So, sa kadtong findings recommendations nako wala to siya pud
na-publish ky didto pa lang daan sa ako employer murag naay (laughs), naay
issue ba. So that is also one thing, noh, nga nindot og naa puy ethics ky whether
unsay mugawas sa akong findings, ipasa man jud unta na ngadto sa kuan,
kanang, Eastern Visayas na, (EVHRDC), wala man gud kaayo na before. Karon
ra na siya nikuan na ni, ni-abtik. Ky for them, ang kana bayang pagconduct og
research is elite ang term. Naa jud kay enough time, you have the enough also
resources. You have connections. Usa na siya pud.

6:55 - 7:00 Uhm, in the conduct of your study Ma’am, what ethical guidelines do you, uh,
implore jud on your research process?
Interviewer 1

7:00 - 8:09 So ang guidelines niya is daghan, noh. But I base it on the manual according to
the, uhm, ethical, uhm, ethical, ah, unsa to, ethical.. Based on the ethics
Informant 16 committee of conducting research for human participants. Daghan man to–
confidentiality. Actually, usa jud siya ka librohan. If I will discuss it one-by-one
medyo daghan kaayo siya. Noh, so ang kuan lang nako guidelines ako
gibasehan ato is based on that manual, based also of my co-researchers na kuan
ni sila senior ba sila sa, ah, in terms of conducting the researches. Oh. So mao
lang to siya. So I also learn by experience gikan nila. Pero mao na ang
publication naa nila wa koy, wa ko naapil sa pag-publish na sa study. Ky ang
pag-publish sa study ky main author unya pananglitan ako ika-napo ko, wa na
wa na jud ako ngan ngadto sa publish sa journal ky di mana pwede ma-mention
tanan. So naa mi sa et. cetera. So that’s it.
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8:09 - 8:15 So how did you recruit man your or how do you recruit your research
participants, Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

8:16 - 9:37 Okay research participants, ah, based lang pud na siya diba naa may mu-review
by institution, unya sa guidelines and then the criteria, depende also of the
Informant 16 methods that you’re going to use so like ako a public health man, so naay
inclusive criteria for that specific participant. But then, uhm, in the protocol sa
community, we need to set a courtesy call. Courtesy call for the officials, and
then after the courtesy call mag-set nakog community assembly. The
community assembly is i-open nako ang study then kung kinsa tong willing
mao tong sturyahan. But then we need to have a separate assembly for those
who are willing so that we will have enough time mu backout or di sila mu-
continue. So enough time also to read the consent. Dili siya na like ani karon-
karon dayun. So muhatag mi sa consent but dili, we also give enough time, in
my case enough time to read using also the language, common language sa
community. So enough time to read and enough time to decide. Once they
decide na to join or to participate the study and that’s the time na we, I
categorize them as participant of the study na.

9:38 - 9:47 Ingana jud na siya Ma’am if community setting Ma’am na murag dinaghan gani
imong pagkuan, at first pag-introduce sa area of concern sa imo research,
Interviewer 1 ingana jd na siya?

9:47 - 10:29 Dili siya necessary ky naa man tay gitawag nato na sampling method og kinsa
ang- actually muapil gihapon ang quantitative ana. Ky you cannot conduct the
Informant 16 study. Like for example I am dealing with five communities, I cannot conduct
the study 150 sa usa ka community 120 so naay kuan, naa gihapon mi
measurement ana pila lang kinahanglan. Like in a certain community actually
25 lang ang kinahanglan diay out of 150 so we have the sampling, ah, method.
But I deal more on the qualitative so kana pa lang daan, sa ako way pagrecruit
tawagon nako pero muabot gani kog kuan na balik-balik katung triangulation,
mustop nako. Not necessary na..

10:29 - 10:33 How do you, ah, ensure man Ma’am the safety of your participants?

Interviewer 1

10:33 - 11:58 Safety of the participants? First, sa consent palang daan it was thoroughly
discussed and I have to ask them if naa ba silay clarification regarding the study
Informant 16 and that stu- and in the conduct also of the study dili man lang siya about
physical na safety, how about the emotional? There might be questions that
would kuan noh, trigger sa ila past experiences ingana ba. So I had an
experience also about teenage pregnancy na study and then mao diay to, naa
diay na, basin naa diay toy kuan ba, kana shang experience na naay history sa
suicide. So that is why, uhm, I also learned from my experience that whenever I
uhm, construct the questions, noh, naa jud say committee na to check ky maka
 281

anticipate man sad sila. Like if I am the researcher, wa ko kita. Pero naay
committee mao nang sa ethics committee maka-anticipate sila possible kini mu-
deal pani siya sa mga kuan sensitive issues ba sa participant. So that is why,
uhm, ang instrument labi na og mga unstuctured, ah unstructured questions,
unstructured na questions ba uhm, sensitivity sa researcher and need also to
kuan, noh, ang therapeutic communication nimo ba. Mao na siya.

11:58 - 12:01 Do you give incentives Ma’am to your participants?

Interviewer 1

12:01 Yes.

Informant 16

12:02 In what way, Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

12:03 - 13:01 Uhm, ako ky maghimo rakog mga creative na kuan, not necessarily money.
Creative lang na mga unsay tawag ani, mga uhm, items. For example katong
Informant 16 amoa sa, sa kuan man to mga indigents. For indigents maglook forward man gd
silag something na magamit nila. Naay time nihatag jud kog bugas. Bugas, de-
lata ky magamit nila as a way of token of appreciation nila pag participate ba.
Then ang uban if tan-aw namo nga kuan okay lang, uhm, dili necessary og kana
siyang like kanang ilang kan-unon so nihimo lang kog uh, like for example,
kaning mga katong akoa mga discs. Uso pa man tong mga plaka before. Butang
nako ilang name as a token of appreciation lang to participate sa study. Mao
lang to.

13:01 - 13:08 Do you think that could perhaps alter the results of the interviews Ma’am or of
the data gathering process?
Interviewer 1

13:09 - 13:50 There’s also a guideline sa ethics sa manual that the participant hatagan nimog
pasalamat naa mana sa manual. Sa, sa previous not the 2022, previous manual
Informant 16 that was way back 2010, 2010. Naa jud toy incentive na just to show noh,
acknowledge ky they, they devote their time baya and effort to participate the
study and just to give appreciation dili siya. Give them the appreciation so after
the conduct of the study gihatagan namo ana. Pero dili mi mag-mention ana
ahead of time.

13:50 - 13:57 And how about the confidentiality Ma’am and anonymity of your participants,
how do you ensure this one man?
Interviewer 1

13:58 - 14:44 Ah, dili ila real names. And then amo sila i-anonymous pero naa mi kanang
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Informant 16 documentation like for example ingani, recording, noh, so naa lang mi pilion na
kuan. Ky naa man gud time na icheck na siya, naa may mucheck namo ato na
time sa committee if ah, in terms of the kuan noh, unsay term ani, kanang,
tinuod ba jud nagconduct ka sa study. So what we did is just, uhm amo ma-cut
na klaro ang voice pero ang names di namo ipa, ipa-mention. Then during also
the presentation, so anonymous ang participant. Wala jud ilang name.

14:44 - 15:01 And after the conduct of the study, Ma’am, do you, what do you make of sa
katung data na inyo na-gather. Do you store it someplace or inyo delete sa inyo
Interviewer 1 phone or i-store usa sa inyo phone. Perhaps, what do you do Ma’am after ninyo
pag-gather sa inyo data?

15:01 - 15:37 Like in my case ky kuan man to nahagbong man ako assistant and enumerator,
so, ang ilaha is ila gicollect. Ila gi-file noh, pero naa silay certain time na pwede
Informant 16 nato nila i-delete. So as what I’ve said, during that time dili pa ingana ka
meticulous, noh, so naa lang silay way to uhm, to keep, safekeep the record sa
patient or sa client na gikuanan as participant of the study.

15:38 - 15:42 And what do you do think Ma’am are the hindrances when dealing with human
subjects in research?
Interviewer 1

15:43 - 16:41 Hindrances… In the community ako ang sa ako experience ang setup lisod
baya. Ky you need to before you will approach the participants you need to ask
Informant 16 permission unya daghan pa kag agian and daghan pa kag uhm, consider. Like in
our case, noh, we need to conduct a courtesy call. Dili lang sa barangay ha,
LGU. So we set a meetingn sa mayor, unsa ang, unsa ang kuan, unsa ang
process, unsa ang intention sa study, and then I think ang hindrance ana is ang
process pud. Ky dili man mi maka-set na ang process niya mutake og ingani
lang. Naa mi gi-set na time but of course we need to trust, learn, and practice
the process before the conduct of the study.

16:41 - 17:08 And what do you think Ma’am here in the context sa university Ma’am, we
don’t have jd an accredited na REC, ah, na by the PHREB. And that is what
Interviewer 1 we’re trying and our goal jd mainly for our research as a basic for the creation
of an REC. However, what do you think Ma’am are the hindrances towards
comply-, ah, towards the compliance of the university na maghimo og REC or
mu-comply sa ethical international guidelines jud Ma’am based on the PHREB.

17:08 - 19:36 I think dili siya, wa tay REC, dili ko mutuo na wala tay REC. Before, ako,
pioneer man jud ko be-. Supposedly pioneer jud ko sa College of Nursing. I was
Informant 16 here 2008. And during that time, naa nanay existing. Giunsa man sa ISR
pagconduct sa study na human participants baya sila. The time of Dr. --, so ako
nidrop name ko ky sila mani ang mga bagtik nga researcher diri sa university.
Actually, naa nay grupo for the ethics committee because they cannot publish a
study naa baya tay department diri na participants human. Dihang publications
way back pa. Noh, the time of Dr. Bacosmo, the time of Dr. Milan, naa nana
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sila. However, karon lang na time, wala sila. That’s what I’ve learned ha
because I was able to talk to them during those years noh ky naka, like Dr.
Milan, previous mga kuan na, university president. Naa na ky ang ISR pa lang
daan, human participants baya and they publish sa ATR, Annuals of kanang, sa
tropical ba. Human participants sila. But, noh, karon sa ako nahibaw-an sad sa
ka Ma’am ---, ang director sa kuan, ah, Ma’am Juliet man sa research noh but
ang na-assign sa pag-receive sa amo mga proposals. Naay existing pero dili pa
sila visible. But I think ang before pa, sa ako nahibaw-an 2008, naa na sila
nakuan, na-mobilize. I don’t know I have this impression also because of the
time sa katung COVID wala pa kaayo na siya nag, wala pa sila nakita pero naa
nay mga committee members nga naa diha. And that I don’t know na kinsa nana
sila basta way back I know that Dr. Asho, uhm, Dr. Serino of CME, they are the
members of the committee. Oh. And also, Dr. Abamo, the Director of
Extension. There are existing members of the committee of the REC. But, wala
lang sila na visible karon.

19:37 - 19:48 Yes, Ma’am actually Ma’am, naay commitee but dili accredited, Ma’am. Wala
jud siya na-institutionalize Ma’am.
Interviewer 1

10:48 - 10:57 I don’t know if ang term is accredited, accreditation jud ha. Pero I think kani
silang nauna, naka-interview mo nila?
Informant 16

10:57 Wala Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

10:58 - 20:55 I think you have to know also on their part ky lisod man sad sa ako lang ni ha
personally, I cannot say that wala siya na-accredited. Ky the time karon, like
Informant 16 karon, karon pa man ta nanungha wala man ta kahibaw sa niagi gud. Ky daghan
bayag publication ang VSU. Ang publication nila is not only dealing with the
plants and mga root crops naay publication ang, ang VSU labi naning sa ISR.
Human man jud, oh. Sociology baya na ilaha. But only is wala ta kabalo unsa
ang gi-process nila ana na time. So siguro karon particular ta sa REC because
also of the meticulous na kaayo ang region regarding sa ethics review. But I
also cannot say the term di ta accredited. So kuan lang sad siguro mura bag
personal, personally, murag nindot sad sigurog i-balance ba unsa pd sa ila side
versus ato observation.

20:55 - 20:58 Yes Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

20:58 - 21:02 Ikuan sad siguro ninyo ky in fairness pud nila ba giunsa na nila na.

Informant 16
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21:03 - 21:11 Ah in your previous experiences Ma’am did you also, wala ka, nitry kag ERC
Ma’am? Like pag-approve sa imo study Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

21:12 Sa private.

Informant 16

21:14 - 21:15 Private, which institution Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

21:15 - 21:19 San Lorenzo. Unya Cebu mana sila mukuan, Cebu Doc.

Informant 16

21:20 - 21:32 Thank you, Ma’am. And for our last question Ma’am, what are your views or
perceptions about the institutionalization na jud of an ERC here in the commu-,
Interviewer 1 aw here in the university and how do you think this would help the researchers?

21:33 - 24:03 I think ang pag-institutionalize, siguro, uhm, we need to ask mga senior jud,
professors noh, ky like on my case, bago rako nibalik. So I cannot also conclude
Informant 16 na wala na-institutionalize. I think I’m not the right person para muingon na
wala na-institutionalize ky wa man, observation man lang nako wala man ko
kabalo unsay process nahitabo sa ila offices. Unya I think sad, og ma, dili lang
ko mugamit sa term na institutionalize ky basin diay nag-exist na siya unya wa
lang jud sila karon nag, nagbuhat or na-mobilize, noh. For whatever reason na
naa nila ky mutuo jd ko nga impossible man jud ky naa na sila Dr. Serino. Mga
international kuan baya sila. Unya human participants mana ilaha sa ISR. Ka
Sir ---, also. Ah, sa ako lang sad observation pud, most of the researchers,
extension to research. So grabe man ang extension nato diri. Then research to
extension. So they conducted mga action researches pud so kung ma-
institutionalize ang ako lang sad siguro ky basig na particular sa College of
Nursing. I have that impression na tungod sa particular ta diri ky atoa human
participants man jud ta noh. Pero nindot ma-institu- dili ko kaingon nga
institutionalize but nindot siya na ma-clarified siya kinsa ni, unsa ang mga
guidelines, unsa ang mga processes ky para ang ato mga study, ato mga study…
Oh. But there are a lot of publications baya. Last week baya naa tay mga
awardess. Diba? Oh so naa tay awardees. So we cannot publish a study without
the review sa ethics committee. Siguro lang is kuan kinahanglan lang jud
mapakita og kinsa man jud ni ang existing, kinsa to sila ang sa ethics committee
ky I doubt wala na, naa jd ni sa university pero wa lang jd nakita ky mostly mga
pests ang mga study, ang mga plants ana ba. Kana lang siguro.

24:03 - 24:05 Kinsa to imo giingon na amo itap Ma’am?

Interviewer 1
 285

24:05 Pangutana mo sa ISR.

Informant 16

Informant 17

00:02 – 00:05 Okay hello Ma’am. Good afternoon. I’m Angelle Faith Caintic.

Interviewer 1

00:05 - 00:06 I’m Roque Ma’am.

Interviewer 2

00:06 - 00:25 And we’re students from Visayas State University, or nursing students under Dr.
Janet de los Santos and we’re conducting a study Ma’am on the assessment of
Interviewer 1 faculty researchers on their ethical compliance regarding their researches
involving human subjects. So what do you think magstart nata Ma’am?

00:25 – 00:26 Okay sure.

Informant 17

00:27 – 00:38 So our first question would be Ma’am, how do you define ethical research and
can you share your previous experiences on creating research that involved
Interviewer 1 human participants?

00:38 – 03:47 Okay, so what is ethical research and my experience on uh, conducting
researches involving human participants. So first uhm, for me ang ethical
Informant 17 research is a research who adheres which adheres to ethical process sa ah which
considers the value of the respondents and of course, uh, the benefits and risks
that the respondents must know should be reflected on that particular research
study and i think there is uhm, also this protection between the resear- among
the researcher as well as to the participants of the study if we are considering
ethical researches. I think that is for me ethical research. And then with regards
to my experience so I had during my undergraduate I think I did not have uhm,
human subjects because I’m into biology so I had uhm, animals as my subjects.
But then during my postgraduate uh degree so I took up actually teaching
secondary so it’s like an education ah degree ah two-year degree for me to just
take the licensure examination you know and then part of it is education
research and then I conducted, we conducted a research involving our third, ah
first year ah students here in VSU Tolosa and then ah with this study so by that
time I did not really have that much idea of what the ethical process should be
or, you know the ethical considerations part I always thought it’s just uhm, a
requirement as a part of the ah what do call this, the methodology. So somehow
 286

murag ana lang. And then, later on, as I have this experience here in VSU
Tolosa which of course we adhere this ethical considerations but not much into
the details of what is the ethical process really so I just had this consciousness
of what ethical research is but not really much into application or
implementation of that into my research. So by that time, I was not able to
implement much with the ethical process during my postgraduate study. And
then right now, I think currently, we are still on the process of ma-, of
implementing an approved research. We have this one research in the that we
have already submitted and was approved but not yet conducted so I hope that
we can also like apply this ethical considerations, ethical process in this
particular research. So far that’s my summary of experience.

