President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appoints Edwin Mercado, former chief of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), as the new secretary of the Department of Health (DOH). Palace spokesperson Claire Castro announces the change, and Mercado replaces Dr. Jose “Brix” Pujalte Jr.
The reports say Pujalte was appointed DOH secretary on July 13, 2026, succeeding Teodoro Herbosa, and that his departure is brief. Inquirer.net reports that Pujalte “voluntarily resigned” due to health reasons, while Rappler notes that the DOH leadership changes again about a month after Pujalte took over. Some coverage frames the shift as a quick turnover in the DOH post, reflecting the short duration of Pujalte’s tenure, though the factual basis of Mercado’s appointment and his replacement of Pujalte is consistent across outlets.
