December 15, 2019 — Great advances have been constantly made in the fields of biotechnology and bioresearch during the past decades but such progress have also spawned threats and risks to human lives and health.
Recognizing these, the National Training Center for Biosafety and Biosecurity (NTCBB), under the UP Manila National Institutes of Health (NIH), held the first Personnel Reliability Program and Insider Threat Management Course on Dec. 9-13, 2019 in partnership with Civilian Research and Development Foundation Global and Inspirion Biosciences.
Dr. Craig Reed, CEO of Inspirion Biosciences and a renowned specialist in the industry, served as the subject matter expert for the training workshop. The program mainly focused on the operational aspects of personnel reliability programs and insider threat management in various sectors frequently involved in the handling of infectious agents and toxic biological substances.
The participants consisted of researchers, laboratory managers and technicians, physicians, medical technologists, psychologists, members of the academe, military personnel, and members of law enforcement agencies from around the Philippines, several of whom are also part of their respective institutional biorisk committees.
Throughout the week, fruitful discussions about risk management, biosecurity, and personnel reliability were tackled. Various group and individual activities were facilitated as well in order to apply the lessons imparted by Dr. Reed. It was done in line with the program’s objectives to impart knowledge and to promote the implementation of personnel reliability measures that will strengthen the biosecurity and biosafety protocols among private institutes and local government units.
“Through this endeavor, we hope to impart knowledge and promote the implementation of personnel reliability measures that will strengthen biosecurity and biosafety protocols among private institutes and local government units. We view this training as a fantastic opportunity to widen the network of experts here and in the region by adding the biosafety and biosecurity component to their portfolio of competencies,” stated UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla during the opening rites.
She credited multi-awarded scientist and former director of the NIH Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Dr. Raul Destura for being in the forefront in training laboratory teams on biosecurity for more than a decade that eventually led to the formal launch of the NTCBB. Its goal is to train and practice the principles of biosafety and biosecurity among research, academic, and healthcare institutions in the Philippines and promote a culture of safety and security in all laboratories working on biological hazards in the Philippines and the region.
