MANILA, Philippines – Pinangasiwaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., araw ng Martes ang panunumpa sa tungkulin ng bagong itinalagang si Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Edwin Mercado at Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President at Chief Executive Officer Beverly Lorraine Ho sa hiwalay na seremonya sa Palasyo ng Malakanyang.
Nauna rito, inanunsyo ng Malakanyang na itinalaga ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. si Dr. Edwin Mercado bilang bilang kalihim ng Department of Health.
Si Dr. Mercado ayon kay Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary at Palace Press Officer Claire Castro ay kasalukuyang Acting President and Chief Executive Officer ng PhilHealth.
Itinalaga sa PhilHealth si Dr. Mercado noong February 2025.
Bago pa naging Kalihim ng DOH, nagsilbing medical director si Dr. Mercado sa Daniel Mercado Medical Center noong 1998 hanggang 2000. At nagsilbing president and CEO ng iba’t ibang hospital mula noong year 2000 hanggang 2016.
Nagtapos si Dr. Mercado ng Medicine sa University of the Philippines. Nagtapos ng Master of Medical Science in Global Health Delivery sa Harvard Medical School noong 2023 at mayroon din siyang Executive Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration mula sa University of North Carolina sa US.
Papalitan ni Dr. Mercado si outgoing DOH Secretary Jose Pujalte Jr.
Samantala, papalit naman kay Dr. Mercado sa PhilHealth bilang acting president and chief executive officer si Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho, na kasalukuyang chief health officer ng Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc.
Bago ang kanyang appointment sa PhilHealth, nagsilbi rin sa DOH si Dr. Ho bilang assistant secretary noong January 2023 hanggang January 2024 at undersecretary mula July 2022 hanggang December 2022. Nagsilbi rin deputy spokesperson si Dr. Ho ng DOH mula March 2020 hanggang December 2023. (KRIS JOSE)
