Secretary of Health (Philippines)

Secretary of Health
Kalihim ng Kalusugan
Seal
Incumbent Ted Herbosa since June 5, 2023
Style	The Honorable
Appointer	The president with the consent of the Commission on Appointments
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Sergio Osmeña
Formation	November 15, 1935
Website	www.doh.gov.ph

The secretary of health (Filipino: Kalihim ng Kalusugan) is the Cabinet of the Philippines member who is in charge of the Department of Health. The secretary of health is also the ex-officio chairperson of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). ^{[1] [2]}

Functions

The following are the functions of a secretary: ^[3]

• Advise the president on health;
• Establish policies and standards for the department's operations;
• Promulgate rules and regulations;
• Exercise supervision and control over the department;
• Delegate authority to any undersecretary or other appropriate officials of the department; and
• Perform other functions provided by law or assigned by the president.

List of secretaries of health

Secretary of Public Instruction, Health and Welfare (1941–1944)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Sergio Osmeña [a] (1878–1961) [4]	December 24, 1941	August 1, 1944	Manuel L. Quezon

Commissioner of Education, Health and Welfare (1942–1943)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission
	Claro M. Recto (1890–1960) [5]	January 26, 1942	October 14, 1943	Jorge B. Vargas

Minister of Education, Health and Welfare (1943–1944)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Gabriel Mañalac Acting [6]	October 20, 1943	January 1, 1944	Jose P. Laurel

Minister of Health, Labor and Public Welfare (1944–1945)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Emiliano Tría Tirona (1883–1952) [7]	January 4, 1944	1945	Jose P. Laurel

Secretary of Health and Public Welfare (1945–1947)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Basilio Valdes (1892–1970)	February 27, 1945	April 1945	Sergio Osmeña
	Jose Locsin (1891–1977)	June 29, 1945	May 27, 1946
	Antonio Villarama	May 28, 1946	October 4, 1947	Manuel Roxas

Secretary of Health (1947–1978)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Antonio Villarama	October 4, 1947	December 31, 1949	Manuel Roxas
				Elpidio Quirino
	Juan Salcedo Jr. (1904–1988)	December 14, 1950	May 1954
				Ramon Magsaysay
	Paulino Garcia	June 1954	June 1958
				Carlos P. Garcia
	Elpidio Valencia	July 1958	December 30, 1961
	Francisco Duque Jr.	December 30, 1961	July 1963	Diosdado Macapagal
	Floro Dabu	July 1963	December 1964
	Manuel A. Cuenco (1907–1970)	December 1964	December 30, 1965
	Paulino Garcia	December 30, 1965	August 2, 1968	Ferdinand Marcos
	Amadeo Cruz	August 2, 1968	December 25, 1971
	Clemente Gatmaitan	December 25, 1971	June 2, 1978

Minister of Health (1978–1987)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Clemente Gatmaitan	June 2, 1978	July 23, 1979	Ferdinand Marcos
	Enrique Garcia	July 24, 1979	June 30, 1981
	Jesus C. Azurin (1916–1990)	July 25, 1981	February 25, 1986
	Alfredo Bengzon (born 1935)	March 25, 1986	February 11, 1987	Corazon Aquino

Secretary of Health (from 1987)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
	Alfredo Bengzon (born 1935)	February 11, 1987	February 7, 1992	Corazon Aquino
	Antonio Periquet	February 10, 1992	June 30, 1992
	Juan Flavier (1935–2014)	July 1, 1992	January 30, 1995	Fidel V. Ramos
	Jaime Galvez-Tan	January 30, 1995	July 5, 1995
	Hilarion Ramiro Jr.	July 10, 1995	March 22, 1996
	Carmencita Reodica	April 8, 1996	June 29, 1998
	Felipe Estrella	June 30, 1998	September 13, 1998	Joseph Estrada
	Alberto Romualdez (1940–2013)	September 14, 1998	January 20, 2001
	Manuel Dayrit	January 20, 2001	June 1, 2005	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
	Francisco Duque III (born 1957)	June 1, 2005	September 1, 2009
	Esperanza Cabral	September 1, 2009	June 30, 2010
	Enrique Ona (born 1939) [8]	June 30, 2010	December 19, 2014	Benigno Aquino III
	Janette Garin (born 1972)	February 17, 2015	June 30, 2016
	Paulyn Ubial (born 1962) Interim [9] [10]	June 30, 2016	October 10, 2017	Rodrigo Duterte
	Herminigildo Valle Officer in Charge [11]	October 12, 2017	October 25, 2017
	Francisco Duque III (born 1957) [12]	October 26, 2017	June 30, 2022
	Maria Rosario Vergeire (born 1968) Officer in Charge	July 14, 2022	June 5, 2023	Bongbong Marcos
	Ted Herbosa (born 1959)	June 5, 2023	Incumbent

Notes

1. In concurrent capacity as the Vice President.

References

1. Gotinga, JC (August 13, 2020). "Where's Duque? Senators ask amid PhilHealth corruption mess". Rappler. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
2. "R.A. 7875 AN ACT INSTITUTING A NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR ALL FILIPINOS AND ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011. The Secretary of Health shall be the ex officio Chairperson
3. "Executive Order No. 119, s. 1987". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
4. The Sixth Annual Report of the United States High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands to the President and Congress of the United States Covering the Fiscal Year July 1, 1941 to June 30, 1942. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1943. p. 79.
5. Official Gazette Vol. 1, No. 1. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1942. p. 15.
6. Official Gazette, Vol. 1, No. 2. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1943. p. 131.
7. Official Gazette, Vol. 1, No. 4. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1944. p. 391.
8. "Benigno S. Aquino III". Presidential Museum and Library. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
9. Viray, Patricia Lourdes (June 30, 2016). "Duterte's Cabinet takes oath, holds first meeting". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
10. Avendaño, Christine O. (October 10, 2017). "Ubial out as DOH head as CA rejects 5th Duterte Cabinet appointee". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017.
11. Placido, Dharel (October 12, 2017). "Duterte names OICs of health, information technology departments". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017.
12. "Duterte appoints former DOH secretary to replace Ubial". CNN Philippines. October 26, 2017. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.