President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Gilbert Teodoro as Secretary of National Defense (DND) and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as Secretary of Health (DOH), according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Monday.
Teodoro, a lawyer, previously served as DND secretary under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government from August 2007 to November 2009 and was the youngest to do so at 43 years old.
During his previous time as Defense Secretary, he served as Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), according to the PCO.
From 1998 to 2007, he was also the Tarlac 1st district representative.
Herbosa, on the other hand, served as DOH undersecretary from 2010 to 2015 and regional director at the DOH National Capital Regional Office.
Herbosa served as a special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 at the height of the outbreak.
According to the PCO, he provided "expert guidance and contributed to the formulation of strategies to mitigate the impact of the virus."
From 2017 to 2021, he was also the Executive Vice President of the University of the Philippines System, but he resigned after receiving backlash on social media for a tweet about an elderly man who died while standing in line at a community pantry.
Marcos was previously chastised for his lack of urgency in choosing a health secretary in the midst of a global pandemic.
Herbosa's appointment comes nearly a year after Marcos took office. Acting secretaries Carlito Galvez Jr., since January 2023, and Rosario Vergeire, since July 2022, previously led the DND and DOH, respectively.
The DOH welcomed Herbosa's return to the agency in a statement issued shortly after the PCO's announcement, adding that the "DOH commits to provide all-out support during this transition."
Vergeire, for her part, supported the new Health Secretary's selection.
Meanwhile, Marcos continues to serve as concurrent Secretary of Agriculture, and he stated in October that he will pick a new leader after structural changes are implemented in the department.
