Impartiality Statement — Philippine Academy of Microbiology, Inc. (PAM)

Our Commitment to Impartiality

PAM understands that impartiality is essential to the credibility of its certification schemes. As the national certifying body for Philippine microbiology, we are committed to conducting all certification, accreditation, and membership activities objectively, consistently, and free from undue commercial, financial, political, or personal influence. Every certification decision is based solely on the applicant’s demonstrated competence against PAM’s published standards and criteria — nothing else.

This commitment governs the conduct of the Council of Regents, the Certification Board, the Board of Examiners, PAM staff, and any external party engaged to support PAM’s certification activities.

Identifying and Managing Risks to Impartiality

PAM regularly identifies activities and relationships that could reasonably threaten the impartiality of its certification decisions, including risks arising from:

• Ownership, governance, management, or financial interests that could influence certification outcomes;
• Consulting, training, or advisory relationships between Board members, examiners, or officers and an applicant under evaluation;
• Personal or familial relationships between decision-makers and applicants; and
• Financial dependence on a single applicant, institution, or category of applicant.

Where a risk is identified, PAM documents it and applies appropriate controls — which may include recusal, additional independent review, or reassignment of the evaluation — to eliminate or reduce the risk to an acceptable level before any certification decision is finalized.

Conflict of Interest

Members of the Council of Regents, the Certification Board, the Board of Examiners, and any individual involved in evaluating an application are required to declare any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest before participating in a certification decision. An individual with a declared conflict of interest relating to a specific applicant shall not take part in evaluating, deliberating on, or voting on that applicant’s certification, renewal, suspension, or withdrawal.

Separation of Certification from Training

PAM’s certification decisions are made independently of any review course, seminar, or training activity related to microbiology. Participation in PAM-recognized Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities is not a prerequisite for certification, and PAM does not condition a favorable certification outcome on attendance at any particular training provider.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Access

PAM’s certification schemes are accessible to all qualified individuals who meet the published eligibility criteria, regardless of institutional affiliation, employer, sector (healthcare, agriculture, biotechnology, environmental science, or industry), gender, religion, or any other status unrelated to professional competence. PAM does not discriminate in favor of, or against, any applicant on any basis other than demonstrated adherence to its published certification standards.

Confidentiality

All information submitted by applicants and certified professionals in connection with certification, accreditation, or CPD renewal is treated as confidential and is used solely for the purposes of evaluation, verification, and maintaining the Public Registry. Information is disclosed to third parties only with the individual’s consent, or as required by law or legitimate verification request.

Complaints and Appeals

Any applicant, certified professional, or member of the public who believes a PAM certification decision was affected by bias, undisclosed conflict of interest, or departure from published criteria may submit a written complaint or appeal to the Council of Regents through connect@pam.org.ph. Complaints and appeals are reviewed by individuals who were not involved in the original decision, and PAM will not retaliate against anyone who raises a good-faith concern about impartiality.

Governance and Oversight

Oversight of impartiality rests with the Council of Regents, which reviews risks to impartiality, conflict-of-interest declarations, and complaints related to certification decisions as part of its regular governance duties under PAM’s Constitution and By-Laws. PAM aligns its certification practices with the impartiality principles set out in ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for bodies operating certification of persons.

Review of This Statement

This Impartiality Statement is reviewed periodically by the Council of Regents and updated as needed to reflect changes in PAM’s certification schemes, governance structure, or applicable standards. For questions about this statement or to report a concern, contact connect@pam.org.ph.