On June 5, President Marcos appointed Gilbert Teodoro as the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH). As returning officials of the agencies they now head, both Teodora and Herbosa are expected to provide policy stability and continuity. The DND and DOH were previously led by acting secretaries Carlito Galvez Jr. and Rosario Vergerie, respectively. President Marcos himself remains the concurrent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, while Vice President Sarah Duterte remains the concurrent Secretary of the Department of Education.
Teodoro, a lawyer and mining firm executive, previously served as DND secretary under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration from August 2007 to November 2009. In his tenure as secretary, he assumed the role of Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). Teodoro was also a former congressman, representing the first district of Tarlac for three terms. Teodoro was a previous presidential candidate in 2010 and ran for senator under the ticket of President Marcos and Vice President Duterte, where he lost both bids. In his current appointment as Secretary of the DND, Teodoro is expected to navigate the Southeast Asian nation’s deepening alliance with the US amid rising tensions with China. Among Teodoro’s early priorities include (i) pension settlement for military and uniform personnel, (ii) DND modernization, and (iii) budget settlement.
Herbosa, a physician by profession, served as DOH’s undersecretary from 2010 to 2015, under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, and was also Regional Director at the DOH-National Capital Regional Office. In his previous capacities, Herbosa contributed to various initiatives such as the Hospital Accreditation Commission, the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedics Center, and the promotion of public-private partnerships in health. Prior to his appointment, Herbosa was also Executive Vice President of the University of the Philippines (UP) System, Chief of Trauma and the Philippine General Hospital’s Department of Surgery, and Chairman of the Board for Physicians for Peace Philippines, among others. Notably, at the height of the pandemic, Herbosa was appointed as Special Adviser to the National Task Force Against Covid 19 and an international consultant for several countries including Malaysia and Thailand. The DOH and other doctors’ groups welcomed Herbosa as health chief, committing to provide all-out support during his transition. As Secretary of the DOH, Herbosa will help craft health policies as concerns over the pandemic ebbs. Teodora will prioritize (i) universal healthcare access and the (ii) digitalization of the health department.