03:47 Yes ma’am.

Interviewer 2

03:47 – 03:57 What were the ethical parameters that you considered in your research Ma’am?
This one, na murag you have already tried into putting ethical considerations.
Interviewer 1

03:56 - 03:59 Okay so again, what was the what was the first part of it? Okay, so I think the
first one is, does this involve the informed consent?
Informant 17

03:59 - 04:03 What was the ethical parameters that you considered?

Interviewer 1

04:00 - 05:33 Ethical parameters… Okay so I think the first one is does this involve the ah
informed consent like that so yeah. We had that one the informed consent but
Informant 17 since we had uhm a large number of of participants, since it was involving all..
not all but a sample of the first year students, so we were not able to really give
them each a copy of of uhm of uhm the informed consent and it was it was just
more of a verbal confirmation from them since their part is to only answer the
survey. So in the survey, so you they they only have the copy of of the survey
itself but not including the.. the details of the informed consent that they have to
sign, so I think by that time, we were not able to apply that, but it was like more
on a verbal affirmation from them that they really do volunteer to participate in
the study. And then another is, of course, the confidentiality of the information
that ah we obtained from them, so we were able to maintain that and then we
assured them… we assured them that their uhm data is confidential, that it will
not be disseminated to other people other than themselves. What else? Uhm so
far, I think that's what I can remember. Probably there are some things that I just
uhm, you know. Some things are left out (laughs).

05:32 - 05:35 Yeah let’s just do it one by one Ma’am.

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Interviewer 1

05:36 Okay sure.

Informant 17

05:36 - 05:47 Ah, how did you, how did you ah recruited your participants Ma’am? How did
you, how did, where did you got your list ba or ingana?
Interviewer 1

05:46 - 07:07 Ah okay so ah with regards to the number of of the population size, so we got
the numbers from the registrar, so we wrote a letter from ah to the registrar
Informant 17 asking them the actual number of of first year ah students across all programs
and then from there, uhm we got the sample size right and then after that, it was
somehow a random random sampling, yes, and we just like uhm, entered their
class. For example, they were just uhm in one classroom and then they do not
have yet their class, so we just asked them if they are available by this time and
then if they want to participate in our study and then if they agreed, then we go
for it. So we we did not really apply this very much, syste- systematic or
sophisticated uhm tools to select, then you have the names and then uhm you
select really each one of them. So we, we do, ah we did not conduct that, but it
was much more on a uhm, random uhm sampling, random meet-up of of the
participants. So I think it was like that during our time.

07:07 – 07:21 Okay Ma’am so ah what was the steps taken for ensuring the safety of your
participants Ma’am? Like physical safety, emotional safety?
Interviewer 1

07:21 – 08:34 Hmm, okay. So since it was uhm a quantitative research, so it was just a survey
that we gathered and we didn’t we did not have an interview with them because
Informant 17 it was uhm not included in the scope of our study, the quali- part, it was more
on the quanti-. So after or during gathering of the data, so giving them the
survey forms, uhm we we just made sure that they are inside uhm a room, not
really like everywhere ah anywhere, but it's inside a room. And we just made
sure that uhm each one of them has uhm a seat and that they are comfortable of
where they are. And uhm along the during their answering, so I think we did not
really encounter much emotional discomforts. Ah by that moment, since it was I
think 5 to 10 minutes of answering the questionnaire only, so it it it was not
really much tedious of for them to answer because it just takes a small amount
of their time. And then after that, so I think it was just very simple uhm
surveying, not much of a discomfort for them, I think.

08:34 – 08:39 Okay so did you give any incentives to your participants Ma’am?

Interviewer 1
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08:39 – 09:29 Okay, so by that time, since we we we considered na parang hindi naman siya
masyadong malaki na big demand from them, it was just you know, answering
Informant 17 the survey, so we we did not give them uhm just compensation or uhm what do
you call this, incentives, since uhm they are too many for them for for us jud, if
you're going to give each one of them. And also, uhm probably we will consider
that if we have this you know like interview or it it takes much time, and since
by that time, it was not actually a class, ah- it was not during class hours, so we
did not consume time during their class hours, so I think there was no need of
giving them a a compensation or incentive for that.

09:30 – 09:35 But for you personally, do you think that giving incentives to participants is
ethical?
Interviewer 1

09:37 - 10:05 For me, ah I think yes, it's it’s ethical to give incentives, especially if it will take
much of their time, and if ever the participants is you know, having other
Informant 17 priorities to to do during that particular time so you really need to give them
incentives because just to compensate what they gave up or what they set aside,
you know, something, so you have to uhm give them, I think it's ethical.

10:06 – 10:17 Ah do you think, Ma'am, uhm giving incentives somewhat influence your data
gathering procedure or the willingness of your participants to answer your…
Interviewer 1

10:17 – 10:59 Yeah, sure, I think, because for me, if I will be the participant that will be given
with an incentive after this, ye- of course I will be willing to, but uhm of course
Informant 17 my priority is, is it's a really valued research, so regardless if there is or there is
none, so I will still continue with the research, but for others who do not have
the the, you know, research value in their in themselves, so probably it is very
necessary for them to continue, especially if it will take up much time, if if for
example, you will meet them for several times, so you really need to to to gain
their willingness all throughout the duration of your research, so I think it
would be very necessary.

10:59 – 11:07 Okay, Ma'am, so what were the benefits and the risks of your research, Ma'am,
and ho- how did you adhere to it?
Interviewer 1

11:07 – 11:17 Okay, benefits and the risks. Sige. So what are the bene- benefits for me and for
the researchers? Aw I mean for the participants?
Informant 17

11:16 - 11:18 Maybe for the participants, Ma’am.

Interviewer 1
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11:18 – 13:51 Sige, for the participants side. Okay, okay so the benefits for them, ah actually
our study was about ah the the correlation of their senior high school
Informant 17 experiences with their current chosen uhm program, so if it was if it was aligned
or not, and also if uhm, if if they were they were also able to assess if the
program that they enrolled in was really uhm their uhm their own decision, or it
was influe- influenced by other factors or like that, and so if ah the benefits of
of the research is for them to have also awareness of themselves, of uhm how
influenced they are with other factors, with uhm I don't know, basta ah murag
ana and then uhm the benefits from that is uhm actually the research was not
published yet, so it was not also presented in conferences, so I do not know if,
uhm sayang din noh if if if if it was not uhmpresented, because it was actually a
group research. It was not just me who conducted that, I also have my co-
participants, ay co-researchers who are from other agencies, so we collaborated
on that research, but then I think it was also necessary for them to know the
results of the study, because uhm if they know, then they will also know what
factors really, let's say, much influences the first year college students who are
ano choosing their their programs, and I think we just failed on that part of you
know letting them know of the results if uhm I think it was necessary, yeah like
that. I don't know, ah is my answer, the benefits, yeah sige what else, what other
benefits that the researchers can have, so I think it was more of self-awareness,
yeah, that they have to know the results of the study. And for the risks, the risks
from the study upon their involvement, uhm I I think I cannot consider much of
a risk since it was just you know 5-10 minutes and then answering just a survey,
so not much of an emotional investment during that time, so I think there was
very, very to no uhm risk. Yeah so I think that’s it.

13:52 – 14:21 So ah you've mentioned earlier about confidentiality of your participants, so

let's just further discuss Ma’am, how did you ah upheld the confidentiality and
Interviewer 1 anonymity of your ah participants, and how did you kept your raw materials
and data gathering materials, how did you kept them up, or how did you put
them into safety?

14:21 - 15:58 Yeah. Okay so ah regarding the handling of the survey forms, so let's say after
gathering, so since the respondents was was on my scope, so my co-researchers
Informant 17 was actually involved man only on the making of the paper, but in the
gathering, that it was actually me who was hands-on. So what I did is uhm I
made sure that ah these survey forms were uhm, were intact with me, so I just
put it in an you know envelope labeled with the corresponding types of
respondents that I have, if it's coming from ah what program and so on, so yeah,
I just did that. And then I forgot if I disposed of it ah dispose it after, so I forgot
I forgot. I think I just, after tallying, so every after I collect the data, so I- I
immediately tally that, uhm Excel, and then after it, so I just made sure to keep
the documents until our defense, and our final defense, and after after our final
defense, I think I already forgot what I did to that. But I did not remember
anything like uhm burning it or what, I think we did not apply that, so I think it
was just kept on my files for for that particular period of time until I cannot
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remember it anymore (laughs).

15:58 - 16:03 Okay, so next question Ma’am is, what do you think are the hindrances when
dealing with human subjects?
Interviewer 1

16:03 - 17:50 Hindrances, uhm okay, so probably first in the recruitment process, so it it
actually depends on the type of research that you have, so if it's more of a
Informant 17 quantitative, like you know, survey, giving the survey forms and only takes a
few ah a few of their time, and then I think it's it’s easier rather than if you have
uhm a longer period of time for them to join you or uhm to be a respondent to
you, because their willingness must be sustained all throughout the duration of
your conducting or your data gathering. So the hindrance for that is to really
sustain their willingness to to to be with you during the data gathering. And
another is, another hindrance probably is uhm explaining to them the the
benefits and risks of of the research. Why? Because probably some of them will
not really mind that, you know, you will be discussing to them and then ah
some of them will just, you know, answer the the forms uhm jokingly or they
are not taking it seriously, like that. So I think it is a hindrance because it will
not give you much of a reliable data, right, because they just take ah took it
very, not not not really seriously. So I think that's the most, uhm hin- uhm,
most I don't know, bagat one of my, uhm, one of the top hindrances I think, the
the recruitment process and during the conducting of the data gathering, so after
that, so I think that's uhm, I think one.

17:51 - 18:03 Thank you, Ma'am. So on the researcher’s side Ma’am, what do you think are
the hindrances in complying with ethical standards given by international or
Interviewer 1 local guidelines, Ma'am?

18:04 - 19:37 Okay. Uhm, I think it's the mindset of of researchers or us that uhm undergoing
the ethical process is very much time-consuming, especially that you will be,
Informant 17 let's say, submitting your your paper to ethical review committees and then they
uhm will take much of your time, let's say, two weeks or let's say a month.
Worse is if it will take several months for you to get your paper back and then
say it's actually going for a revision and then you will submit it again and so on
and so on, so you have this time uhm time duration that you are actually
targeting but you will not be able to finish or accomplish because of the tedious
process of waiting for your paper. So I think that's uhm one of the mindsets that
we actually have if we look into having ethical processes. But if this ethical
process will be you know shortened and be more easier for us, then probably
uhm it's a win-win situation. So if we can have the research following ethical
procedures at the same time the university getting uhm the the glory from us
being recognized as having researchers, aw re- researches that are adhering to
ethical processes. Yes, I think that's the top hindrance that I think is being
encountered by us researchers.
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19:37 – 19:46 Okay Ma’am, so uhm for the record, have you passed or have you submitted
your proposal before to a research ethics committee?
Interviewer 1

19:47 - 19:57 Okay, not yet. I haven’t, ah we haven't done that yet but if there will be, that
would be the best thing to do.
Informant 17

19:57 – 20:01 But are you aware that it should be passed into research ethics committee now?

Interviewer 1

20:01 - 20:42 Before, uhm I think I did not have any idea that there are research ethics
committees and we ah we just that uhm as long as we have ethical consideration
Informant 17 part in oiur methodology or in our paper then I think we are already good, right.
But we did not ah really think about the necessity to pass it to a committee
because probably our adviser is already knowledgeable enough and so on so I
think that was our I think until now that’s the mindset of of researchers or us
here in VSU Tolosa. Yeah

20:43 - 20:50 Ok before the last question Ma’am I would like to verify something Ma’am if
am I correct to say Ma’am that you obtained your consent through verbal?
Interviewer 2

20:50 Yes.

Informant 17

20:51 - 21:07 So in the informed consent Ma’am you can stipulate all the ethical parameters
you would take in your research so how will the students know that you will ah
Interviewer 1 take and maintain these ethical measures? Do you like verbally say it to them?

21:01 - 21:33 Yeah so like uhm we’re just going to tell them that this uhm data that we’re
gathering from you will be uhm taken with utmost confidentiality and so on so
Informant 17 forth. So it’s just really, you know, let them having a yes and then we’re good I
think that’s the thing that happened during our conducting of the research.

21:35 - 21:52 Okay so we’re down with our last question Ma’am. So what are your views or
perceptions about this creation of a research ethics committee here in our
Interviewer 1 university and how do you think it this would help researchers and how do you
think it will affect the university?

21:53 – 23:21 Okay so first for me I really wanted to have this ethics review committee since
uhm some of the journals or publication uhm offices would ah require this uhm
Informant 17 approved I don’t know part or the document attached to your research that this
has undergone or underwent the process of ethics review by a committee really
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recognized who knows the process of ethics. And then uhm here in the
university, not just in the main campus noh, but we hope also that here in VSU
Tolosa or in other uhm component colleges, we will also have this uh e-ethics
review committee considering that probably it will be very hard for our main
campus ethics review committee to cater all of the researches in all campuses or
in all colleges and then review all of them, it would be really hard for them. So I
think it will be very necessary since we are also targeting to have publications
and we want these publications you know approved without any doubts of uhm
getting this research done in good you know, good morale right. So uhm, we we
really see the necessity for this. Did I answer the question?

23:23 - 23:26 But in in terms of like its effect to the university Ma’am?

Interviewer 2

23:27 – 24:43 Oh e-effect to the university? Uhm right now of course we know that VSU is
very ah renowned in terms of research. And not just research but also in
Informant 17 extension and innovations but everything the extension innovation comes from
research really. And if we will produce much research ah much researches that
really undergone or underwent the ethics review process so I think more, much
of us will be encouraged to do research since we are doing this in you know,
without this I don’t know what how how do you explain this, without any doubt
in you that your data, your procedure is is adhering to ethical procedures. So I
think that we will all be encouraged to do that since we will not be violating any
law or we will not be violating any uhm ethical you know views or perspective
of the respondents that we are going to have in the future. And then, hopefully
VSU will be known to be not just having much research products but those that
are really ethical, ethically good, ethically sound. So yeah.

Informant 18

00:00 – 00:23 So okay ma'am, hello once again. Ako hi Angel, niya naa adi hi Roque. Ah
mag-interview kami ma'am about ha imo mo about your ah ethical parameters
Interviewer 1 na gi-use sa imong pag-conduct with research involving human participants.

So okay, okay, okay na mag-start kita ma'am.

00:23 Okay, go.

Informant 18

00:24 – 00:36 So ah Ma’am so first na among question Ma’am is how do you define ethical
research? And can you share your previous experiences on creating research
Interviewer 1 that involved human participants?
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00:36 – 01:16 Okay, so first thing is ethical research. Ay what's that? Ethical research. Ano na
ba ini? It's been a while (laughs). So for me lang ah, ethical research is
Informant 18 something to do with ano uhm observing standards, ah basically on human
relations that will ah be very beneficial with ano with the respondents or for
both. So it has something to do with ah getting information ah with the right
person, with the consent of the person ah that will never try to hamper his ano
his or deprive his rights or liberties. Parang parang sugad hito.

00:40 - 00:41 Research. How do you define Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

01:17 - 1:23 Okay Ma’am. Can you share your previous experience about research involving
human participants?

01:18 - 04:10 Experience about… ah okay so when so when I was still studying my ah post-
grad, so we interviewed children regarding their, ah, ay, sa una sa children
Informant 18 Ma'am, kaya ang we were dealing with an ila an ilang reading capabilities, oo.
So first thing, we had to ask permission from the parents if they like it or not.
So there was a time that the parent didn't like it, kay she thought ah all the
information will be, ah, aware kasi siya that we have to record things ano for
the result. So she thought that we might be publishing the result including the
names of their children. So she doesn't like that their child be tagged as non-
reader or like that. But although we have explained it to her, para it looks like
that, ano siya, ah very fusilized na ba ang iya thoughts nga that will happen.
Okay. So what we did is we leave it out, we look for another one. Okay, so in
sampling, (mumbling) balik. So with the children naman, ah, because there
were only four of us ah researchers, so what I did is, katong mga boys, I I asked
them to stay with at least two na sa among duha ka male na kuan na researchers.
Tapos kami, ang mga female na bata. So murag nagdugay-dugay ang amo, kay
in that elementary school in Cebu, ah there are more girls than boys. So ang
boys, mga ten lang siguro, so it took them a while. Ang amon, ky mag more
than four hours ana ba ky they have to read ah pre-reading and then we have
cert- certain activities and then post-reading activities.

