Oath-taking Ceremony of Department of Health (DOH) Acting Secretary Edwin Mercado

Study Room, Malacañan Palace August 11, 2026 President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administered the oath of office to Dr. Edwin Mercado as Department of Health (DOH) Acting Secretary during a ceremony in the Study Room at Malacañan Palace. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Mercado served as acting President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in February 2025 — bringing decades of experience in healthcare management, health financing and universal health care to the DOH. Before joining PhilHealth, Dr. Mercado held several roles in healthcare, including serving as medical director of Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center from 1998 to 2000 and as president/CEO of multiple hospitals from 2000 to 2016. He also served as a consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Zuellig Family Foundation and served on DOH’s Strategic Advisory Group for Universal Health Care Implementation. He earned his Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School and a master’s degree in Hospital Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. * * * Connect with RTVM Website: http://rtvm.gov.ph Facebook: www.facebook.com/presidentialcom and www.facebook.com/rtvmalacanang YouTube: @RTVMalacanang Tiktok: @RTVMalacanang