President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new president and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). The swearing-in ceremony took place in Malacañang on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Dr. Mercado, an orthopedic surgeon trained in the United States, brings 35 years of hospital management experience to his new role, succeeding Emmanuel Ledesma Jr.
Before this appointment, Dr. Mercado served as the vice chairperson of the Mercado General Hospital/Qualimed Health Network since March 2021. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines in 1987 and later earned a Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery from Harvard Medical School in 2023. Additionally, he holds an Executive Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina.
Senate President Francis Escudero expressed his support for the appointment and encouraged Dr. Mercado to focus on the welfare of PhilHealth beneficiaries. Escudero emphasized the importance of aligning the benefits provided with the actual needs of the public, rather than what is merely convenient for the agency to offer.
Senator Grace Poe also voiced her expectations for Dr. Mercado’s leadership, hoping he would rejuvenate PhilHealth and ensure it meets its mandate of delivering reliable and accessible healthcare. She stressed the importance of PhilHealth members feeling the benefits of their higher premiums and urged the agency to address its outstanding debts to health workers and hospitals, advocating for a more responsive and efficient healthcare system.