Escudero flags Universal Health Care woes as Mercado takes over DOH

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero raised concerns over the Department of Health’s (DOH) leadership and its impact on Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named former PhilHealth chief Edwin Mercado as the agency’s new secretary on Monday.

Mercado replaces Jose Pujalte Jr., who served as health secretary for less than a month after being appointed on July 13, 2026, succeeding Teodoro Herbosa.

Escudero had earlier urged Malacanang to settle the leadership issue at the DOH, warning that successive changes in leadership could add to the department’s existing challenges. 

“May problema ka na nga sa sistema, may problema ka pa sa tao,” Escudero said in his weekend podcast, “Chiz Wiz! Usapang May Laman,” referring to the possibility of another leadership change.

Pujalte’s brief tenure came amid a complaint filed before Malacañang’s Presidential Complaint Center by a group identifying itself as “Concerned Citizens,” which accused Pujalte of violating the casino ban for government officials under Presidential Decree 1869 and other laws.

The group allegedly saw Pujalte gambling at two Manila casinos under assumed names. Pujalte has denied the allegations.

Escudero said resolving the leadership issue would help maintain continuity in UHC implementation, particularly in expanding the PhilHealth coverage and improving access to healthcare services in both public and private facilities.

He noted that PhilHealth currently has nearly 70 million registered members and more than 38 million dependents, bringing the coverage to over 108 million Filipinos.

Despite the size of PhilHealth’s membership, gaps still remain in healthcare delivery such as emergency response in remote areas and uneven implementation at the local level.