President Marcos' choice to lead the Department of Health (DOH) is not a career politician or a former Cabinet member, but a veteran orthopedic surgeon and hospital administrator who has spent more than three decades in public healthcare.

Dr. Jose Brittanio S. Pujalte Jr., who was appointed Health secretary on Monday, July 13, brings to the post extensive experience in medicine, hospital management, medical education, and public service.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Pujalte has served as a physician, administrator, educator, and public servant for more than 30 years.

"He carries extensive experience and distinguished leadership as a doctor, hospital administrator, teacher, and public servant with more than three decades of advancing public healthcare," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

Pujalte joined the Department of Health in 1991 and completed his orthopedic residency at the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in 1994.

Since 2014, he has served as Medical Center Chief II of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, overseeing one of the country's premier specialty hospitals for orthopedic and rehabilitation medicine. Under his leadership, the POC strengthened hospital operations, expanded patient services, and modernized its facilities, including the opening of a new hospital building in 2022.

Pujalte earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine before obtaining a master's degree in Hospital Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

He became a Career Executive Service Eligible in 2008, reflecting his qualifications in both medical practice and public administration.

Apart from government service, Pujalte has taught at the University of the Philippines Manila, FEU-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, and San Beda College of Medicine, where he became the institution's first chairman of the Department of Orthopedics.

He is also a Fellow of the Philippine Orthopedic Association, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons.

Throughout his career, he founded the Philippine Shoulder Society, became a founding member of the Philippine Spine Society, served as one of the youngest presidents of the Philippine Orthopedic Association, and later led the ASEAN Orthopaedic Association.

Pujalte is a second-generation orthopedic surgeon.

The DOH said he credits his father, the late Dr. Jose M. Pujalte, former director of the National Orthopedic Hospital, for inspiring his lifelong commitment to public healthcare.

He further honed his expertise through fellowship training in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, specializing in shoulder surgery, spine surgery, total joint reconstruction, and joint replacement.

Outside the operating room and hospital administration, Pujalte has also been a familiar voice to readers of the Manila Bulletin.

He began writing the newspaper's health column, "If Symptoms Persist," in 1999, in which he explained common medical conditions, preventive healthcare, and advances in medicine in terms accessible to the general public.

His latest publicly available column for the Manila Bulletin appeared in June 2021.

As Health Secretary, Pujalte is expected to continue the Marcos administration's efforts to strengthen the country's healthcare system, improve access to quality medical services, and advance the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.

The Palace said he is expected to lead the department in carrying out the President's agenda of providing better healthcare services and improving health outcomes for all Filipinos.