Marcos names PhilHealth chief Mercado as new DOH secretary

MANILA, Philippines — PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado has been appointed as the new secretary of the Department of Health, replacing its incumbent barely a month since being named to the post.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s appointment of Mercado was announced by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro at a briefing Monday, August 10.

Jose Pujalte Jr., who's served as DOH secretary since July, voluntarily resigned due to health reasons, Castro said.

"Ang naipaabot saatin ay kusang nagresign si Dr. Pujalte dahil na rin sa kanyang kalusugan (What was communicated to us is that Dr. Pujalte voluntarily resigned due to his health)," Castro added.

Last week, health advocates filed a graft complaint with the Ombudsman against Pujalte over his alleged order to suspend the procurement of anti-tuberculosis commodities. Pujalte was accused by the unnamed complainants of supposedly holding off on the procurement for a favored supplier, an allegation he has denied.

Mercado graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of the Philippines in 1987.

He completed his Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School in 2023. He holds an Executive Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina in the United States.

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