Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday welcomed the appointment of Dr. Edwin Mercado as Department of Health (DOH) secretary and Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho as PhilHealth president and CEO, saying the leadership changes could help stabilize the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC).
Escudero said the appointments provide “much-needed clarity and stability” to the DOH after leadership issues recently affected the agency.
“We welcome the new appointment and we wish the newly appointed Health Secretary, Dr. Edwin Mercado, all the best as he takes on his new role as the administration’s chief implementer of its health programs,” Escudero said.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Mercado, who had been serving as acting president and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), as the new health secretary, replacing Dr. Jose “Brix” Pujalte Jr.
Pujalte resigned from the DOH, citing health reasons, according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
Ho, the chief health officer of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc., was appointed to replace Mercado as PhilHealth president and CEO.
Escudero said Ho’s appointment complements the change in DOH leadership and could strengthen ongoing UHC reforms.
“Ang pagtalaga kay Dr. Ho sa PhilHealth ay nagbibigay ng karagdagang lakas sa ating UHC reforms. May sapat siyang karanasan sa public health at pamamahala upang maipagpatuloy ang mga repormang kailangan ng sistema,” he said.
Ho previously served as a DOH undersecretary and deputy spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mercado, meanwhile, is a US-trained orthopedic surgeon with 35 years of experience in hospital management. He had served as PhilHealth president and CEO since February 2025 before his appointment to the DOH.
Escudero earlier urged Malacañang to address the DOH leadership concerns, warning that prolonged uncertainty could affect the rollout of UHC and preventive healthcare programs.
With Mercado now heading the department, Escudero said the DOH can refocus on expanding UHC implementation, particularly by widening PhilHealth coverage and improving access to healthcare services in both public and private facilities.
PhilHealth currently has nearly 70 million registered members and more than 38 million dependents, covering more than 108 million Filipinos, according to Escudero.
He said the size of PhilHealth’s membership base underscores the need for stable leadership to address gaps in preventive healthcare, emergency response in remote areas and uneven implementation of health programs at the local government level.
Escudero also said PhilHealth has sufficient funds to support wider benefit coverage, but stressed that improvements in the system are needed to maximize those resources.
“Hindi kulang ang pondo ng PhilHealth. May sapat na pondo … Sistema lang talaga dapat ang ayusin para mas mapalawak ang coverage,” he said.
The senator said UHC reforms should also address support for barangay health workers and long-standing gaps in healthcare delivery.
“Pipilitin po nating matugunan iyan. Mahaba pa po ang usapin kaugnay sa universal health care … gayun din ‘yung dapat nating tahaking landas tungo sa mithiin nating lahat na totoo, makatarungan at pangkalahatang pagpapatupad ng UHC para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
Photo courtesy of PH Senate
Comments