So there was this instance nga I would never forget about a child who does not
feel comfortable with me. Oo. And she wanted to stay with ah the male faculty,
probably because the male faculty was having candies that time. So probably.
So at that time, she doesn't feel comfortable with me. But then since at that
time ano, parang we already agreed that all females will be with me, tapos all
males will be with them, parang sige, we tried. But to the point nga, ang bata
will just have to stay ac- ah front sa table ba, not at the side sa faculty. Ky ah
one of the targets is on pampering ba the child, touching the child, like ah as a
form of motivation para maka-read siya. Oh we're trying to have that. So that is
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one thing nga we don't like to happen ba, nga, what if somebody… Oo. Oo.

04:10 - 04:`15 That was in your kuan Ma’am, in your methodology. Female to female.

Interviewer 1

04:12 - 04:39 That was there, oo. So. Oo, female to female, male to male. So but then you we
allowed it. The point nga, naay usa sa amo who was there actually in front. Ky
Informant 18 ang touching bitaw, di ba, that is sometimes a big issue to some parents. We
have learned these things actually along the way. So that was one of the ano
most unforgettable that I could share with you.

04:41 - 04:52 Thank you, ma'am. Ah, so just a clarification, your area of concern is more on
teaching ah teacher education, especially in children, elementary or...
Interviewer 1

04:50 - 05:08 Oo. No, no. I am ano specializing English language for for all across. But then
at that time kasi in our group, I was the only BSED and I was the only one
Informant 18 teaching college. So the rest were BEED. So I have to go with them.

05:08 - 05:19 Okay. Okay. Okay, ma'am. So ah can we ask what were the ethical parameters
that you considered in your study? And what were the steps that you took
Interviewer 1 during the conduct of your study?

05:19 - 11:11 Ah ethical parameters. So one of the parameters that we saw ah, we we used
was on ano, kanang first thing ana sa I I don't consider it parameter ha, but these
Informant 18 are the measures that we did during that study. Ah that's the last thing I
remembered kasi. The others kasi involves only ah language and the book.
Kana ganing. So this one involves human. So ah, kanang kuan ah first thing is
on how we deal, how we talk. Because there are cases kasi in our research, we
we are aware. Kasi language teachers kami ano. So we are aware of these
languages that might hurt someone. We are too extra careful of these things to
the point that we have to sit down first and then we have to rephrase this one in
Bisaya ta ky I do not know much about Bisaya so I might be using a language
that is inappropriate for a certain person or ah considering that these children
are coming from the depressed areas of Cebu. So I might be using a language
which is improper for them. Pero sa ako, na I thought it's normal oo, oo. So I
have to ano. I have to we have actually to ask our classmates who are from
Cebu. At least naa mi ah... Three, oo, three classmates who are really from Cebu
City and close to that area who we seek for help na, could you help us translate
this one to the language that is used in that area? To the lingua franca of the
area? Because we are actually ano ah we are considering that one nga it might
violate their ano their ah their beliefs. That's part naman of the ano of the
ethical standards (inaudible). Another is on ano yun nga yung isa is gender,
about gender that we have male to male, female to female. Tapos the other one
is on… (mumbling) Ah the ano the seeking of information, we really have ano
we really have to to tell the respondents that, especially the parents, kasi we're
 295

dealing with children a lot of the time. That these are the things that we only
need to have. You don't need to write your name. We don't we don’t need to
write ah the name of the children. Actually, it's just coding, diba? But then,
however, yun nga, because a parent or two didn't like the idea, so we have to
look for another one.

Yes, mahirap naman, diba? We have to ah we have to insist ourselves. They

don't like that. Tapos it might actually tarnish our work diba? And the university
I'm bearing with (laughs). So, oh, basig mag-ingon sila? La, taga-VSU yun. So,
anyway, so another thing is on ano is on ah, what do you call this one, ah with
respect to the respondents' ah answers ba, we keep it private, regardless of the
results. If there are parents who would like to ask the performance of their
learn- of of their students, sige, we we give it. But, however, I always ask my
ano my my co-members na okay lang. Because this parent naman siya.
Actually, tatlo lang naman ang nag-ask. Out of 15, I guess, tatlo lang ang nag-
ask. And this one of the parents is very insistent siya. Because parang, I do not
know, I do not like to conclude, pero she's the the only mother na parang nag-
insist gud siya to know the performance of her learner. Oh that was the time
that, oh, sige, we consider that. Of course, ah sometimes, ah there are cases
wherein our pupils have to be segregated ba for for reading without intervention
from parents. Kasi there are parents who are, ana, coaching, oo (laughs). So,
what we did is we tried to talk with the parent, or not really, nga, ma'am, we
need this privacy first, and then later maybe you can stay with us noh for some
sessions. Okay naman sila. But there was, again, the same parent na katong
insistent talaga sa tanan who would like really to stay. And so, one of our, what
we did is, katong usa nga kuan, usa nga member namo, is very good in
speaking. He was able to persuade the mother, ma'am, this is what we are
doing, and this is what we have. So, siguro mas mabuti ngayon, we have to
isolate the child with the tu-op, because we we call us tutor. Noh because they
were thinking we are tutors, we're actually researchers. Oo. So, para ma-
concentrate ang bata. So anyway, so far, they understood naman the situation.
So, with that study naman, we didn't find any problem with regards to, ano,
standards, ethics, and these things. Wala naman. Basta kami, before we tried to
ano we tried going out to get the re- the stu- the data, what we did is was ah i
mean what we did was discuss first possibilities. Because it's just a good chance
that my ano my some of my members, ano na sila, parang twice na nag-
doctoral. So, they actually know what to do, oo, when it comes to dealing with
people, dealing with researchers, dealing with the evaluators of our of our
questionnaires. Oh, they know exactly what to do.

11:14 – 11:22 So, ah can we ask the if what specific ethical standards in the conduct of your
study involving human participants do you know of, ma'am?
Interviewer 1

11:23 – 11:24 Ah, specific?

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Informant 18

11:24 – 11:50 Like, ah we have this in our… Oh anonymity, (inaudible), and safety. Are these
kuan… terms familiar? Ah, did you give an informed consent, do you know?
Interviewer 1 Did you give an informed consent to the parent or to the children that you...

11:50 – 12:01 Ah, okay. Oo. Yes, yes. Uhm what we did is at the beginning, ano, kasi diba
after the getting of the names, what we did is we visited them from one home to
Informant 18 another.

12:02 – 12:04 Where did you get the information of the students Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

12:03 - 14:30 Ah from the barangay captain. Oo, from the barangay captain kasi we're
targeting... First thing is, ano, sa barangay captain because we need the actual
Informant 18 guardian, kung sino ang guardian name sa parents. Pero ang sa bata, sa school
nila. It's the school who provided us. But before that, I have no idea whether
they seek permission or or not. Basta they just provided. We we wrote a letter,
they provided us this, ano, with these names of children with below average na
na reading capability. And so we contacted the parent because part ng study
namin is the parent involvement. Oo. And the influence. So we went to the
barangay captain kasi itong nangyari, ano, this is what we had discovered the
very first thing. The parent's name was there in the school. Pero they're not
actually, some of them were not really living with the parents. They were living
with guardians or ate or such. So what we did is we went really to the barangay.
Oo. Just to see kasi good thing in that barangay, they have the record of this
guardian, children, number of children. Kasi diba during 1919, just in time, the
pandemic, there were updates, lots of updates, oo, from the barangay. So there
we were able to get, oo, parang census. There were we were able to get the
names. So it was just good for us. So ah, but then however, we signed some
papers that after that, after after receiving the names of this children, no, not the
children, aw of the parents or guardian, is we have to go back to the barangay
captain and and see who responded. And then parang dito sa anu namon, sa
among gipirmahan are things that we will have to tell the purpose, why what we
are going to do, why we are conducting these things and make them sure that
they have understood. Ca- Or otherwise, parang we will not continue unless
there are uncertainties on the part of the parents of the respondents. So parang,
and it really happened, there were two or three siguro gihapon na they didn't
like or they they questioned us. Parang sila lang muna, huwag muna kami. Like
that. Oo.

14:30 – 14:37 Ma’am just a follow-up question. I would like to ask ma'am, how did you know
that these things should be accomplished para in the conduct of your study?
Interviewer 1
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14:38 – 15:48 Ah because I've been hearing that when I had my masteral that we have to ano
we have to consider these ethical standards. Ah one of my studies before was on
Informant 18 a a qualitative study about ah the language of, unsa to, kanang, how do I say
this, it's the language between ah borders. Oo. So what happened is I have to
interview people and I was warned about that before, that you have to consider
these things, oo, if they don't like. So I was reminded by that from the Leyte
Normal before, which I carried when I had my post-studies. So, and then so
lucky that I had these classmates who are also on their second time sa pag-
doctoral, so I was able to to remember these things. Oo. And here in VSU also,
we are practicing that with the BSEM, (inaudible) ah, Environmental Science. I
usually sit with the committee for the revision so I could see these things, the
parts, and say, oy, bakit may ganyan? What did you do with that?

So I was able to be reminded of these things too.

15:49 – 15:59 Did you, ah, if these ethical parameters, did you try to really submit these
papers?
Interviewer 1

15:59 Submit where?

Informant 18

16:00 - 16:03 Ah, to an ethical research committee, Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

16:04 – 16:09 Ah, sa kuan sa CNU, yes. It's a requirement.

Informant 18

16:10 - 16:13 So you really passed?

Interviewer 1

16:13 Yes, yes, yes.

Informant 18

16:14 So it's an ethical review?

Interviewer 1

16:05 - 16:23 Yes, yes, yes. Even if it is just a requirement for the semester. Even if it's just a
requirement for the semester, we really have to check.
Informant 18

16:23 - 16:31 So CNU has their own research ethics committee and you pass it there before
 298

Interviewer 1 you got the (inaudible)

16:26 - 16:52 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.. It just happened that Dr. Dirasin, one, my usual, parang
every every sem she was my professor of my ano majors, oo kasi
Informant 18 sociolinguistics. Ah, she's part of the committee. So usually the paper, she
brings the paper and then the following day or another day she will bring that.
Okay na siya, and there are signatures there.

16:55 – 17:07 Okay. So let's go to, what were the steps you've taken Ma’am to ensure the
safety of your ah participants before? Like uhm physical safety?
Interviewer 1
Or emotional safety?
17:07 - 17:09

Interview 1

17:09- 19:37 Ah, okay. Yes, yes, oo. Ah, let's talk first about the physical safety, the
conditions around. So surely, ano, when we conduct researches, in general na
Informant 18 lang ha, when we conduct researches involving human, what we do is when
information are sensitive, ah for example, like performance of this, these are
very private for them. Oo. And usually it's either, it's either they will boost, it
will boost their ego or put down their ego. So what we did is we do it in a
secluded area. Like what I mean secluded is it's a closed door, (inaudible) lang,
but with children, we have parents at one corner. Oo, that is what we usually
do. So sa balay naman, kay, this was a problem, ano, because there were
children around. Kanang baguhan lang mo sa lugar tapos there are lots of
marites around. Oo. (inaudible) So we have to wait. That's why sometimes in a
day, we can only have three respondents because we have to wait to let these
children settle. Ano wala, so you know, when children are there, ano, they get
tired. And wala naman ginagawa. So they would run. Oo. So what we, we wait
really. Kasi in the first place, our activity needs concentration. Diba sa reading,
oo. So that is one thing. And we just cannot drive them away in the first place.
They might be living there. We do not know exactly. So ah what else? Ang sa
kuan naman is we, well, in most researches naman kasi we go to their house.
We never invite them outside. So in terms of security, I guess they are secured
inside their homes. Kami ang hindi secured (laughs). Oo. Pero in, sa ano
naman, sa halimbawa, ah, we, ah yes, this is one. There was a time that we were
conducting this research and a neighbor barged in. Parang a neighbor of the
respondent barged in. And I said, sos, kana bang, very, all these people, they
don't believe in these things that we are doing. It's only for genius and these
things. Oo, ano ba. So what we did is we tried to talk with the person. Ma'am,
maybe we can talk later. Oo we can talk later because we are still doing
sessions. Or maybe you can observe, ma'am, you know baka may input ka.
Because she was suggesting something which we did not understand. Oo, baka
may input ka mamaya. So we will try to interview you. That's what we did.
Pero at the end, she went away naman. She didn't ask for an interview na.
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19:38 – 19:43 Okay Ma’am. So did you give any incentives to your participants, Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

19:45 - 20:11 What do you mean incentive? Any? Oo. Ah to participants. Oo. Especially for
children, oo. We give the candies. Tapos for the parents, we give this ano salad.
Informant 18 Kanang salad ingredients basic lang ha. Kanang unsa na, sometimes spaghetti.
Depends sa available sa kuan sa grocery. Diba there are packs naman nga tung
worth 200 ingana nga mga salad. We give that one as token.

20:12 - 20:16 Personally, for you, do you think that incentives are ethical Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

20:16 - 20:43 I don’t think so, pero kasi for me lang ha, I don’t think so because hindi na siya
nagcre-create ng volunteerism. Oo. They’re waiting. They’re waiting nga an
Informant 18 incentive is given after this. People, you can feel naman while you are on the
interview, the process of of getting your information. They they will participate
because there is an incentive waiting.

20:43 - 20:44 So do you think, ah..

Interviewer 1

20:46 - 20:47 How does it affect your data gathering?

Interviewer 2 Do you think it influences (inaudible)

20:51 - 21:24 Yes, yes, yes. Oo. Yes. Exa-, naka-affect gud na siya (laughs). Kasi ang interest
diba, ang interest nila oo. And usually, parang the energy is very low when they
Informant 18 don’t (inaudible). But the first time, especially ang ano ang kanang first
interviewee kasi wala siyang nakikita that we have given. Pero kung last na,
because people were telling that barangay ay they were with me ay bigyan kayo
ng ganito. My God (laughs). So what if wala na kaming dala.

21:25 - 21:33 Okay Ma’am. So let’s move on to the next question kanang what were the risks
and benefits of your study and how did you adhere to that?
Interviewer 1

21:33 – 22:33 Ah first benefit ah for that study alone ha the one that I was referring to. That
was actually intended for children to increase their reading potentials.
Informant 18 Especially because they were grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, whose level of
comprehension were still kindergarten. Could not read at all talaga. Because we
found out that there were two types of readers from this group lang ha. Those
who could not really read, and those who can pronounce words but does not
understand, do not understand what they’re reading. Oo. So what we did is ah,
we tried segregating them. It was quite difficult kasi, well these children are
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parang wala sa sarili (laughs) because their concentration is different it’s not on
the studies. It’s not on the stu- very very difficult to deal with. Oo.

22:34 - 22:40 Okay, Ma’am. How about your raw data Ma’am, the materials that you used,
who had access to them and how did you keep them?
Interviewer 1

22:40 – 23:13 Ah, oo. Ang ang encoder ako (laughs). So I’m alone at home at that time I had a
boarding house I was so alone and the laptop’s always with me so I was pretty
Informant 18 sure and hundred percent to two hundred percent sure nobody was able to peep
in. Except ang raw data Ma’am ha until such time na-interpret namo so the
people who was able to see that were my group members, our teacher, plus,
however in the presentation, everyone was able to see it pero not the raw data
it’s just the result. With codes na yun ha, no names, nothing.

23:14 Okay, Ma’am.

Interview 1

23:14 - 23:17 Boy one, boy two, boy three, ana.

Informant 18

23:18 Yes, Ma’am.

