President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed Ted Herbosa as the new secretary of the Department of Health (DOH).
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. meets with new Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in Malacanang on Monday, June 5, 2023. (Photo courtesy of PCO)
Marcos made the appointment almost a year after the post was left vacant.
Malacañang announced the appointment after the President met with Herbosa and Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire in a meeting in Malacañang Monday afternoon.
Herbosa, a doctor by profession, served as a special adviser of the National Task Force against Covid-19.
He also served as DOH Undersecretary from 2010 to 2015, contributing to various initiatives such as the Hospital Accreditation Commission, Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedics Center, and promoting Public-Private Partnerships in Health.
He also held the positions of former Undersecretary and concurrent Regional Director at the DOH-National Capital Regional Office.
Prior to his appointment, Herbosa held a position as a professor at the College of Medicine in the University of the Philippines Manila.
From October 2017 to April 2021, Herbosa served as the executive vice president of the University of the Philippines System. He has held various key positions, including Chief Division of Trauma at the Department of Surgery, Philippine General Hospital, Chairman of the Board for Physicians for Peace Philippines, and 3rd Vice President of the UP Alumni Association.
He obtained his medical degree from the University of the Philippines Manila and holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Herbosa's educational background also includes an International Diploma Course in Emergency and Crisis Management from the University of Geneva and Postgraduate Studies in Medicine from the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.
The new Health Chief has served as a professor in Emergency Department at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and at the National University of Malaysia.
He also served as an international consultant in several countries, including Palau, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Tunisia, and Thailand.