PBBM taps Gibo to lead DND anew, Herbosa for Health Dept.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday appointed former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. to his old position and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as Health Secretary, filling two crucial Cabinet positions a year into his administration.
Photos released by Malacanang showed Mr. Marcos talking separately to Teodoro and Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez, and with Herbosa and Department of Health OIC Dr. Ma. Rosario Vergeire.
Vergeire had said previously she was ready to become Health Secretary if the President wanted to, after initially saying she valued being a career official at DOH, where she was also an undersecretary during the past Duterte government.
Teodoro was Secretary of Defense during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, one of the youngest Cabinet officials at the time at 43 years old.
He also assumed the role of chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), which has since been reconstituted into the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The former presidential candidate also served as a three-term member of Congress, representing the first district of Tarlac.
Teodoro completed his law degree and graduated at the top of his class at the University of the Philippines. He achieved the top rank in the 1989 Bar Examinations and furthered his legal education by obtaining a Master’s degree in Law from Harvard University.
Herbosa, on the other hand, obtained his medical degree from the University of the Philippines Manila and holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from UP Diliman.
He previously served as Health Undersecretary from 2010 to 2015, contributing to various initiatives such as the Hospital Accreditation Commission and the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedics Center, and promoting Public-Private Partnerships in health.
From October 2017 to April 2021, Herbosa served as the Executive Vice President of the University of the Philippines System, contributing to its development and growth.
He has held various key positions, including Chief Division of Trauma at the Department of Surgery, Philippine General Hospital, Chairman of the Board for Physicians for Peace Philippines, and 3rd Vice President of the UP Alumni Association.
Herbosa also served as a Special Adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, offering expert guidance and contributing to the formulation of strategies to mitigate the impact of the virus. With Joyce Pangco Panares
