Some lawmakers on Wednesday, Sept. 7, bared plans to recommend Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge (OIC) Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire as the full-fledged health secretary to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Despite not knowing the health official personally, Misamis Oriental 2nd district Rep. Bambi Emano asked his fellow Committee on Health members during the DOH budget hearing to recommend Vergeire for the position of DOH secretary in a permanent capacity.
“What I’m trying to say, Mr. Chair, is to handle an agency, as governor for nine years, it is so difficult for one department to handle and to run an office as OIC,” he said.
“Can we, at least, make a recommendation to the President she has been doing well, she has been answering questions even during the pandemic that we can endorse her to become the secretary of DOH, Mr. Chair,” he added.
Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr., committee chairman, shared that he had already talked with the top health official about permanently appointing her to the agency.
On Vergeire’s part, she thanked the lawmakers “for the trust and the recommendation", as well as their support.
READ: Vergeire named as DOH OIC
“We will cross the bridge when we get there but one thing I can tell you would be that even though in an OIC designation right now, our DOH family is working closely together, helping each other, so that we can perform the functions and services for the citizens through the mandate of the department,” she said.
“Rest assured po na even though as an OIC, 100 percent po ang binibigay natin (we are giving) commitment at trabaho at natutulungan naman po tayo ng buong ng opisyales (and work and we are being helped by the officials). We leave it to the President,” the official added.
Pampanga 4th district Rep. Dr. Anna York Bondoc seconded Emano’s manifestation to recommend Vergeire to the health department’s top post, noting how difficult it must have been for the official to work in an OIC capacity.
“You have our support po na kayo na ang magiging (you are going to be our) permanent secretary natin,” she told the health official.
Gato, for his part, thanked the DOH family “headed by our dear secretary, soon to be, full-pledged Secretary Vergeire".
“We are assure you our all support in your priority bills,” he assured Vergeire.
The health official became the face of the DOH's information campaign at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her designation as OIC was only supposed to last until the end of July, but had been automatically extended given that Marcos did not name a new health chief.