MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito on Monday welcomed the appointment of former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) chief Edwin Mercado as new secretary of the Department of Health (DOH).
"We support the appointment of Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new Secretary of Health. We are optimistic that he will bring his valuable expertise as a physician and healthcare executive to the DOH at a time when we need to push our health reforms even further," Ejercito said in a statement.
Ejercito also welcomed the appointment of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. Chief Health Officer Beverly Lorraine Ho, who will replace Mercado as PhilHealth's president and chief executive officer (CEO).
"We are also glad to see Dr. Beverly Ho take the helm of PhilHealth as its new President and CEO. I had the chance to work closely with Dr. Ho during the crafting of the Universal Health Care Law, where I have seen her dedication to improving healthcare for our people," said Ejercito, principal author of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.
"There is still much work to be done. We need to expand Zero Balance Billing, improve PhilHealth packages including Philhealth’s participation in hospital bills, and lower out-of-pocket expenses," he added.
The senator expressed hope with Mercado and Ho leading these two important institutions, "we can achieve the objectives of UHC law of providing quality and affordable healthcare services for all Filipinos."
"I look forward to working with them as we plan to undertake a review of the UHC implementation as we approach its 10th year," Ejercito said. "This will be a UHC friendly team!"