Interviewer 2

23:18 - 23:24 Ah, right now Ma’am, what do you think are the hindrances when dealing with
human subjects in research?
Interviewer 1

23:25 - 25:17 Ay, kadaghan (laughs). Ah mga hindrances, one, we don’t like, some some ha
some (inaudible), especially those who are not aware about researches, who do
Informant 18 not believe about researches. They don’t like to participate. They don’t like to
communicate. They do not like information. What’s that for? Because first thing
they would say, it does not benefit us at all. Diba, oo. Second thing, it’s, what
the question again, ah hindrances ayun. Okay, so the next hindrance is on ano,
uhm, long distance. Halimbawa, ang researcher ngadto pa sa layo na kuan,
that’s a very big problem. Kita naman na researcher diba we go, we do not ask
them to come to us. Oo. And that’s a one big problem. Our safety, as researcher,
is number one problem. Whether you say it’s just in the city but the area is has
many dogs, diba, or has criminals, because it’s not a safety place. Halimbawa,
squatters area we have done a study about that on the squatters area it’s very
dangerous. This is one of the hindrances we, there were respondents whom we
did not interview anymore, around four or five because they live at the end of
the squatters area. Tapos they told us, Ma’am, inig hawa nimo Ma’am, wa na
kay wallet. Susmaryosep. That’s one of the ano hindrancefs that I see. Another
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is ano, lack of information. Lack of information on, or lack or disinterested

about new information both on the part of the researcher ky naay researcher for
the compliance only. Diba? Oo. And we have also respondents who are not
really interested basta wala lang, don’t touch them. These are, these are the
things I see. Mga hindrances makuha nato sa ila.

25:19 - 25:33 Okay, Ma’am. For the researchers side na pud Ma’am. How do you think ah,
what do you think are the hindrances in complying with ethical standards, local
Interviewer 1 guidelines, and national guidelines?

25:28 Asa ato nga part?

Informant 18

25:30 - 25:37 Like you submitted your paper adtos CNU Ma’am, what are your hindrances in
adhering to these protocols that they have?
Interviewer 2

25:39 - 26:40 Well (laughs), since that researches ano are kept by our professors, I have no
more access with them anymore, except for the raw data that I have, except for
Informant 18 the soft copy that I have. Then, question is that if you do not trust I do not know
these are just ah this was just a result of the discussions with ano parang wrap
sessions with my classmates. Ah like what happened to one of our researches,
ah we had this idea that our teacher continued the research without our consent.
Parang nabasa niya nga this is so familiar and I think this is our work. So that
was the thing na parang ano ba sa amo nga part that’s one of the hindrance nga,
should we still continue researching for more in the future when some people
are just using us. Parang ito kanang issue I do not know how you can translate
but that’s the issue that we have.

26:44 - 27:00 Okay, Ma’am so I think that’s the last question. What are your views or
perceptions in the creation of a research ethics committee here in VSU and how
Interviewer 1 do you think would it help the researchers, and how would you think it would
benefit the university?

27:01 - 29:03 Okay, uhm well, actually oo, actually that’s a good idea, having the research
committee in the VSU. In the first place, ah, ang as a researcher muna ha, as a
Informant 18 researcher we are able to see what we must do. It serves as our guide kasi, what
we can do, what we must do, and improve what we are practicing when it
comes to ano, dealing with other people in our researches. Sa students naman,
sa part ng student, there’s only, ano lang, ah, it will help ah the students in
carrying out the research properly. Like there was a time before ah, ang student
was able to, in my education class, the student uhm, when we actually agreed na
you don’t have to show the names, all of a sudden, one of their slides showed
the names of the pupils and I immediately shut it down. Why did you do that
and then Dr. (inaudible said, what did you do? Ma’am dili pwede, I said, delete,
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delete, delete (laughs). Kana lang ako nakuan ba. So because at that time, ah,
the one that was submitted to us was the right one. But the one that they used
during the presentation has names which I told them before, you delete these
things. Just write codes. So I guess, you see with that kind of student is able to
know exactly at which point lang dapat nila gawin ang ang tama at yung mali
diba. They should know these things. Pero here in Alangalang, ah, I think we
have to further strengthen that one. Much more that our students do not know
really much about it, noh. But ba, not only some teachers.

29:03 - 29:15 Ma’am I have a follow-up question lang in regards to what you said earlier
Ma’am. Ah, what do you why do think it happened, Ma’am? Like your ah
Interviewer 2 professor is somewhat stealing your work?

29:15 - 31:28 Ay. It’s not, I do not know if you call it stealing. This was actually a classmate
of mine who told us that our work, she saw our work. Ah, she thinks and she
Informant 18 feels that it’s our work. Because parang ang kanang usa na teacher namo at that
time, was also her teacher in one of her subjects. Pero dili mi mag classmates
adto. Oo. Pero that teacher is a part-timer of of that institution. She feels
because she, the flow of the literatures, the same, the methodology were the
same. You know if you make it you can really feel it’s yours. Oo. You have this
feeling. Oh that is what she said. But I didn’t saw it personally. But that is what
she said because she was in tears. And the only thing she was saying grabe,
grabe. That was the thing that she was saying. I do not know maybe that was
only ah how she feels pero until such time that I I will see it then I will have to
believe in it. Oo. That is what she shared to us. Because there were three of us
in the group. And she was the only one who’s there. And that that time, siya
lang ang estudyante sa among tulo sa same professor that we had. (inaudible)
Do you still remember our work when we were in our first sem? And this is..
Yes yes I know that. I can feel ako gud tu siya ky mao nay ako gikuha didto na
information sa kuan. Those are the things that she said. Well I don’t I don’t
know. She will never be in tears if if things are not ah right diba. But I mean she
will never be in tears kung ano, kung she was not hurt of that. But she felt it.
Cause siya siya kasi ang ano eh, she did the analysis. And the results were she
said the results were almost the same. The figures, she remembers everything.
Oo. So I said, hayaan mo na. Oo.

31:28 - 31:30 Did you publish your kuan, Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

31:31 - 31:47 No. That ti- no. Because after the sem, we didn’t, she met the professor. After
that sem she met the professor that’s why she was able to tell us. Right after
Informant 18 then, nag pandemic. Di na kami nagkita that time.

Informant 19

00:02 – 00:19 So hello again, once again, I’m Angelle Caintic and this is Roque Alcaraz and
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Interviewer 1 we’re level 3 nursing students from VSU. We’re under Dr. Janet De Los Santos
and we’re conducting a research about the assessment of faculty researchers
with their researches involving human participants.

00:20 – 00:21 Okay nice meeting you guys.

Informant 18

00:22 – 00:35 Okay Ma’am so our first question Ma’am will be how do you define ethical
research and can you share your previous experiences on creating research that
Interviewer 1 involved human participants?

00:36 – 01:27 Ah, I’m conducting research involving not in- not necessarily involving humans
as the subject because I’m in the Department of Crop Science so my research is
Informant 19 more about crops. And the involvement of men there, are they they ah they
serve as my laborers, my research assistants, noh. Yes, so the subject matter, the
experimental unit are is not human, noh, they are just some sort of parang
helpers or yeah my partners in doing some research. But my experiment my
experiments is more on crops. So it’s a biological research.

01:27 – 01:29 You’re more experimental research, Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

01:29 – 01:33 Yeah, not, na siguro, it’s not a social research.

Informant 19

01:34 – 01:38 How do you describe Ma’am that you had participants such as farmers?

Interviewer 1

01:38 Yeah.

Informant 19

01:38 Okay Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

01:39 – 01:55 Ah, because uhm, after research, I have to share research results. If it’s good,
it’s worth sharing to farmers. So that’s the time that I have to deal with farmers
Informant 19 to to share my results.

01:55 – 02:01 Have you have, have you had published ah studies Ma’am that…
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Interviewer 1

02:02 – 02:40 Ah I am in the process of publishing my researches for the first year of our
implementation. Also because ah, diba you’re concerned more ah on dealing
Informant 19 with people, ethical noh research. So I don’t think ah we’re rocking on the same
boat or because you’re subject or you are much concerned on research that
deals with human as subject for your research. As pa gud as respondents of your
research.

02:42 – 02:45 Yes, Ma’am. Ah so wala jud kay…

Interviewers

02:45 – 03:20 Because that’s a social research, for me it’s a social research. But when you say
that I have experience dealing with people regarding my research, yes I have.
Informant 19 Because I can, after my research and then based on my ah recent experience
noh, I found out that my research result is worth sharing. Ah, so I have to go to
communities noh and gather people, the farmers of course, likely who are
interested about the results of my research.

03:20 – 03:36 Ah, for clarification, it’s more ah about sharing and showing of results, pero not
like dili necessary like, not really assessment of their application. Walay ingon
Interviewer 1 ana Ma’am?

03:29 – 03:32 Not really like the main subject of your research.

Interviewer 2

03:36 – 03:46 Wala. Ang inyo unsa murag akong ikuan iassess nako ang unsa man? The
behavior of the people towards kuan something like that?
Informant 19

03:42 – 03:46 Like ang kuan… Yes Ma’am. Yes Ma’am. Or ilahang…

Interviewer 1

03:45 – 03:54 Like the ano, like how the farmers use this and that, how the farmers implement
this that that.
Interviewer 2

03:54 – 05:13 Ah there are, based on our experience, because I work in the third district of
Leyte, noh the towns comprising of Villaba, Tabango, uhm San Isidro, Calubian
Informant 19 and Leyte-Leyte. Ah, talking about the the response of farmers, when we shared
to them our research results, it’s different. Naay mga farmers na ku-, by just ah,
they show interest, noh.

Naa puy uban nga just go there and listen, because siguro kanang ah makuan
sila because every time we go to these places, ah I brought along snacks, mga
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ingana ba. So just sort of fun lang. Pero makita namo ah based on their kuan
nga naa puy interest. And naa silay, naa mi mga ma identify na adapters of our
technology generated. Uhuh. So para ra ba murag there is a positive kanang
response noh. So depende gyud sa tao. So depende na sa tao kung ah if they if
they will adapt or not. So we have no control ingana.

05:14 – 05:21 But you don’t have any published kuan Ma’am, published journals jud or
articles or researches within… nga katung…
Interviewer 1

05:21 – 05:31 That deals with ano… Because I co-authored a publication on tracer study
about graduate performance of graduates graduate students.
Informant 19

05:31 – 05:32 Ah that will do I think.

Interviewers That will do, Ma’am

05:33 Yeah, so….

Informant 19

05:34 – 05:41 Could we just, ah can we focus on your experiences towards that study nalang
Ma’am if that would be okay?
Interviewer 1

05:41 – 06:08 Yeah pwede ra sad. So kung giunsa to nako pag ah, how we retrieve
information, yeah how we retrieve the strategies we made, just to have
Informant 19 information noh. Because it’s a tracer study so meaning it was conducted five
years after siguro average of five years after they graduated noh. And then mga
ingana..

06:10 – 06:20 Okay Ma’am. So let’s (inaudible) let’s just focus on that side nalang Ma’am
since that’s the research nga naay connection with human involvement ani
Interviewer 1 Ma’am.

06:11 – 06:18

Interviewer 2 Going back… Human involvement…

06:21 – 06:28

Interviewer 1 For you Ma’am what ethical standards in the content of your study involving
human participants that you know of? Kanang…

06:30 – 07:08 Mga ethical standards, uhm of course, I have ah I have to do to do some
 306

Informant 19 protocols noh. Ah in that case, we send communication to the to that person and
then copy furnish to their immediate supervisors or to the agency where they
are affiliated. So ah of course, with all the promises that ah all the answers must
be kept with utmost confidentiality. We hold on to the promise.

07:07 Uhuh.

Interviewer 2 So with these ethical parameters Ma’am let’s just go step..

07:14 – 07:16 But we pro- we we we hold on to the promise. We hold on to the promise

Informant 19

07:16 – 07:17 Yes, Ma’am. Yes, Ma’am.

Interviewers Ah let’s go step by step nalang Ma’am for more in-depth uhm ah clarification
sad ba. Ah how did you get your par- potential participants before Ma’am? How
did you..asa mn..

07:31 – 07:38 Yeah, because it’s a tracer study, we get the list from the registrar’s office.
Uhuh.
Informant 19

07:38 – 07:43 How did you get from the registrar’s office, Ma’am, what was the process that
you’ve undergone?
Interviewer 1

07:32 – 08:11 Ah cause we we sent communication. We inform the registrar that we are
having this research. Of, we submitted first the proposal to the office of
Informant 19 research director. And then ah have it approved. And then so ah, once
approved, that’s the time that we uhm, ano retrieve or we ask help from the
registrar’s office. Please ah give us the the list of students who graduated this
year. And so on.

08:11 – 08:25 Okay Ma’am so ah how did you how did the po- how did the potential ay how
did your participants have been consented? What was your process? Na murag
Interviewer 1 maka makakuhua mog consent from them?

08:26 – 09:40 Ah we did it by ah emails, ah through text noh. Kung mga reachable pa sila
through me- ah other forms of na sa multimedia. And through Google Forms
Informant 19 also. Then, uhm, because we conducted that during, ah no, before the pandemic.
So emails and that. Ah some also positively responds to us. Give us ano. But ah
one experience I had is that when, uhm, mas daghan ang ni response positively
katung na-encounter nako sila during the course of their study. Because I
happen to be a facilitator dinhi. I I work here for two decades before I went to
 307

Villaba. So ang advantage adto ky katung mga tao nigraduate nga ah nitabang
ko nila pag-facilitate sa ilang mga the completion of their degree are those
people nga wala sad nibalibad sa among request nga to answer the
questionnaires.

09:40 – 09:50 Ah did you go the process of informed consent Ma’am like did you give out,
fill, let them fill out ah informed consents or somewhat?
Interviewer 1

09:50 – 09:56 Ah, wala ra man. Wala, wala, wala uhuh.

Informant 19

09:56 – 10:04 So how did you ensure the safety of your participants Ma’am? Ah did you, did
you interview Ma’am them Ma’am? Or unsa Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

10:15 – 10:18 No. Wala. Just the form. They just fill out the the form. No, on a paper. And
then they return back to us the accomplished forms.
Informant 19

10:22 – 10:25 Did you give any incentives to your participants before Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

10:25 – 10:26 No, wala.

Informant 19

10:26 – 10:37 But in your personal, for you for you personally Ma’am, do you think ah it is
ethical to give incentives to your participants?
Interviewer 1

10:36 – 11:45 Uhm, depende sa imohang… Pero for me, it’s not, it’s not. Uhuh. Unless,
because I happen to be a respondent also of one of the researches noh. And ah, I
Informant 19 was requested to to fill out to fill out at least siguro ten sheets. So, twenty pages.
And then, after that, I just ah won- I I wondered I received a parang money
order. Money order pa to sa una. And then, what is this? It came from a kuan,
well-funded mana iyang research, well-funded. So depende siguro na. If it's a,
magdako siyag funds, then probably an incentive will do. Pero depende kung
pila lang ka question dinhaa and it won’t cost so much of the respondent to
answer noh mga pila lang I think incentive ah is not para nako is not ethical if
it’s for research purposes. Wala lang okay rana siya.

11:45 – 11:52 Do you think that incentives influence the responses of participants Ma’am?

Interviewer 1
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11:53 – 12:45 Siguro it will ah have some sort of a motivation, noh. Uhm, when we conducted
another research study for undergraduates, research study for undergraduates, I
Informant 19 used to uhm give them kuan, ky through Google forms man uhm, unsa ni, load,
load. So to answer that question, those that I gave load nga wa pa sila nagreply
sa among, wala pa sila nagsubmit ba sa sa form, paspas kaayo ang response.
Pero naa puy uban nga doesn’t care if they were given or not, doesn’t matter.
Pero naa gyuy, yeah, na kato ky dili man to mutubag siguro kung wala namo
tagaig load, noh. Pero kadtong gitaga- nakuan na wala nalang to sila, uhuh.

12:46 – 12:55 Sige Ma’am, so what were the benefits and risks of your study then how did
you adhere to them, how did you adhere to them?
Interviewer 1

12:55 – 14:07 The benefits as ah regards to the benefits, of course it will ah create and infor-
or it will provide information as to the updates of our graduates noh. Ah, where
Informant 19 they are now, to what ah job they landed after graduation, after obtaining a
degree here. So it’s a good information because you know about ah evaluation
of the school, PASUC, AACUP. So every time there’s an evaluation, the
evaluators will ask, oh what happened to your graduates? Where are they now?
Are they landing on a good job? So are your teach’ng ah effective? Are your
infor- ah are your (mumbling) the degree they obtained here are makes their life
more ano better? Or have they landed on a good job? Something like that. So ah
the benefits is the benefits is that that there is information. The school can have
their information. And it can be a good ah what is this, source of information in
curriculum. For example, curriculum development or revision of the
curriculum. Something like that.

14:08 – 14:12 How about more on benefits and risks toward the participants Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

14:13 – 14:35 Ah, okay the sides of mga participants. After siguro uhm mainform, siguro
muingon sila nga wow they they feel happy because they are being recognized.
Informant 19 Or something like that noh ingana. And then they are still ah counted uhuh.

