Marcos names Gibo Teodoro as DND Chief, Ted Herbosa as DOH Secretary
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 5) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Gilbert Teodoro as the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) revealed Monday.
Teodoro, a lawyer, previously served as DND secretary under the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from August 2007 to November 2009 and was the youngest to do so at 43 years old.
In his earlier tenure as Defense chief, he assumed the role of Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the PCO said.
He was also Tarlac 1st district representative from 1998 to 2007.
Herbosa, on the other hand, was DOH undersecretary from 2010 to 2015 and held the post of Regional Director at the DOH National Capital Regional Office.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Herbosa served as Special Adviser to the National Task Force Against Covid-19. He offered "expert guidance and contributing to the formulation of strategies to mitigate the impact of the virus," the PCO said.
He was also the Executive Vice President of the University of the Philippines System from 2017 to 2021 but resigned after he caught flak on social media for a tweet he made about an elderly man who died while waiting in line at a community pantry.
Marcos earlier drew criticism for his non-urgent stance on appointing a health secretary in the middle of a global pandemic. Herbosa’s appointment comes almost a year into Marcos’ presidency.
READ: New DOH chief needed despite Marcos' non-urgent stance — health expert
The DND and DOH were previously led by acting secretaries Carlito Galvez Jr., since January 2023, and Rosario Vergeire, since July 2022, respectively.
In a statement shortly after the PCO’s announcement, the DOH welcomed Herbosa’s return to the agency, saying the “DOH commits to provide all-out support during this transition.”
Vergeire, for her part, backed the new Health secretary’s appointment.
“Maasahan po ng ating bagong kalihim, Secretary Ted, ang taos pusong suporta ng buong DOH family,” she said.
[Translation: Our new leader, Secretary Ted, can count on the sincere support of the DOH family.]
Meanwhile, Marcos himself remains the concurrent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and said last October that he would appoint a new chief after structural changes are put in place in the agency.
