President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has approved the creation of the universal health care coordinating council, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

"The President approved the Department of Health's proposal of creating a universal health care coordinating council through an executive order," he told reporters in a press briefing at the Malacañang.

Herbosa said the council's primary mandate would be overseeing the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act across the country.

"We will standardize the health policies. The council will serve as national governance bodies that will oversee the overall implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act nationwide of different LGUs [local government units]," he said.

The Universal Health Care Coordinating Council is also mandated to oversee how the money "from the special health fund" will be spent, according to the Health Secretary.

"The President knows that there are diverse implementations, there are LGUs good implementors of the healthcare system locally and there are those who don't give emphasis. That's where the council will be able to police or monitor how LGUs and the local system would be spending funds, and how would be health system be improved," he said.

Herbosa said the DOH would serve as the council's chairman while the Department of the Interior and Local Government as the co-chair.

"And probably TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority], CHED [Commission on Higher Education], and DepEd [Department of Education]," Herbosa added.

In 2019, former president Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act which seeks to establish a "systematic approach and clear delineation of roles of key agencies and stakeholders towards better performance in the health system" in the Philippines and "ensure that all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and protected against financial risk."