14:39 – 14:45 Ah how did you upheld the confidentiality and anonymity of your participants
Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

14:46 – 15:17 Uhm at first, in the form, we, although we place their name, but we enclose
optional. So they have tge ano lang the the the freedom to state their name or
Informant 19 not. But it’s not important to ask. Uhm we never we never ah expose any
information to the kuan, it was just for research purposes.
 309

15:19 – 15:26 So how about your materials Ma’am that you’ve used or the raw data that you
had? How did you get them?
Interviewer 1

15:27 – 16:00 Uhm, after we consolidated all the data, so we have it analyzed statistically.
And ah we keep it, aw we publish all the the general results noh. Ah it does not
Informant 19 mean nga ma pinpoint pa tu didto kinsa tuy nag answer og wala. So that’s how
we treat data. Until now, the data is still in the in the databasen noh. So walay
kuan… Unless uhm there’s a person who is interested.

16:01 – 16:09 Okay Ma’am let’s move on to our next question. So what do you think are the
hindrances when dealing with human participants Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

16:10 – 16:34 Ah, sometimes moody sila. And ah depende sad sa ilahang, naa puy di gyud
mureply noh so mao sad na ang problema. Oh, dili sad, naay dili kasabot nga
Informant 19 unsay iyang kuan, ky wala lang gyud. Ma-seen ang message, no reply, no no
comments or whatever. So mga ingana sad ba.

16:36 16:41 Just to validate Ma’am it has something to do with the cooperation of the
participants that’s one of the hindrance.
Interviewer 2

16:39 16:45 Yeah, thank you for that. Naa puy uncooperative.

Informant 19

16:45 – 16:48 How how did you cope up with that Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

16:48 – 17:20 Ay of course, we have to replace. Because we have to ah, the requirement there
for us to have a conclusive result is at least 30% of the population. 30% of the
Informant 19 population should be ah evaluated or should be should have a, this is kanang
respondents nga after 30% to make to make our research results ah conclusive.
So kung dili nato, we have to look for another possible ano replacement.

17:23 – 17:30 So, ah, did you submit this research Ma’am to an, to a research ethics
committee?
Interviewer 1

17:30 – 18:06 Yes, uhuh. We, here, naa dinihiay, ah, because we publish that. We publish that
so prior to the publication, there are mga ah peer reviewers uhuh. So we
Informant 19 believe that we, ah before it was published, it went it underwent several ano
stages. And one of it probably was the ethical, the ethics behind publication
 310

because of the peer-reviewing, ah peer-reviewed process.

18:07 – 18:11 But do you happen to know, ma’am, what ethical committee reviewed your
paper?
Interviewer 1

18:09 – 18:12
Like a, ah accredited?
Interviewer 2

18:12 – 18:26 Ah, we have no knowledge kung kinsa to because it was a blind, a double blind
evaluation. So both parties do not know kinsa ni nga author or kinsa pud ni ang
Informant 19 evaluator.

18:24 – 18:27 Where did, where did this happen, man ma’am?

Interviewer 1

18:27 – 18:31 Ah, when we submitted that, din- where, where?

Informant 19

18:31 – 18:33 Asa ninyo gisubmit imo…?

Interviewer 1

18:33 – 18:45 Sa kuan na publication, parang, unsa man to nga publisher uy? I cannot recall,
pero it’s an international publication.
Informant 19

18:47 – 18:55 Publication publication (inaudible) it’s not really an ethics committee Ma’am
that focuses on ethical aspects of your research?
Interviewer 1

18:55 – 19:10 I’m not sure of that. Siguro, before it was published, siguro that publisher has
some kind of that ethical committee. Siguro siguro they have.
Informant 19

19:10 – 19:12 You personally, ma’am, you did not pass it to any?

Interviewer 1

19:12 – 19:26 Wala, wala, wala. And we, we authors, we just receive comments, noh, ah that
you have to kuan it, the the paper you submitted lacks this particular ana... So,
Informant 19 that’s it.

19:29 – 19:40 But you are familiar with this ah research ethical committee, ma’am, that we ah
 311

Interviewer 1 researchers need to adhere with when they are dealing with human participants?

19:40 – 19:57 I think it’s important. And it’s helpful noh to you know to come up with quality
research results and quality publication. So, it has to go through yeah parang
Informant 19 helpful din ang ethical committeee.

19:58 – 20:00 You are familiar with this Ma’am?

Interviewer 1

20:00 – 21:14 Yeah, because nowadays, especially karon nga naa nay mga what is this, mga
intel- ah artificial intelligences like that, diba? And ah the chance of you know
Informant 19 duplication of research mga ingon ana, and in the authorship, for example, if
dili ka nag-participate niana na research, you have no involvement, yet because
ikaw ang department head or ikaw ang director, you have to be included in the
authorship. So, that should be part of the ethical, noh. Because some, I just
happen because I I submitted also papers for publication. And then ah there was
a question nga are these people involved here are really directly involved in
your research or they are just doing ministerial or kanang administrative lang?
For example, ang director of research, dili siya pwede mu mu-author siya. It’s
because he is the director or she is the director. He, somebody should be
involved in the research, actively involved in the research. And that’s unethical
if you are the president, for example. Bisag president ka dinha pero wala man
ka nag-involve sa ila research dapat dili ka part of the authorship.

21:15 – 21:33 Okay, Ma’am. So ah, do you know ah, let’s just, I just want to know if these are,
do you know any of these kuan Ma’am kanang mga PHREB, or EVHRDC? Do
Interviewer 1 you know any any research ethical committees, ma’am?

21:35 – 22:39 Ah, actually, first time to hear mga naay committee pero ay actually bisan og
wala juy formal nga creation of an ethical committee, pero I think before the
Informant 19 kuan ah the research is being approved, ni-undergo na siya some sort of
evaluation by people, by some people, nga knowledgeable of their kuan, some
experts. So, siguro wala lang jud specific nga ethical committee to evaluate
research. Pero ah based on my on on my experience, naa gyud siguro naay
nagbuhat ana because naa may gitawag namo og technical working group. The
technical working group siguro serves as the ethic, pero iba gyud noh diba? Iba
ang ethical committee kaysa technical working group because they ah they’re
they’re going into the technical aspect of your research, where the ethical is ah
more on the humanly, yeah more on the human factor, if you are not violating
some like the human rights.

22:40 – 22:50 So, what do you think, ma’am, are the hindrances of researchers complying
with these ethical standards or submitting their researches to ERC’s Ma’am?
Interviewer 1

22:51 22:52 Ah unsa nang ERC’s… kanang?

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Informant 19

22:52 – 22:53 Ethical Research Committee.

Interviewers

22:54 – 23:43 Siguro because kung they are uhm what is this, murag negative sila to submit
their research under sa ethical stan- aw sa committee because their methodology
Informant 19 probably doesn’t, is not ano kanang ah naa bay mga wala niagi gyud og uhm
unsa ni, something nga murag muingon ko na siguro they are hiding something
ingana nga makadaot sa usa ka tao noh. Mao na nga negative sila nganong
muagi-agi pa ani, muagi pa man jd ka ana nga committee. Unya sometimes also
makuan sila sa ilang ego nga I am better than those people who are evaluating
for them. Diba ingana. Kinsa gud na sila. Mga, naa puy mga researchers nga
attitude ingon ana.

23:44 – 23:49 But in your experience, ma’am, in your experience, what are your hindrances
personally?
Interviewer 2

23:51 – 24:23 Ah so far, wala koy experience nga gi-turn down akong proposal sa research
proposal ky tungod ky wala siya ni un- ni-undergo sa ethical standards. For
Informant 19 example, ug wala siya nakuan. Because when I conceptualize the research, I
made it a point nga sa methodology pa lang daan, dapat ethical na noh, nga
wala koy maligsan na mga tao. Uhuh. So far I have submitted three proposals
and i, ikuan siya na-approve siya.

24:26 – 24:41 So I think we’re on to the last question. So what are your views or perceptions
about the creation of a research ethics committee here in VSU and how do you
Interviewer 1 think this would help the researchers and the university as a whole?

24:41 – 25:32 Yeah it’s a uhm, in addition to the technical working group noh, who deals
mostly on the technical aspect of your research, I think the creation of an ethical
Informant 19 committee noh that will examine or verify the mga unsa ni, ah the ethical
standards that follows the ethical standards or the kanang on the humanly side
of your research is also beneficial for kanang mga what is this, for a more
quality research yeah. A more quality research. Wala wala pa man na diria.
Wala pay ethical committee.

25:31 – 25:34 It’s one of the stepping stones Ma’am.

Interviewer 1

25:36 – 26:00 But if especially ha, ah such committee is highly ah, it should be uhm, should
examine on more on the social science, social science researches uhuh. Mga
Informant 19 socio, sociological science. Socio-, ah social science research. Pero pwede pud
sila sa technical. Pwede pud sila sa technical.
 313

26:01 – 26:17 So I just want to clarify something to evaluate something Ma’am. So earlier,
you mentioned that your paper is being peer-reviewed journal so you can say
Interviewer 1 that your paper is ethically compliant by just being reviewed by the peer journal
instead of being reviewed by an ethical committee?

26:15 – 26:30 Ah yeah, I can say that. Because dili na ma-publish kung, because yeah,
because ah peer-reviewed is does not mean only one diba? Daghan pud na sila.
Informant 19

Informant 20

00:0 – 00:06 Okay so, so I would like to ask Sir as to how do you define ethical research?

00:07 – 00:12 Ethical research. Ethical research is a research about ethics (laughs).

Informant 20

00:16 – 00:19 Okay sir, so…

Interviewer 1

00:19 – 00:24 Ethical research is a research that undergoes ethical standards. Kana siya.

Informant 20

00:24 - 00:35 So, can you share Sir, your previous experiences on creating a research that
involved human participants?
Interviewer 1

00:35 - 00:37 Ah, experience lang?

Informant 20

00:38 - 00:40 Experience or studies, researches?

Interviewer 1

00:40 - 00:47 I have a lot of researches that involves human, mga survey questions, mao ra
siya basic research.
Informant 20
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00:48 - 00:56 I would like to ask Sir, what is your area of concern in conducting a research or
field gyud, Sir na focus gyud nimo sa research.
Interviewer 1

00:56 - 00:58 Mathematics education.

Informant 20

00:59 - 01:05 Mathematics education, Sir. So, you're more like on the, what scope, Sir?
Behavior, personality?
Interviewer 1

01:05 - 01:13 It's more on, it's more on performance, student performances. Yeah.

Informant 20

01:12 – 01:21 Student performances. Okay, so, what ethical standards, Sir, in the conduct of
your study involving human participants, you know of?
Interviewer 1

01:23 – 01:33 Ah, permission, asking permission. Kana, then, voluntary participation. And
then, confidentiality of data. Mao na siya ako nahibawan about ethical
Informant 20 standards.

01:34 – 01:38 Okay, Sir. So, how relevant it is to adhere to these standards, Sir?

Interviewer 1

01:38 – 01:43 Very relevant in the sense that we have to protect the integrity of our
respondents.
Informant 20

01:44 – 01:53 Okay Sir, so, I would like to ask about the ethical parameters that you
considered in your research. So, how did you like recruit your participants?
Interviewer 1

01:53 - 02:03 Ah, voluntary participation, ana lang, random selection, then informing them to
gather aw to answer the questionnaire.
Informant 20

02:04 – 02:08 Okay, Sir. So, most of your participants, Sir, were students?

Interviewer 1

02:10 – 02:16 Ay yeah, most of my participants were students, especially in the student
research.
Informant 20
 315

02:17 – 02:18 How about other studies, Sir?

Interviewer 1

02:18 – 02:26 On my other studies, I had ah faculty members from different universities.

Informant 20

02:27 - 02:37 Okay, Sir. So, how did you, like, what steps did you take, Sir, in considering the
safety of your participants?
Interviewer 1

02:37 – 03:09 Safety of participants? First is, ah I ask at their convenient time. And then, I met
them on their uhm on their preferred place and location, or sa classroom setting,
Informant 20 like during our class. Then, I also, in some cases, like, I will ah call them, kung
kanusa sila available. Ig kahuman nako call, coordinate sa date and time, para
mahatag ang questionnaire. Ana siya

03:09 – 03:32 Okay, Sir. So, considering that your your most of your research, Sir, ky students
man noh ang imo participants, and their about their performance, so, are there
Interviewer 1 any parameters Sir or considerations that did you take about emotional safety,
psychological safety, or their emotional and psychological risks?

03:32 - 04:07 Ah emotional and psychological risk, yes, at some point, kanang I have to make
sure nga they are they are they are comfortable. Sa co- sa con- comfortable sila
Informant 20 condition or comfortable sila sa location. Ky ma ma ila emotional stability ky
ma affected man pud kung dili sila comfortable. Mao na murag like in short,
sila jud ang ako ipa like like kana individual na mga study aw individual ang
pag gather sa data, I have to make sure nga sila jud ang mu indicate sa place
and time. Ana siya.

04:07 - 04:54 So, how about, have you, how about, aw have you tried, Sir, encountering such
experiences na, for example, there were doubts about themselves noh. For
Interviewer 1 example, Sir, I'm also interested in your field, Sir, ky mathematics and the
performance of the students. And, for example, as to myself, who is also murag
struggling in math, you know. Murag kanang, if I try to answer or naay
respondents na maka-experience og self-doubt, kuan diay ang ako performance
in mathematics, Sir, were are there any potential or anticipated Sir na
parameters nimo Sir? For the circumstances?

04:52 - 05:29 Ah so far, I didn't have I didn’t have any considerations ana nga mga matter. Ky
ang ako man gud kuan is, close-ended questions man gud. Oh mga close-ended
Informant 20 questions ra. Like kanang katung survey sa attitude towards mathematics, then
ilahang kanang perceived behavior, aw perceived effect of this technology
towards mathematics. Dili ra kaayo kuan siya dili ra kaayo sensitive na mga
questions.
 316

05:29 - 05:35 Okay, Sir. So, have you tried, Sir, giving incentives to your participants?

Interviewer 1

05:35 - 06:10 Incentives? Incentives sa participants? Incentives? Ah so far, I didn't wala koy
mga mga incentives. Murag voluntary, It’s because voluntary wala, wala jud
Informant 20 like in my previous sa katung sa Silliman nako na study, wala gyud to siya.
Then sa ako mga students, katung sa San Carlos wala man ko nag incentive.
Unya katung dinhia pud sa VSU, wala sad pud ko nag incentive. Wa ko nag
incentive siya.

06:10 – 06:18 Okay, Sir. But do you think, if ever, kuan, do you think that incentives have an
impact?
Interviewer 1

06:18 - 06:26 Yeah, I believe it ha- it has an impact. Kanang mas ano sila mas well-motivated
sila to ano to to respond.
Informant 20

06:28 – 06:43 So kuan, Sir, uhm may, aw would you mind, Sir, if I ask, would you mind, Sir,
if I ask as to how many years ang imo experience in the field of research?
Interviewer 1

06:43 - 07:30 Ah I started conducting research in 2027. 2027, that was my first research. No,
wait, wait. No, no, 27, 2007, sorry. No, naa pa jud diay before that was 2004.
Informant 20 Then, after that, nag 2007. Nag-stop sag pila ka years. So, 2000 ano 2003, then
2007, dayun 2011, onwards na 2023 mao na siya. First ky 2003, then 2007, then
2011 na dayun, and then straight nga 2023.

07:30 - 07:47 Okay, Sir. So, Master of Research, you can say. I would like to ask, Sir, if what
are the benefits sa katung imo participants before Sir during the conduct of your
Interviewer 1 study? What do you think were the benefits that they will be able to get?

07:38 - 08:32 In participating? From their from their… But their benefit, their benefits? From
the.. Akong study. Ang mga benefit nga ilang nakuha sa akong study is ah,
Informant 20 kanang relevant information. Like ky after after after naa nakoy conclusion naa
nakoy findings, ako man ishare sa ilaha nga this is the findings especially if
published na siya. I’m going to share them the, I’m going to share to them the
kanang results ba sa kanang published publications na, arun makahibaw sila
unsay result, ana siya. Then other than that ky, wala na. Mao na siya.

08:32 - 08:43 So, earlier, I have mentioned about the risks, Sir, emotional and psychological.
Are there any risks here as general in participation of your study?
Interviewer 1

08:43 - 08:44 Risk on the part of the participants?

Informant 20
 317

08:45 - 08:46 Yes, Sir.

Interviewer 1

08:47 – 09:05 Risk on the part of the participants? I think, no. It's because more most of my
study is a social science research man gud. Like wala siyay mga, wala siyay
Informant 20 mga chemical or wala siyay wala siyay mga potential harm actually ky social
science research man akoa jud.

