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February 8, 2018
(Manila, Philippines – February 8, 2018) HealthJustice Philippines, a think tank and advocacy group with legal expertise in tobacco control and health promotion, congratulated Francisco Duque, whose appointment to the helm of the Department of Health has been confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).
“We congratulate Francisco Duque III, whose appointment as Health Secretary has just been confirmed by the CA. He is a strong public health advocate and a battle-tested public servant. The health department will surely benefit from his competent and principled leadership,” said Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, Board Member of HealthJustice Philippines and a former Health Secretary himself.
Last October 26, Duterte signed Duque’s appointment papers.
Duque led the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) from 2001 to 2005. He then served as Health Secretary from 2005 to 2010 under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) by former President Benigno Aquino III.
“We trust that under his leadership, the health department will develop and implement programs that prioritize prevention over cure. It’s high time that we focus on the preventive aspect of health care,” Galvez Tan added.
HealthJustice is a Bloomberg Awardee for Global Tobacco Control. It is a Programme Partner of the NCD Alliance, an international network of experts, advocates, and organizations working to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases worldwide.
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