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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos appoints PhilHealth chief as new DOH secretary

Marcos appoints PhilHealth chief as new DOH secretary

Published Aug 10, 2026 03:57 pm

At A Glance

  • President Marcos appointed acting PhilHealth President and chief executive officer (CEO) Edwin Mercado as new DOH Secretary.
  • Mercado replaces outgoing Health chief Jose Pujalte, Jr.
  • Undersecretary Claire Castro said Pujalte resigned due to health reasons.
  • Marcos also appointed Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho as the new President and CEO of the PhilHealth.
In February 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) replacing Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. (PCO)
In February 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) replacing Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. (PCO)
President Marcos has appointed acting PhilHealth President and chief executive officer (CEO), Edwin Mercado, as the new Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH).
Mercado will replace outgoing Health chief Jose Pujalte, Jr., who was appointed by Marcos in July.
The appointment of Mercado came nearly a month after Marcos named Pujalte as DOH chief, replacing outgoing Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
"Itinalaga ngayong araw ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bilang kalihim ng Department of Health si Dr. Edwin Mercado na kasalukuyang acting President and chief executive officer ng PhilHealth (President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed today Dr. Edwin Mercado as secretary of the Department of Health, who is currently the acting president and chief executive officer of PhilHealth)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Monday, Aug. 10.
According to Castro, Pujalte resigned from his current post due to health reasons.
Mercado was appointed to PhilHealth in February 2025.
Before becoming DOH Secretary, Mercado served as medical director of Daniel Mercado Medical Center from 1998 to 2000 and as president and CEO of various hospitals from 2000 to 2016.
The new DOH chief earned his medical degree from the University of the Philippines (UP). He completed a Master of Medical Science in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School in 2023 and also holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina in the United States.
Castro said the marching order of the President to the new DOH Secretary remains the same—to prioritize the welfare of Filipinos.
"Ganun pa rin po dahil ang nais ng Pangulo ay unahin ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan pagdating sa kanilang kalusugan (It remains the same because the President’s priority is to put the welfare of our fellow Filipinos first when it comes to their health)," Castro said.
"At hindi naman din po bago si Dr. Mercado dahil siya rin po ang tumayo na president and CEO ng PhilHealth so alam po ni Dr. Mercado ang gusto at nais ng Pangulo para sa ating mga kababayan (Dr. Mercado is also not new to this, as he previously served as president and CEO of PhilHealth. So, Dr. Mercado knows what the President wants and envisions for our fellow Filipinos)," Castro added.

New PhilHealth chief

To replace Mercado, the President also designated Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho as the new President and CEO of the PhilHealth.
Ho is the current chief health officer of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc.
Prior to her appointment to PhilHealth, Ho also served at the DOH as assistant secretary from January 2023 to January 2024 and as undersecretary from July 2022 to December 2022.
Dr. Ho also served as the DOH’s deputy spokesperson from March 2020 to December 2023.

Voluntary resignation

According to Castro, Pujalte voluntarily resigned from his position, and the President accepted it.
"Ang naipaabot sa atin ay kusang nag-resign si Dr. Pujalte dahil na rin sa kanyang kalusugan (What was conveyed to us is that Dr. Pujalte voluntarily resigned, partly due to his health)," Castro said.
"Sa ngayon ay hindi natin masasagot. Siya naman po ang boluntaryong nag-resign at ito naman po ay tinanggap ng ating Pangulo (For now, we cannot answer that. He voluntarily resigned, and the President accepted his resignation," Castro said when asked if his resignation is connected to the allegations and complaints against him.
Asked if an investigation related to the allegations against the outgoing DOH chief will be pursued, the Palace official said the case is now in the hands of the Ombudsman.
"Kung ito naman po ay nakasampa na po ng Ombudsman, nasa kamay na po ng Ombudsman ang pag-iimbestiga kung ano man po ang naireklamo laban kay dating secretary Pujalte (If the matter has already been filed with the Ombudsman, then it is now in the hands of the Ombudsman to investigate whatever complaints have been filed against former Secretary Pujalte)," Castro said.
Pujalte’s resignation came just 28 days after his appointment on July 13.

Related Tags

DOH President Marcos DOH Secretary Jose Pujalte Jr Dr. Edwin Mercado
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