THE Commission on Appointments yesterday approved the appointments of the Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as health secretary, and Francisco Tiu-Laurel as agriculture secretary, during a plenary session.
Herbosa, before the confirmation, said there is no “outbreak” of the mycoplasma pneumoniae or the “walking pneumonia” in the Philippines despite a sharp increase in cases in the country and other parts of the world.
He said the surge in the respiratory illness in China was not caused by a new type of virus but rather brought by “previous microbes” known as respiratory syncytial virus or microplasma pneumonia, and the influenza virus.
“There is no outbreak in the Philippines, according to our Epidemiology Bureau although there are a lot cases because this is the season of respiratory illness,” Herbosa told the members of the panel in mixed Filipino and English.
Herbosa advised the public to wear face masks and observe of health protocols like what was practiced at the height of COVID-19. The DOH earlier said wearing of face masks is optional.
“My advice is the same just like what be practiced during the COVID-19 pandemic —social distancing and the wearing of face masks, cough etiquette to stop infections,” he said.
Herbosa also said it is better let children stay at home instead of allowing them to go to school if they are experiencing fever, cough, and cold.
He said adults, especially the “high-risk” senior citizens who have cough and colds, should avoid gatherings like Christmas parties so as not to infect others.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri approved the online attendance during plenary sessions of senators with symptoms of the flu-like illness.
This was after Sen. Cynthia Villar tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
FAMILY BUSINESS
Tiu-Laurel said there will be no special accommodation for his family’s fishing business while he is on top of the department.
He made the assurance as members of the CA panel asked him about his divestment in the companies he was connected with before his appointment to the DA top post.
Tiu-Laurel said he will live up to his father’s words not to bring shame to the family as family image and integrity should be given utmost importance.
“So, there should be no special favors for my family’s companies. No accommodation. My family will not allow that,” Tiu-Laurel said.
Tiu-Laurel said he has divested from all companies either through deed of sale or deed of donation, adding that he has already resigned from all of the companies he had worked and let go of his shares.
Tiu-Laurel’s parents started a small fishing company a year before he was born in 1967 and took over the company when he was 28 years old. The company now has over 150 vessels with a workforce of more than 7,000.
“I am now 56 and I’ve been called to serve our country — to lead it out of high food prices, low food production, broken food supply chains, lack of irrigation, cold storage, credit, and other key inputs, and ageing farmers and fisherfolks,” he said.
He also said he will use his experience in their company to achieve the President’s vision of solving the country’s problems on the agricultural sector.
Tiu-Laurel said he will tap the services of biologists, data scientists, and academics “in dealing with the avian flu, African swine fever, and red tide poisoning” which are faced by the country for years now.
To increase food production, he said that the department will tap local and international law enforcers to address food hoarding, price manipulation, and smuggling.
Tiu-Laurel said President Marcos Jr has mentioned to him a “few” names of smugglers, which he said will be “targeted” by the first quarter of 2024.
He said the country need not import much sugar next year as the country has imported quite a big amount of the produce this year.
Meanwhile, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) asked the CA to reconsider.
“Our opposition to Secretary Herbosa’s appointment is based on several claims that we believe undermine the interests and welfare of health workers and the general public,” it said.
The group said Herbosa is “anti-health worker” considering the continued inability of the DOH to fully provide their “long overdue” health emergency allowance (HEA).
To note, some P62.2 billion HEAs remain unpaid to healthcare workers, who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“An effective health secretary should prioritize the needs and safety of health workers, who are at the forefront of the battle against the public health and economic crisis,” said AHW.
The AHW also said the Office of the Ombudsman has ruled to perpetually disqualify Herbosa from holding any public post. It was referring to the guilty ruling for an administrative offense regarding anomalies surrounding the 2012 hospital modernization program.
“The Ombudsman has a decision on Herbosa’s permanent disqualification to enter government service,” said AHW. — With Gerard Naval