DOH Undersecretaries Exit Amid Executive Shakeup
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) recently parted ways with its three undersecretaries, all of whom are career executive service officers (CESOs). The development was confirmed after their names disappeared from the DOH Executive Committee (Execom) roster on the agency’s official website. This notable change has raised questions about the sudden reshuffle within the agency.
The three undersecretaries affected are Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, CESO II; Achilles Gerard Bravo, CESO II; and Dr. Kenneth Ronquillo, CESO III. Sources said their removal from the DOH’s Executive Committee list indicates they are no longer affiliated with the department.
DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo acknowledged that the three undersecretaries have left the agency but declined to reveal the reasons behind their departure. “Decisions of Execom members leading to their separation from the service (e.g., retirement, resignation, etc.) are personal in nature and treated with the utmost respect as to privacy,” he stated.
New Faces Join DOH Executive Committee
Despite the unexpected exits, the DOH has welcomed new appointments to fill the vacancies. Dr. Gregorio Murillo Jr., former mayor of Tago, Surigao del Sur, was named undersecretary for health facilities enhancement and infrastructure management, as well as special concerns. Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Farwa Hombre received a promotion to undersecretary. She will oversee nursing profession matters alongside gender and development, and traditional and alternative health care. Notably, Hombre is the only nurse among the current Execom members.
Attempts to reach Dr. Vergeire for comment were unsuccessful at the time of writing. However, during a recent event at Far Eastern University, she was introduced as a “former undersecretary,” confirming her exit from the post.
Security of Tenure and Career Impact
As CESOs, Vergeire, Bravo, and Ronquillo enjoyed security of tenure, meaning they could only be separated from service for valid reasons, following due process, or through voluntary resignation or removal from the rolls. Their sudden departure has sparked curiosity among local leaders and observers alike.
Dr. Vergeire served as the DOH spokesperson throughout the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was widely regarded as “the calm and steady voice lending reason and sobriety to these anxious times,” according to local sources. At the start of the current administration, she acted as officer-in-charge for nearly a year before Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa was appointed by the president.
Vergeire openly admitted she was never offered the health secretary position, despite decades of dedicated service at the DOH. She joined the department in 2007 after 11 years of work at the Marikina city health office. As a career official, she preferred to maintain her career stability rather than risk an appointment tied to the president’s term.
“And by the time I finish the six years, I still have years left to serve. And I want to still serve until I retire,” she said in a previous interview, underscoring her commitment to public service.
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