09:06 - 09:15 Okay Sir. So, how will confidentiality, oh how will confidentiality and
anonymity of your participants be upheld? Or how did you?
Interviewer 1

09:15 – 09:45 How did I upheld? Like, after after having received the data, then, all the data
are well-kept, stored. Stored siya then after data analysis ikept na pud siya
Informant 20 inside an envelope then i-keep kyud nako siya sa amo balay or sa boarding
house when I was in Dumagete and Cebu. Then, after that sealed na gyud siya.
Even until now ky naka-seal gihapon siya wa nako siya gipanglabay ky for
further ano wa gyud siya.

09:46 - 09:48 How long man Sir ang existing karon?

Interviewer 1

09:48 – 09:56 Ang existing karon in fact ang ako mga survey questionnaire pag 2003 ky na pa
gihapon hangtud karon. Sealed pa sa among balay.
Informant 20

09:56 - 10:00 You mean, Sir, from 2004?

Interviewer 1

10:00 – 10:04 2003. From 2003, katung akoa oh, naa sa among balay.

Informant 20

10:05 - 10:08 Do you have any plans to like shred your data, Sir?

Interviewer 1

10:09 – 10:29 I think, kung I think kung ang storage nako sa balay ky puno na that’s the time I
start to shred backward, 2003, 2007, 11 kana siya I have to shred them. Kanng
Informant 20 oh pero ky wala pa man napuno maybe because wala pakoy shredder wala pa
koy means of kanang mga shredding them mao naa gihapon na-storage gihapon
siya.

10:29 - 10:38 Okay, Sir. So, what do you think, Sir? Aw earlier, Sir, you told me about
publications. Have you tried to publish your studies Sir?
 318

Interviewer 1

10:38 – 10:44 Yeah, I had about ah 17 publications.

Informant 20

10:44 - 10:48 Would you mind, Sir, if I if ask what journals or institutions you have published
your studies?
Interviewer 1

10:50 – 11:30 I had one in... ah, I have one in Laguna. Laguna Polytechnic University katung
naka receive mi og publication incentive. Hala nag-expire na. Okay, sorry. Ah I
Informant 20 Laguna Polytechnic University and I have one in kuan in ah, wa man guy data,
ako sa isearch akong Google Scholar. Katung kuan Laguna uhm, La Edesay na
journal.

11:31 - 11:33 We can search here in Google Scholar.

Interviewer 1

11:33 – 11:35 Yeah naa sa Google Scholar.

Informant 20

11:35 - 11:41 We have to tried sad sir kuan mangitag researches sir (laugh) Google Scholar
especially katong mga near sa VSU sir.
Interviewer 1

11:41 – 11:49 Na expire na diay ako data so I cannot connect anymore so dile ko ka kuan sa
kanang… Google Scholar.
Informant 20

11:49 - 11:55 Sige sir. Sir are you aware sir about the international and local guidelines about
research ethics?
Interviewer 1

11:55 – 11:57 Mmm, yeah very much aware.

Informant 20

11:57 - 12:05 Ah okay, so, kuan sir have you tried to subject your papers for review… ethical
review.
Interviewer 1

12:05 – 13:32 Uhmm, I had ah because in… in ano ah… in University of San Carlos when I
ah… when I was still there kay naa man gud siyay ginatawag ug ethical review
Informant 20 committee… ana sha. Pero outside then… outside the house… sa Universtiy of
San Carlos kay wala man so… kuan wala na, wala na sha like katong kung mag
 319

conduct nako ug research I have to ano nalang, I have to follow nalang some
ethical standards before nako sha i-kuan… before nako sha igather ang data.
Ifollow nako ang standards jud ba. I have to make sure na in terms of ethical
standards, before ko mag gather ug data, kahibaw ko ug unsaon and then inig
gather nakog data I have to follow ethical standards jud. So pero wala natong
mga diba naa man jud nay mga committee nga mureview, wala. So ah, so far
pag abot nako diri sa VSU wala man diri sa VSU. Naa ba? If ethics oh lagi mao
lagi ang ethics research committee. When I arrived in VSU ky murag walay
ethics review committee so all my researches walay siya nag-undergo og ethics
review committee. Pero because of my knowledge about sa ethical standards, I
have to make sure that the data gathering procedure, naa nafollow gyud siya sa
standard.

13:32 - 13:40 Ah yes Sir. So, probably in USC, you complied with this Sir because there was
an existing accredited na committee Sir.
Interviewer 1

13:37 – 14:09 Oh yeah. Yeah. Naa siyay naa siyay giinform pud mi ato na time naa mi
orientation that time about ethical standards in conducting research so follow mi
Informant 20 ato nga standards every time we conduct research or conduct data gathering.
And then eventually, eventually before I left, naa na gyuy mu-follow nagyud mi
sa ethical review committee. I-approve usa sa ethical review committee ang
amo mga mga proposals before mi mag-gather og data during that time.

14:09 - 14:25 Okay, sir. So, kuan Sir uhm, what do you think Sir are the hindrances in
complying with these guidelines like since you're here naman Sir in VSU? If
Interviewer 1 we're considering right now the VSU setting, what do you think Sir are the
hindrances?

14:25 – 14:26 Hindrances in?

Informant 20

14:27 - 14:30 In complying with these ethical standards, the local, international.

Interviewer 1

14:31 – 14:41 Ang hindrance… My my personal perceptions sa akong hin- nga mu-hinder sa
akoa? Like ang mu-hinder nako in conducting research?
Informant 20

14:41 - 14:50 Ang mu-hinder himo Sir in complying with these, with these international and
local guidelines
Interviewer 1

14:50 – 14:58 Ang maka-hinder nako I think there are no hindrances kasi laban nang laban ra
 320

Informant 20 man jud ta. Walay maka-hinder.

14:58 - 14:59 (laughs) Forda go jd ni si Sir. So okay Sir.

Interviewer 1

15:00 – 15:45 Ky laban lang man gud ang akong hashtag. Laban lang kung gusto jud ka laban
lang. Ana jud laban lang jud ana jud ang akong hashtag. Wa juy maka-hinder
Informant 20 nako basta ganahan gani ko, go go. At all cost. At all cost jud ko basta. That’s
my personal ha personal attitude. My personal per- my personality. Kung
maganahan gani ko mag-conduct conduct, at all cost wa juy maka-hinder. Oh
kung ganahan ko, ganahan jud ko bisan pag naay mu-ali diri unsa na mga
hindrances I have to hurdle the hindrances, that’s my personality man gud. Pero
if di pud ko ganahan bisan pag unsa pana nga mga incentives, dili sad pud ko.
So from that end, mga hindrances, no one can stop me. Ana siya.

15:45 - 15:50 So, how many years have you tried to conduct research sir in VSU na sir?

Interviewer 1

15:50 – 15:59 Since 2019 when I arrived here, oh, nag sige na ko ug research actually.
Collaboration with my students. 19
Informant 20

15:59 - 16:10 Have you tried to kuan, sir, subject your researches here and mga, ang katong
mga diri na ba sir? Sa local na mga ethics review committee existing here.
Interviewer 1

16:10 – 16:15 Wala, kay wala man tay ethics review committee diria.

Informant 20

16:15 - 16:17 Even here sa atoa region sir like USC and EVHRDC?

Interviewer 1

16:17 – 16:20 Wa, wala, naa diay?

Informant 20

16:20 - 16:23 Naa sir in EVHRDC.

Interviewer 1

16:23 – 16:31 EVHRDC, Eastern Visayas Health-Related, unsa man na siya… DC

Informant 20
 321

16:32 - 16:37 I forgot sir, Research and Development siguro sir pero sa EVRMC ni sir.
EVMC Hospital but…
Interviewer 1

16:38 – 16:39 Ah sa EVRMC ni nga hospital?

Informant 20

16:39 - 16:52 Uhm, yes sir. Sa EVMC na sir but mudawat ra jud sila sir ug free pa gyud sir
kay actually this study were reviewed by them. Kaning amo sir and it was free
Interviewer 1 ang our..

16:41 – 16:53 EVRMC, naa diay?... Unsay gi submit ninyo sa ilaha?

Informant 20

16:54 - 16:58 Actually it was Doc Janet who was helping us to coordinate and…

Interviewer 1

16:58 – 17:02 Based on what you know, unsay iyang… unsay isubmit sa EV… unsay isubmit,
proposal?
Informant 20

17:03 - 17:07 Kuan sir, proposal ug letter, transmittal letter, mga communication letters gyud
sir.
Interviewer 1

17:06 – 17:12 Aw mao ba? For free ra? Unya maghatag sila certification of ethics review?

Informant 20

17:11 - 17:12 Yes sir, muhatag sila sir.

Interviewer 1

17:12 – 17:17 Kay mangayo ko ug information ana bi, uns… kinsa. Hala ako man diay ni
suwat suwatan. Akoa naman ni noh?
Informant 20

17:16 - 17:21 Okay ra sir (laugh)... okay ra gyud sir, I can… I can give you the information
sir.
Interviewer 1

17:21 – 18:01 Ah sige ha, mangayo ko nimo ha. Katong information sa… kay amoa gud mga
researches diria with the students kanang wala na mi mag ethics review kay
Informant 20
 322

wala pa man tay ethics review. Mao na ako nalang i-with my personal
background nalay while conducting research kay anyways social science
researches ra pud gud ni amoa. Murag I know all the basic standards lang. Basic
lang gud, then, I have to follow all those basic standards. Pero kung muingon
kag kanang… katong legit, credited na mga agencies ethic, wala. That’s why I
ha… All my proposals nga akong himuon from now on, ako na i-kuan… kay
wa ko kahibaw nga naa diay ang EVRMC. Unsa pa, asay sa EVRMC?

18:01 - 18:15 Ang ako pagkahibaw sir kay it’s DOST, and kana sir. I don't know sir if DOST
is free but for sa amo na nursing students karon sir since we have Research 1
Interviewer 1 and 2

18:03 – 18:17 DOST… naa na fee mahal siguro. Unsa na nga research subject?

Informant 20

18:17 - 18:18 Nursing Research

Interviewer 1

18:18 – 18:20 Nursing Research 1… unsa ka na year?

Informant 20

18:20 - 18:21 Fourth year na sir

Interviewer 1

18:21 – 18:24 Fourth year, sa nursing research 2 ni

Informant 20

18:24 - 18:24 Yes sir

Interviewer 1

18:25 – 18:26 Ah sa nursing research 2 ni siya

Informant 20

18:27 - 18:29 Ah kuan Sir third year pa lang diay mi karon (laughs)

Interviewer 1

18:28 – 18:31 Aw third year mo karon sure bahps. So third year ka karon?

Informant 20
 323

18:31 - 18:40 So third year pa lang mi Sir. Mao nalang ni sir ang kuwang namo and sa next
school year sa incoming na school year, we’re fourth year na Sir. So karon…
Interviewer 1

18:40 – 18:43 So kani na subject, Nursing Research 2 ni ninyo

Informant 20

18:43 - 18:58 Sa, gi murag, supposedly human naman unta Sir diba noh ang ato kuan
academic year. But giusab man ni Doc Janet ang amo ky naa mi crucial na
Interviewer 1 major subjects Sir so siya nagpakuan siya sa research mao na karon.

18:58 – 19:03 Ah okay so Nursing Research 2 ni ninyo noh unya ang inyo proposals ani
gisubmit ni Doc Janet sa EVRMC?
Informant 20

19:04 - 19:08 EVHRDC. EVHRDC Sir.

Interviewer 1

19:08 EVHRDC.

Informant 20

19:09 - 19:19 So si Ma’am, magkuan siya namo magkuan siya namo mag-secure siya namo
og katong amo proposals, pa-make og letters. Iya sd mi gi guidean sa mga
Interviewer 1 letters and pag-asikaso tanan.

19:19 – 19:29 Mangayo nya ko ana nimo dae, katong mga i-susubmit sa kuan… isusubmit
sa… kay amo… mao nay ako ipang kuan sa akong mga students sad kay naa
Informant 20 diay

19:21 - 19:30 Yes sir… Okay sir… Would it be okay sir after this interview?

Interviewer 1

19:31 – 19:32 Ah sige sige, mangayo ko nimo after the interview ha

Informant 20

19:32 - 19:42 Okay sir, no problem. Uhm, actually last question na sir. So, what are your
views and perception about the creation of research ethics committee in VSU?
Interviewer 1

19:44 – 21:49 Views about the creation… Uhm, it’s actually ah… it’s actually crucial, very
crucial that we should have one, especially the new the new researchers so that
Informant 20 they will know the standards, the basic standards. But to me, sa akoang point of
view it’s especially ky basics ra man gud akong kuan, it’s a waste of time. Unya
 324

mag sige pag ethics review committee ky ngano wasate of time because instead
of we can start gathering the data, kailangan pa mag ethics review committee.
When not all, we alread know the basic standards how to gather the data and
everything especially sa social science research. But crucial on the part of
katung mga medical courses ky kinahanglan man pud na siya mu, i-evaluate
ang ilang procedure ky basin unyag, especially to the new researchers to the
new field new batch new influx ah of researchers gani ky they should know the
standards. But basically, sa ilang research subject, iintroduce man pud gud na
siya ang mga ethical ethics sa ano.. Ky oo in my point of view ky important
siya yes it’s because kinhanglan man gyud na siya ma ma-ano noh ma ma-
review ang data gathering procedure. Mu-follow gyud ta sa ethical standards.
Pero waste of time siya it’s because imbes nga labin na ky labin na limited
atong time karon sa teaching mag-teach ta ig kahuman mag gather pag mag
gather pag data. Unya one semester five months ra gud then magpa-review pa
mutake in which mutake pag five ah one month siguro usa ma approve. So ma
stagnant nuon ang atoang kuan ang atong ang atoang research sa estudyante. Ky
maghuwat pa man ta didto approval. Siguro, oh ana diba mag-submit mog
proposal himo mos proposal. Ig human sa proposal isubmit pa maghuwat paka
sa results sa EVRMC or EVHRDC.

21:50 - 22:01 Pero mu-guide ra jud sila Sir pero mao na Sir anticipate nalang gyud Sir na
dugayon murag earlier early jud dayun pasa na jud dayun
Interviewer 1

22:01 – 22:02 Mao lagi na nga…

Informant 20

22:02 - 22:04 Ky naa pa silay ipa-revise revise.

Interviewer 1

22:04 – 22:30 Mao lagi oh mao na akong akong plano karon for the next batch nako nga
research with my students, iandam na nako daan ang proposal iandam na nako
Informant 20 daan ang proposal and then ah isubmit na nako daan sa (inaudible) para by the
time maghimo na ang students sa ila mga kanang murag… tawag ani kanang ky
same ra man na like for example mag-conduct kog research ky kanang same ra
gyud ang design, mag-differ nalang ang mga respondents.

22:31 - 22:48 Aw actually Sir, wala mi naglisod gyud sa amo part since it was only an
expedite review gani Sir. Ang crucial ky katong mga nag experimental ky full
Interviewer 1 board review man gyud sila so murag nagbalik-balik jud sila sa… pero kuan
raman Sir email. Mu-respond man jud silag email.

22:48 – 22:52 Aw murespond ra sila sa email? So basically email ra pud ninyo gipang submit
inyo mga proposal
Informant 20
 325

22:52 - 22:56 Dili man kami Sir magsubmit si Doc Janet man. Si Doc Janet ang mukuan…

Interviewer 1

22:57 – 23:00 Ang mu-coordinate ngadto. Kamo lay mu-comply sa mga gipangayo.

Informant 20

23:00 - 23:07 Unya if naa silay mga revisions or what si Doc Janet mu-communicate naman
sad namo. Katong mga experimental mao jud to sila ang…
Interviewer 1

23:08 – 23:09 Oh grabe ang ilang revisions

Informant 20

23:09 - 23:11 Full board man gyud. Pero for example like mga…

Interviewer 1

23:11 What do you mean, full board?

Informant 20

23:12 - 23:35 Full board review Sir if kanang naa jud risks. For example sa katong amo
classmate ky ang ila ky ila gi-try og some- usa ka plant or something na himuon
Interviewer 1 nila nga mosquito repellant. So murag na full board review siya ky murag of
course iapply nila sa community or sa person na naa may musimhot ana nga
mga (inaudible)

23:35 – 23:36 Ah so full board review siya.

