Team

Plebeian Bautista Medina is the head of the Biorisk Management Office and Chair of the Biorisk Management  Committee of RITM. 

His remarkable pioneering works include the  RITM’s  ladderized biosafety training  program established in 2016. This training program is specifically tailored for RITM employees based on risk taking into consideration the nature of work and potential exposure to biological agents. 

The training program includes 1) Biosafety 101, offered to all new RITM employees; 2) Applied Biosafety training, especially designed for laboratory personnel; and 3) Advanced Biosafety training, focused on developing Biosafety Officers and infectious disease outbreak responders. This training program was published in Philippine Journal of Pathology and presented in American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Annual Conference, Asia Pacific Biosafety Association and Biorisk Association of the Philippines. This training program has received special commendation letter from ABSA for its value and essence. Inspired by the success of the ladderized biosafety training program, Mr Medina has contributed towards the development and implementation of a Training of Trainers Program for Biosafety under the WHO TDR-Supported Regional Training Center in RITM. This program has produced biosafety trainers from selected regions of the Philippines and selected countries from the Western Pacific Region. At the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Medina initiated information dissemination, training program, and biosafety webinars (BRMO Biosafety Xchange Webinar Series) that bridged information gaps and fortified information on applied biosafety and biosecurity and COVID-19 pandemic.    

His early works in laboratory and  clinical trial  research studies on  rabies and disease outbreak investigations of  emerging viral zoonoses like ebola  Reston virus (RESTV), H1N1, MERS,  were recognized by  professional counterparts in China and Japan with notable publications. The recent COVID-19 pandemic heightened his steadfast commitment to public service in  collaborating with Department of Health regulatory agencies, national professional groups and the academe in  education, training and policy implementation of biosafety and biorisk management program. 

Mr. Medina is a Registered Medical Technologist and has earned his masteral degrees with academic honor and special awards on Public Safety Administration and Medical Technology from Public Safety College and Philippine Women’s University respectively. He is a Certified Biosafety Officer and Certified IFBA Professional in Biorisk Management and Biosecurity. He is trained and experienced in laboratory diagnosis  and  clinical trial  research studies on Rabies and disease outbreak investigations of  emerging / re emerging viral zoonoses including Ebola, Influenza (H1N1) and Corona viruses (MERS, SARS CoV). He is the project leader on then establishment of biobanks on high risk pathogens in  the ASEAN countries and development of virtual training for Biorisk and Biosafety.