Marcos names Edwin Mercado as new DOH chief

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), replacing Dr. Jose “Brix” Pujalte Jr., who stepped down less than a month after taking office.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro announced Mercado’s appointment during a Palace briefing on Monday afternoon.

“Ang naipaabot sa atin ay kusang nag-resign si Dr. Pujalte dahil na rin sa kanyang kalusugan,” Castro said.

(We were informed that Dr. Pujalte voluntarily resigned due to health reasons.)

Before his appointment as health secretary, Mercado had served as acting president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) since February 2025.

Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, chief health officer of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. and a former DOH undersecretary, will take over as PhilHealth chief following Mercado’s appointment.

Pujalte was appointed health secretary on July 13, replacing Dr. Ted Herbosa, who also reportedly resigned for health reasons.

Pujalte’s brief tenure at the DOH was marked by complaints over some of his policies and controversy over his reported visit to a casino.

Health advocates and health workers had earlier asked the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss Pujalte over the alleged “whimsical” suspension of the procurement of tuberculosis drugs and other TB-related commodities.

Pujalte expressed willingness to submit documents supporting his decision to suspend the procurement of anti-TB drugs, maintaining that the review was intended to ensure that the procurement process was “responsive to the needs of tuberculosis patients, transparent, and compliant with the law.”

After a week into his DOH post, Pujalte faced questions after he was seen at a casino on July 20. He denied that he was there to gamble, saying his visit was for “official business.”

Asked whether the issues raised against Pujalte had anything to do with his resignation, Castro said the Palace could not say.

“Sa ngayon ay hindi po natin masasagot. Siya naman po ang boluntaryong nag-resign at ito naman po ay tinanggap ng ating Pangulo,” she said.

(We cannot answer that at the moment. He voluntarily resigned, and his resignation was accepted by the President.)

Castro also reiterated that it is up to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the complaints against Pujalte.

“Kung ito naman po ay nakasampa na po sa Ombudsman, nasa kamay na po ng Ombudsman ang pag-iimbestiga kung ano man ang naireklamo laban kay dating Secretary Pujalte,” she said.

(If the complaints have already been filed with the Ombudsman, it is now up to the Ombudsman to investigate the allegations against former Secretary Pujalte.)

Mercado's track record

Before joining PhilHealth, Mercado had served as vice chairman of the Mercado General Hospital/Qualimed Health Network since March 2021.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Mercado earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines in 1987.

He later completed an Executive Master’s in Healthcare Administration at the University of North Carolina in the United States and obtained a Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School in 2023.

Mercado has also worked with the Zuellig Family Foundation and several DOH Centers for Health Development, providing technical assistance to provincial health boards in establishing and operating healthcare provider networks, the PCO said. — MCG, GMA News