Informant 20

23:36 - 23:38 Mao siya nga na full board review

Interviewer 1

23:38 – 23:40 Ky mu-risk nga health hazardous siya…

Informant 20

23:40 - 23:42 Oh naay mga risk, hazard…

Interviewer 1

23:42 – 23:44 Pero kanang inyoha ky social science research ra man unya walay life…
 326

Informant 20

23:44 - 23:45 Expedited review ra ang tawag Sir.

Interviewer 1

23:45 – 23:58 Expedited review ra ang ah.. Ah sige basically kanang akoa, all my researches
ky expedited review ra na except sa katung kuan siguro katung sensory
Informant 20 acceptability nga food gyud siya.

23:58 - 24:05 For example kana Sir na magpa-taste mo sa mga tao og food, feel nako full
board review gyud na Sir.
Interviewer 1

24:05 – 25:02 Full board review na siya. Oh. Ky anyway ang katoang amoa man pud ato ky
wala man gyud, I know I know the process na kinahanglan jud siyag ethical
Informant 20 review ato nga time nag food sensory accept- acceptability mi pero since wala
man gyud koy nahibawa’an nga ethical review commitee, mao to akong gimake
sure nga ang mga ingredients are all edible then ang mga process ky kanang
established na siya unya naa lay gidugang pareha atong pareha atong squash pu-
ah puto squash. Unya naa na may existing nga puto unya gidugangan lang
namog squash. Unya ang puto is puto established na, ang squash is edible unya
ang amo ako pung giconsider ato ky kanang ang shelf life ba inig humag inig
kahuman og luto, pagkaugma less than 24 hours dapat ma ma-dispose na ang
food dili nami pwede mag food taste after 24 hours. Mao tung ako gi-consider
sa ethics review ky kanang basin unya mulapas nag 24 hours madaot na ba so
mao na ako gipang consider.

25:03 - 25:06 How about that study sir, is that your study sir or your student’s?

Interviewer 1

25:06 – 25:17 Uhm, it’s actually… it’s actually the idea kay na conduct na man ko ug mga
study ana before so murag replications lang but different na pud nga variety like
Informant 20 for example…

25:17 - 25:17 Different setting…

Interviewer 1

25:17 – 26:00 Oo, different setting like for example putos… puto… ah… milk ube, milk ube
man toh sa amoa before didto sa kuan sa laing place nya diri is squash na pud
Informant 20 siya. Unya ang dinhia… ang katong new gyud, katong sa akong student maoy
naghimo jud is katong… katong… katong rabbit longganisa so the idea is
actually longganisa, they basically know the basics in making longganisa, ang
ila nalang gi change is ang rabbit… ang rabbit ra so mao toh akong gi find out
nagpa read ko ug literature unsay mga harms and risks sa rabbit and then so far
 327

naa naman diay silay nahibawan nga rabbit patty, rabbit kuan…

26:00 - 26:02 Were you an author with that study sir?

Interviewer 1

26:03 – 26:12 Uhm, so mahug… adviser ko so co-author murag ana na siya. Co-author ko sa
kato nga study like kami man nag brainstorm how to make the process ingana
Informant 20 na siya

26:12 - 26:20 So, considering that sir noh, were you tried to kuan sir… the risks sa
participants like mu try…
Interviewer 1

26:20 – 26:31 Oo, mao lage, mao toh nga niana ko nga risky jud ni siya, kinahanglan… kay
kinahanglan kanang kuan ako gi consider ba nga wa baya tay ethics review
Informant 20 committee anhi. Ana ba ana ko ba…

26:30 - 26:33 So, I think sir that’s a hindrance sir noh?

Interviewer 1

26:34 – 26:39 Oo, ana ko ba ana ko na wa baya ethics review committee ani nya kahibaw ka
one sem ra baya research nila noh
Informant 20

26:39 - 26:43 That would be an interesting supposed… interesting study sir

Interviewer 1

26:43 – 27:28 Oo, ana nya wa baya ethics review committee ani ingong ko taymsa so mao toh
ako gi find out nga sige pag read sa mo ug literature kung naa na ba mga food
Informant 20 out of rabbit. So naa nay daghan existing food out of rabbit ingon ko naa na ba
moy mga food nga out… nga kuan gi mix ang rabbit into… aw murag rabbit
gyud ang main ingredient ba, naa na silay mga rabbit nga mga ingredient ingon
ko nga oh sige rabbit longganisa ang idea is a rabbit longganisa so mao toh nga
ingon ko nga aguy wa baya pag ethics review ana, mag ethics review committee
so mao toh nga wala man jud so ako nalang gyud gi consider ato is ang shelf
life. Dapat magluto karong gabie, pagka ugma morning human ang food taste
after that ang dile mahurot is idispose… idispose

27:28 - 27:36 Pero so far Sir during the conduct of study, were there any participants that
were able to experience something unusual?
Interviewer 1

27:36 – 28:17 Aw wala man, wala oh. So far mao to wala. Maybe because fresh pa gyud ang
pagkaluto. Like like giluto pagka pagka morning. Ang ginabuhat nila ato ky
 328

Informant 20 early morning sila mag-cook unya pagka morning is pa ano food taste dayun.
Where in fact, after that nahimo na siyang business sa estudyante. Mao to niana
bitaw ko nga dong ay sa siguro i business you have to consider, you have to
consider the shelf life and ipacheck pud na nato usa jud sa kanang kana ganing
kanang ah oh kana bang, oh yeah kanang kanang unsay tawag ana kanang
mutest sa bacteria, mga protein, mga unsay tawag ana

28:17 - 28:21 Naa nay institution about ana Sir. Kalimot ko Sir pero I think naa jud

Interviewer 1

28:21 – 28:33 Naa siyay katung bacteria E.coli mga ingana ingana ba mga protein mga mga
ingana siya. Unya mao to since ingon man ko nga ingon man ko ato nga
Informant 20 kanang…

28:33 - 28:36 Pero murag potential novel jud to sir na kuan study

Interviewer 1

28:37 – 28:57 Oh ana siya. Unya mao to ingon ko nga kuan kanang dili sa ni nato ju- dili jud
nato ikuan ibutang gyud nato sa atong recommendations nga kanang consider
Informant 20 the shelf life then subject to food ah food institution nga mu-evaluate before
marketing. Unya where in fact gi-market naman niya ingon ko nga wala nato.

28:57 - 29:01 Sir I think Sir that right now you are having an ethical dilemma Sir.

Interviewer 1

29:01 – 29:59 Oh yeah. Very, very. I was.. Ethical dilemma yeah. Unya mao tong ako, para
ma-resolve lang to siya akong ethical dilemma ky very kuan man gyud ang
Informant 20 estudyante very uhm kanang insistent gyud kaayo siya ba na katu jud Sir kana
Sir confident ingani ingon ko na ah sige we’ll follow basta ang procedure sa
paghimo sa longganisa kahibaw ka. Unya ang replacement sa pork, pork ah
sorry ang rabbit meat as replacement sa park is ang thinness og ang ang texture
sa rabbit dapit similar gyud sa kuan, ana ilang gifollow nuon. Unya ingon ko
nga kinahanglan dili siya mulapas og 24 hours. Dili siya mulapas og 24 hours is
kanang di- ma- mahurot na siya. Og mulapas ganig 24 hrs dili maka food taste
is ilabay na siya. Dili i-consume. Ingana siya. So kato ako dilemma during that
time ky walay ethics review committee.

29:59 - 30:17 Okay Sir so I’m proud sad Sir noh na you were able to like regulate that noh Sir
tungod ky knowledgeable man gyud ka Sir sad. You were knowledgeable but
Interviewer 1 wala ra gyud siya nakuan sa process ky wa may existing nga kuan na committee
Sir.

30:17 – 30:23 Walay existing mao to nag sige jud kog ana ingon ko asa may ethics rewiew
committee ani uy kanang mukuan
 329

Informant 20

30:23 - 30:46 That is suppose- kuan naay dako na potential Sir na as a novel research Sir noh
and para man gyud like ang mostly most comments man gyud sa mga
Interviewer 1 researchers sa main Sir ky for you to publish gyud like sa mga like international
journals ky mao jud na maka-hinder nila if kanang mga review daw ky mu-
accept man gyud daw jud if naay review. Mao gyud na ang murag standard
na…

30:46 – 30:52 Oh mao nana siya requirement na ang ethical review before nila ipubli- before
iaccept for publication.
Informant 20

30:52 - 31:01 So I would like to clarify lang Sir so how do you think will the research ethics
committee affect the VSU as a whole?
Interviewer 1

31:02 – 31:03 Affect as a whole?

Informant 20

31:02- 31:05 Affect as an institution, as a university?

Interviewer 1

31:06 – 33:22 It will affect sa time kana jud ang time especially especially nga kanang kanang
sa student researchers 5 semesters aw 5 months ra gani na siya na research noh.
Informant 20 Paghimo pa sa proposal, mag-lecture pa ta sa proposal. Inig kahuman proposa
writing sa estudyante inig kahuman ana mutake time baya ang proposal writing
unya inig kahuman mutake time pud ang data gathering procedure. Unya
mutake time pud ang write ang kanang writing sa chapter 4 and 5. Unya I I to
me, ang chapter 1-5 writing will take time unya dili enough ang 5 months na
semester. Masudlan pa og ethics review.

Pero I’m very positive to have an ethics review gyud pe, just to, kung maghimo
tag policy we have to consider siguro ang ethics review committee should be
fast, should be quick at responding the review. Ky ngano? Mu-suffer man ang
student og ang faculty kung naa silay timeline gifollow. So that’s my that’s my
recommendation based on my experience. Sa time ba pag-implement sa re- aw
pag-execute sa research procedures sa estudyante sa 5 months nga semester.
Siguro ang ethics review should be free from other responsibilities. Kana ilang
ethics review gyud, once they receive, review, review, review, return. Review,
review, return. Ky basin unyag mahitabo bag naa tay ethics review is strict
implementation unya dili pwede i-implement kung wala. Mag-suffer man ang
estudyante. So dapat, kung naay ethics review committee, naa gyud silay time.
Upon receive sa katong requirements, review dayun, balik dayun pagkaugma.
Mao na. If possible ingana unta ky para paspas atoa transition sa research ky
 330

labi na 5 months usa ka semester 5 months ra baya. Sa inyo nga case, like, how
fast mang ang transition sa pug-submit unya naa na ang review?

33:22 - 33:44 Kuan man gyud Sir ang amo proposal writing ky that was last sem during
Nursing Research 1. And Nursing Research 2 karon na sem, so para data
Interviewer 1 gathering, analysis and all. So probably last sem to nahinabo nga naa mi kuan
pero murag if dali ra ka Sir sad na makapass murag mahatag ra man sad
gihapon Sir.

33:44 – 33:48 Ah so far sa inyo observation. Ky kanang expedited man pud to inyoha noh?

Informant 20

33:48 - 34:39 Oh expedited man to Sir ang amo ky ang full board gyud ky murag niabot pa
sila karon na sem nag nag exchange… Naa pa sila sa process of exchange
Interviewer 1 exchange, revise balik revise balik. Unya I think Sir makaya ra man gyud Sir
unta, makaya ra jud na Sir I think ang nakakuan ra man gyud ky sa amo sa
nursing, nalangan ra jud ang ako mga classmates ky daghan jud mig gi-juggle
na crucial na mga subjects Sir in which if dili mi ka pass ani karon ky d mi
maka-proceed og fourth year so mao na murag mao sd ni nga gi-usob sad ni
Ma’am para murag maka prioritize sad mi sa atong mga crucial subjects. Pero if
if inig hatag sa review committee and then maka mga work gyud dayun, I think
Sir paspas ra gyud. Ang kuan ra gyud dito ky basin wala ra sd, wala ra gyud
kabalik sa ako classmates dayun dayun. Yes Sir. Ky naa may mga…

34:39 – 35:17 So mao to siya ang ako recommendations. Ah I think si Janet muy mukuan ana
mu-lead sa ethics review committee sa VSU Isab- VSU System I’m quite sure
Informant 20 of that ky siya man ang naa sa ano health naa man siya man ang naa sa health
research. So my recommendation is hopefully kung ma kung ma realize nang
ethics review committee sa VSU katong maka-point jud siguro tag mga fast and
quick nga mu-review ky para pud makuan pud dayun ba like inig submit,
pagka-receive dayun pagkaugma ky ma-suffer man pud ang ato mga students
ingana nga kuan.

35:17 - 35:20 Yes Sir. So I think that would be all Sir for our interview.

Interviewer 1

35:20 - 35:24 Yeah. Thank you. So mangayo lang ko nimo sa katung requirements .

Informant 20
331
 Appendix G: Data Analysis

Responses Code Subthemes Themes

Informant 3: “So there is a high effect or impact Motivation to participation Pro-Incentive Perspectives of
(incentives) because, you know, you might motivate or Responses VSU Faculty
maybe, you know make participants engage more in Researchers on
your research”. Research Ethics
Compliance
Informant 18: “Yes, it can really affect. Because of the
interest. Usually, the energy is very low when they
don’t (receive incentives)”.

Informant 20: “I believe it has an impact. They’re

more well-motivated to respond”.

Informant 9: “That's our way of saying thank you for Token of Gratitude
helping us in evaluating our product because it's really
required for our product to be evaluated by the people
who are actually the target consumers”. I think it
would be ethical if you are not informing them about
this because it will really affect. But as a way of the
investigator showing gratitude, I think it is ethical but
for me it should not be given prior to the interview or
evaluation”.

Informant 15: “But for me, it’s not a bribe, as long as

it’s not a bribe, as long you don’t term it as incentive
we termed it as a token , it’s an act of gratitude, a
symbol of gratitude that you give to them because if
you say incentive, you are paying them and that is
against ethics if you say incentives but a token of
gratitude could also suffice it could also make our
respondents happy, so you have to listen, not really
 329

listen to them, but metaphorically listen to the

ambiance if it’s okay to give a token, something like
that”.

Informant 3: “It is ethical in a manner… like you are Compensation

paying a job for these participants”.

Informant 7: “Some people see it as a bribery, but for

me, incentive is or just compensation is a must in
research because the respondents are the main source
of our data and they give their time”.

Informant 11: “It participation because if you know

that's for two hours, and then I get nothing. I'm
spending a lot of time. That's an opportunity cost on
their end. They could have done something else
productive, but they choose to spend time. So, as a
sort, we give them rewards. Especially, if more than
two hours, because that's a significant amount of
time”.

Informant 14: “Now if we, for example, would

interview them, we will bring them to the field, and
then without giving them incentive, chances are they
will be experiencing famine. Because unfortunately,
what we are dealing with, the people that we are
dealing with are resource-poor farmers. So every day,
they need something to bring back home so that they
will be able to provide food to their families”

Informant 17: “I think yes. It’s ethical to give

incentives, especially if it will take much of their time,
and if ever the participants is, having other priorities
 330

to do during that particular time so you really need to

give them incentives just to compensate on what they
gave up or what they set aside. So you have to give
them something. I think it's ethical”.

Informant 8: “It depends. If the study has what we Funded Research: ground for
call funding But if the study has funding. If there’s incentives
none, you don’t give incentive”.

Informant 19: “If they have huge funds, then probably

an incentive will do. But it depends on how many
questions they have and it won’t cost so much of the
respondent to answer some questions”.

Informant 1: “No, I don’t give incentives. Firstly, Alter/influence responses Against-incentive

because as I’ve said it would change now and then the Responses
data. If the data you’ll get from incentives is perfect,
what else would you do from it? And then as much as
possible, we want data not to be perfect, because I
can’t explain if the data is perfect. The data that I want
is contrasting findings, because if findings are
different, I can have a different analysis from the
literature then I can explain better why the findings are
different”.

Informant 8: “There's an issue on that if it’s ethical or

not. There's a debate on that, that it might alter the
results. But our stand is, we will be challenged by our
moral conscience that they were not able to get food
for them or just give them snacks”.

Informant 9: “I suppose it did because I can recall

 331

some- even I who have also been asked to evaluate a

product and some of my classmates wanted to know
first what are the incentives that should be given to us
before we evaluate. However, personally it did not
significantly influence the objectivity of my evaluation.
However, I think in some instances, especially if the
product developer did not give some incentive, I think
it did have some merit on the reliability of the
comments or evaluation of the panelists”.

