Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (MANILA BULLETIN)

The Department of Health (DOH) should focus on addressing much bigger problems instead of the pitch to rename the agency. 

House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin, a former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, had this to say Thursday, July 4 in reaction to incumbent DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa's recent pronouncements. 

Herbosa reportedly wants the DOH renamed as the Department of Health and Wellness. He also wants his title to be changed from secretary of health to chief wellness officer. 

"Well, honestly, it will not make any difference eh," Garin told House reporters. 

"Mas maraming malalaking problema ang DOH na dapat pagtuunan (The DOH has bigger problems to attend to) because wellness is actually part of health," she noted. 

"Wellness is part of health. So changing the name can be okay but it will not really make a
difference," reiterated Garin, who was the health chief from 2015 to 2016. 

Garin also questioned the practicality of the move. 

"Kasi anong gagawin mo? Magpapalit ka ng logo. Eh, central office hanggang mga ospital, hanggang mga kababa-babaan ng ating units of government yan," she said. 

(What will you do? You will change the logo. That would entail changing it from the central office to the hospitals, down to the lowest units of government.) 

"And it's okay if the impact will really be great in terms of public health. Pero hindi naman eh....Mas maraming dapat pagtuunan (But that's not the case....there more things to attend to)," added Garin.