PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has appointed Emmanuel Rufino Ledesma Jr. as the acting president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) announced yesterday.
Ledesma took his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Thursday.
Ledesma will also be a member of the PhilHealth expert panel and Board of Directors.
Prior to his appointment, Ledesma served as the president and CEO of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM).
He was previously connected with Morgan Stanley, Bankers’ Trust Company, PCI Capital Corp., and Philippine Commercial International Bank, among others.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of the Philippines and his masteral degree in Business Administration from the Northwestern University.
For his first task, the President yesterday directed the PhilHealth to adopt digitalization initiatives to improve its health insurance operations and offering of health benefits.
The President, during his meeting with the representatives of the healthcare cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), also directed PhilHealth to study, and possibly adopt, the “best practices” of other health insurance firms.
Marcos also reiterated his call for a stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, this time to improve the country’s health sector.
He said that strengthening public-private partnerships coupled with strong third-party assessments will address efficiency concerns in dealing with the health needs of Filipinos.
Also discussed in the meeting was the development of a “ladderized” program for medical workers.
The President had earlier supported a proposal to implement a “ladderized” program to address the “brain drain” among nurses in the country
“You can’t hold people back from a better life, a better future… It’s fair that you provide scholarships… We just have to find ways to keep them here,” he said.
Department of Health Undersecretary and officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government is looking at “bilateral partners” to provide scholarship programs for medical students and professionals.
She said bilateral arrangements may include exchange programs or exchange conditions.