Informant 12: “No, very against with that. Personally,

I don't like really take the concept of giving rewards
because of course I'm a statistician myself and then we
always know that giving incentives could lead to any
bias, like measurement bias or response bias like
people may tend to to go to a particular direction of
the answer or answers because they know that they
will be given some incentives”.
Informant 18: “For me, I don’t think so because it Forfeits the concept of
doesn’t create volunteerism anymore. They’re waiting. voluntary participation
They’re waiting for an incentive to be given after. You
can feel people while you are on the interview and in
the process of getting your information. They will
participate because there is an incentive waiting”.
Informant 17: “The administration, I believe, is not so Bribery
supportive of this because they see just compensation
as bribery, and when we make PRs for the purchase of
snacks or maybe something that we can give to our
respondents, they see it really as a bribery”.
Informant 1: “So as much as possible whenever you Beneficence Adherence to
conduct an endeavor, with relevance to ethicality, you Research Ethical
have to go back to your participants or respondents Guidelines and
and inform them that these are the findings of your Principles
 332

study”.

Informant 14: “One is people know what we are

doing and how the data will be useful to us and useful
to them and how the research will benefit them and
also we have to have their consent”.

Informant 18: “If there are parents who would like to

ask the performance of their students, we give it. But,
however, I always ask my co-members if it’s okay.
Because he/she’s a parent after all”.

Informant 8: “At the beginning we do risk analysis. Nonmaleficence

We don't do studies if the risk is too high, it outweighs
safety”.

Informant 9: “Know the components, the chemical

components of our product, the chemical microbial so
that we can protect the safety of our participants
because they will not be evaluating the appearance of
the product. They are also required to actually taste the
product and so if there are allergens, if there are
actually allergic reactions to consumers, that will not
be good for our sensory panelists”.

Informant 11: “This is basically in the context that no

harm is done to the participants, and in soliciting that
information, especially for us on social science, where
basically we would like to get information, that sharing
that information are of their free will, voluntary, and
they gave their consent to share. And they can also, at
any point in the research, choose not to respond to the
 333

question or not to continue with the data collection. So

that's broadly more on the ethics part on what we are
doing”.

Informant 12: “We do it in a just way because we

follow our procedure in the data collection and of
course without any harm, we don’t cause any harm in
any aspect like emotionally, physically to the
participants”.

Informant 3: “For me it is relevant by, you know, by Autonomy

giving the freedom of the participants or respondents
to you know, to withdraw their participation because
there are some researchers that, you know, might be
giving some negative impact or effects in their life. So,
technically, we wi– we will secure and protect their
freedom rather”.

Informant 7: “First is really voluntary participation.

Although we have set of characteristics in our mind in
choosing our sample, but we still made it to a point
that we ensure that their participation is really
voluntary and that it is really made clear to them that
they can participate or not without having this
‘judgement’ that we might feel bad that they won't
participate and all that if they would no longer
participate, or they can decide to stop in the middle of
the procedures and things like that. I really made it
clear to them that even if you say yes now, you can still
say no in the middle if you feel uncomfortable in giving
responses to our research, to questionnaires or
interviews”.
 334

Informant 9: “Prior to asking them to evaluate our

product, we are also giving them informed consent so
that they will not be forced, so that their participation
in the evaluation of the product will be voluntary”.

Informant 11: “We inform the participants that

participating is voluntary”.

Informant 12: “We always include like informed

consent they can refer to that, that their participation
is voluntary, and then they can also withdraw and all
those things written on a on a piece of paper”.
Informant 11: “We need to randomize to reduce bias, Justice
self-select, there are people who would say, I want to
participate, so that's self-selection, to give equal
chances to the representative, so we have to
randomize”.

Informant 15: “I t is just fair and proper that you let

them know the things, that they ought to know that the
things that they have to understand and let them
evaluate whether or not they will consent to be one of
our research partners or not”.
Informant 16: “In ethics, you will not only need time Expenditure Financial Cost
but money as well. It cost us Php15,000 - Php20,000.
Because of that, most of the researchers are quite
hesitant because of the cost of the review. If I am a sole
researcher, it will cost me more money to publish my
study”.
Informant 10: “If it is off the record, though it is Omission of response Ethical Dilemma
relevant to the study, if it is off the record, it may
trigger the higher ranks to punish the personnel so I
don't include it ther”.
 335

Informant 13: “What if you get to actually document

let’s say more about the negative impacts of a
particular development project and then the
government decides to pull it out because of them
getting of it rid of what you found out, so, these are
ethical considerations that a researcher must be able
to reflect on in doing any form of research. I’m still in
the dilemma on whether or not im going to publish it
knowing the possible implications that may happen to
them”.
Informant 10: “Actually in the line of duty, if you are Protocols
a uniformed personnel, whatever the direction of the
highest in rank, you should follow. We have to think of
the consequences if those narratives will be exposed,
which should be off the record. Since there are
protocols, if I expose it they might be exiled to far
places because that’s the case in tri-bureau. So we
have to be careful of the information that we will
disclose”
Informant 20: “When I arrived here I think there isn’t Research committee is not yet Nonexistence of Notions of the
any ethics review committee so all my researches didn’t present at VSU Research Ethics faculty researchers
go through it”. Committees (REC) about the barriers
Informant 8: “These ethics reviews, in the past, we Ethics clearance is not in complying with
didn't have that. Or we had that, but it was not institutionally imposed the ethical
something that was institutionally imposed, that this standards.
has to be followed. So, one of the reasons why a lot of
institutions are not following it”.
Informant 1: “It's a research university and as you Non- human studies
know, there are many research centers. But these
research centers are for abaca, for coconut, for root
crops, for carabao, for water, for climate change. If
you can observe, its domain is less on the involvement
 336

of humans. So therefore, the protocols suggest that it

doesn’t really need an ethics review boa”.
Informant 2: “So far, we still didn’t have one, we are Neophytes in the field of Lack of knowledge
still neophytes. Yes we are still neophytes in research research
since back then, our research extension is very
shallow”.
Informant 17: “I did not really have that much idea of Unaware of the process
what the ethical process should be or the ethical
considerations part”.
Informant 8: “So, one of the reasons why a lot of Lack of education/awareness
institutions are not following it. Because in the first
place, they were never educated, oriented about it,
and they”.

Informant 4: “When it comes to ethics, there we have

a problem because we are not really that well-versed,
well-informed, about that. What we only know is basic
only”.
Informant 6: “Because the process right now, it takes Prolonged approval of ethics Prolonged Research
time for it to be approved. It takes more than six clearance Process
months. And we cannot start our researches until there
is an approval, it’s without regards to ethics review so
how much more if you put another layer of review,
well, I don't know what will happen to our
researchers”.

Informant 7: “But the submission, the length of

approval, before it gets approved and before we get to
start moving in doing our study, it somehow takes
longer time. So if you submit for research ethics
committee, I think the time that will be spent on this
will be multiplied”.
Informant 12: “I think the rigorous process It will Rigorous process
 337

take time, especially on drafting and then of course,

following the recruitment, which is the most
problematic and that is also the hindrance”.
Informant 13: “But my concern is, the problem with Create layers of bureaucracy
us is we create layers and layers and layers of
bureaucracy”.
Informant 19: “Sometimes, their ego may also prevail Negative perception towards Attitude of
like they are better than those people who are the reviewer researchers
evaluating for them. Something like that. There are
researchers who have the attitude”.
Informant 1: “For sure they’ll be resistant because as Resistance
a neophyte researcher, what you’ll see is 1:10 ratio,
that for instance one is a long time personality in their
field, then they conduct study about something, then
comes a new policy of the university to establish a ERC
board and subject the papers to the board whom are
also neophytes, and also just a new college”.
Informant 2: “I think our researchers will be of Quality research output Maintaining Impression of the
quality or what do you call that, that we can be called Quality of Research faculty researchers
that we really have followed the exact procedure on the idea of the
especially when we conduct research involving creation of an
humans”. Ethics Review
Committee in the
Informant 7: “If that happens as well, that we already VSU System
establish a research ethics committee, I think the
outputs that we will also be producing will be of higher
quality”.
Informant 3: “Because technically, some of the Badge of integrity
researchers you may know, might overlook those things
(need) to be considered while conducting a study. So at
least, before publishing or presenting in research
conferences or any publication journals, we will
ensure that our research here in the entire VSU is
 338

ethically compliant”.
Informant 5: “For me, it is very important since how Badge of credibility
can you get the credibility of your research if you don’t
have what we call checking or assessment if the
research you are conducting is appropriate”.
Informant 17: “So I think it will be very necessary Easier publication
since we are also targeting to have publications and we
want these publications approved without any doubts
of getting this research done in good morale. So, we
really see the necessity for this”.
Informant 14: “I think we will become conscious to Heightened consciousness in
become more ethical and avoid risks, as well as take research ethics
care of the people, including the animals, that other
people will do. If you keep violating the ethical
standards, you don't deserve to be a researcher”.
Informant 11: “Good step forward that's a progress Good sign of development Improving and
that's a good sign of development and sensitivities are Innovating the
in place that we know we are collecting some University through
information and researchers should be responsible”. the REC
Informant 2: “If our researchers undergo such thing, Potential for future funded
it would have an implication as to funding research, researches
since of course funding agencies will have confidence
in the university and as researchers”.
Informant 11: “I think that's a good step forward in Global comptence
terms of making our research as part with international
standards”.

Informant 15: “VSU is already going global, you

have foreign students, a lot of faculty members are
going outside for research, for fellowship and and
maybe academics not really academics but
professionals in other countries are already aware of
research ethics and they already have their research
 339

proposals, research input approved by the ethics

committee”.
Informant 3: “It might open an additional IGP project Income generation potential
because maybe some of SUCs or maybe you know any
researchers might submit their research to this office
for evaluation”.
Informant 12: “VSU is on ninety-ninth anniversary A step towards change
but still there is no ethical committee. Very relevant, of
course, like, for how many years since it has been
established, we don’t have that. Although others might
feel that there’s no need of having an ethical
committee, because we are used to it. But of course,
we need to adopt to changes and follow this because
why other universities are doing this and us are not”.
Informant 8: “It's something that we cannot do REC is fundamental for a
without because it's basic. It's fundamental. As a research institution
research institution, we must have it. We ought to have
it. So therefore, the operationalization of the ethics
review board must be immediate”.
Informant 7: “Once that happens and all research Prolonged research process Challenges Posed
outputs will undergo review, it will really make the by the REC
research process even longer”.

Informant 16: “But in terms of the ethics, it’s quite

meticulous and will take time. Reviewing the paper will
take time”.
Informant 13: “It’s needed, it’s very much needed but Additional layer of
my concern is, the problem with us is we create layers bureaucracy
and layers and layers of bureaucracy. The problem is
for me it’s just a compilation of paperwork, it appears
to be that way”.
Informant 12: “Other researchers actually skip on Perceived as a waste of time
this part because they think that it's a waste of time
 340

and then that they don't really need it”.

Informant 20: “But from my point of view, it’s a waste

of time. Having the ethics review committee is a waste
of time because instead of starting to gather data, we
still need to undergo it”.
Informant 13: “I believe that as a university we Policies should be in place Recommendations
should actually clearly laid that out, we should be able in the Creation of
to come up with mechanisms in which we get to the REC
anchor whatever research activities that we’re going to
do into what we believe is ethical , thereby, policy
should actually be put in place to clearly put that in
paper”.
Informant 20: “I’m very positive to have an ethics REC should be fast and quick
review if we make a policy that the committee is fast in the process
and quick at responding to the review”.
Appendix H: Curriculum Vitae of the Researchers

ROQUE JOSE PAGHUBASAN ALCARAZ

Barangay Tucdao, Kawayan
Biliran, Philippines 6545
roque0632001@gmail.com
+639602074959

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Health, Meteorology, Civil Engineering, Behavioral Science

EDUCATION
Senior High School Graduate, 2020 – Visayas State University Integrated High School
of Visca, Baybay City, Leyte.

Research Papers:
2019 - Climate Shift Detection Using Trend Analysis of Meteorological
Parameters in Leyte
2019 - Phenomenological Study on the Experience of Gay Male Using Online
Dating Application

Junior High School Graduate, 2018 – Visayas State University Laboratory High School
of Visca, Baybay City, Leyte.

Research Paper:
2018 - Using Polyethylene Terephthalate ( PET) as a Partial Substitute of Sand in
Concrete

HONORS / AWARDS
With Honors, 2018

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY

Auditor, College of Nursing – Supreme Student Council, 2023 - present
Auditor, College of Nursing – Supreme Student Council, 2022-2023
 341

FRANCES ABBY HERMIAS APAO

28 Hermosilla Drive, Ormoc City
Leyte, Philippines 6541
fabyapao0@email.com
09602945140

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Health Sciences

EDUCATION
Senior High School Graduate, 2020 - St. Paul’s School of Ormoc Foundation, Inc. of
Ormoc City, Leyte

Research Papers:
2019 - Understanding the Lived Experiences of Persons with Physical
Disabilities.
2019 - Distribution and Spatial Pattern Analysis on Dengue Cases in Ormoc City.
2019 - Antas ng Kakayahang Panggramatika ng mga Mag-aaral sa Junior High School
sa SPS Ormoc.

Junior High School Graduate, 2018 - St. Paul’s School of Ormoc Foundation, Inc. of
Ormoc City, Leyte

Science Investigatory Project:

2018 - Effects of Music on the Growth of Vigna Radiata

HONORS / AWARDS
Class Salutatorian, 2020
Campus Journalism Award, 2020
Best in Research Award, 2020
Public Service Award, 2020
Public Speaking Award, 2020
Excellence in English Award, 2020

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY

Committee on Sports, Visayas State University College of Nursing, 2023 - present
Committee on Sports, Visayas State University College of Nursing, 2022 - 2023
 342

ANGELLE FAITH NATE CAINTIC

Barangay Guadalupe, Baybay City
Leyte, Philippines 6521
cainticangellefaith@gmail.com
+639 47 836 2558

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Behavioural Sciences, Mental Health, Healthcare, Agriculture

EDUCATION
Senior High School Graduate, 2020 - Visayas State University Integrated High School
of Visca, Baybay City, Leyte.

Research Papers:
2020 - Effectiveness of Different Compost Mixtures Derivedfrom Raw Materials and
African Night Crawler (Eudrilus Eugeniae) On Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.)
2019 - A Phenomenological Description of Senior High School Students’ Experiences on
Having Overloaded Units

Junior High School Graduate, 2018 – Visayas State University Laboratory High School
of Visca, Baybay City, Leyte.

Research Papers:
2017 - Nutrient Analysis, Percent Recovery and Weight loss in Storage of Vermicompost
Derived from Different Raw Materials using African Crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae)

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
2017. Visayas State University Laboratory High School Science Fair (Research
Presentation (Life Science Category – 1st place)
2017. Baybay City Division Schools Science Fair (Life Science Category – 1st place)
2017. Regional Science Fair (Region 8) (Life Science Category)

HONORS / AWARDS
VSU Academic Scholar, 2014-2018, 2020-2023
English Club Outstanding Member Awardee, 2018
Best Research Presenter, 2017

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY

Committee Head on Research and Extension, VSU Supreme Student Council
Federation, 2023 – present
President, VSU College of Nursing Supreme Student Council, 2023 - present
Vice President, VSU College of Nursing Supreme Student Council, 2022-2023
Level II Representative, VSU College of Nursing Supreme Student Council, 2021-2022
President, VSU College of Nursing Class of 2024 Batch Labradorite, 2020-2022
 343

REINA LYNN FEB ANICETO NAMIA

Brgy. Arado, Burauen
Leyte, Philippines 6516
febnamia00@gmail.com
09465276058

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Health Sciences, Education, Behavioral Science

EDUCATION
Senior High School Graduate, 2020 – Holy Infant College of Tacloban City, Leyte.

Research Papers:
2019 - Multiple Intelligences and Differentiated Instruction as a Student-Motivator in the
Core Subjects of K-12 Curriculum.
2019 –Prevalence of Academic Dishonesty Among Grade 10 Students in Holy Infant
College

Junior High School Graduate, 2018 – Dulag National High School of Dulag Leyte.

Research Papers:
2017 - Episodes of Cheating Among Grade 8-STE Students in Dulag National High
School, Academic Year 2017-2018.
2014 - The Efficacy of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract as Anti-Acne.

HONORS / AWARDS
With High Honors, 2018
Best Research Presenter, 2018
With High Honors, 2019
Best Research Presenter, 2019
With High Honors, 2020
Best Research Presenter, 2020
Best Research Paper, 2020
Special Award for Research and Innovation, 2020
Special Award for Work Immersion, 2020
Campus Journalism Award, 2020
SSG Service Award, 2020

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY

Treasurer, College of Nursing – Supreme Student Council, 2023 - present
Assistant Treasurer, College of Nursing – Supreme Student Council, 2022-2023
 344

Appendix I: Curriculum Vitae of Research Adviser

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