As far as Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin is concerned, Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge (OIC) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire is well-equipped to respond to the current challenges of the agency.

Garin had this to say Tuesday during the Ugnayan news forum wherein she was the sole guest.

During the forum, the former Department of Health (DOH) secretary was asked if she thought the continued lack of a full-fledged chief or secretary at the department had been hurting it terms of responding to issues like the Covid-19 pandemic and the monkeypox threat.

Garin didn't think so, given the powers that the OIC, in this case Vergeire, have.

"Well, basically as a former secretary of health, I don't think there's really a huge impact kasi yung powers ng (because the powers of the) officer-in-charge, is the same powers as the acting , except on appointive powers," she said.

"And based on my understanding, yung Opisina ng Presidente eh binigyan naman ng leeway yung (the Office of the President gave leeway to) DOH officials to recommend additional powers as they deem necessary to be able to be effective in healthcare response," noted the majority solon.

"Be that as it may", Garin said, "kung pinag-uusapan natin ang pandemya (If we're talking about the pandemic), the less movements inside, the better".

"But being an OIC in terms of pandemic response...will not in any way affect the delivery of health services," she assured reporters and by extension, the public.

If anything, what the DOH needs right now according to the Iloilo lawmaker is a slew of warm bodies in key posts below the OIC.

"I think what is urgently needed now dahil nga meron ngang mga nag-retire, mayroon mga bagong direktor na kailangan (due to the retirement of several directors), is for all the appointments to come out para yung mga unfilled positions ay ma-fill upan na (so that the unfilled positions would get filled already)," Garin said.