It seems the prognosis for Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa’s performance, is not good.
And when the health of an entire nation hangs in the balance, a questionable leadership is a malady we can’t afford.
What started as whispers in the four corners of DOH, have now apparently became a deafening roar.
The latest, and perhaps most damning diagnosis, comes not from a medical professional, but from the eagle-eyed state auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA).
Their report is a chilling read, revealing a staggering P1.296 billion in unliquidated cash advances to none other than the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF.
Let’s break that down, because the figures, while massive, only tell part of the story.
Apparently, the rest is a tale of bureaucratic inertia, a failure of management, and a potential dereliction of duty. This isn’t just about sloppy paperwork.
According to the COA, this questionable lack of liquidation is the very reason UNICEF—our partner in protecting the children who are the most vulnerable among us—cannot provide the new vaccines we so desperately need.
We’re talking about Pentavalent, BCG, and Hepatitis B vaccines, crucial shots that could be the difference between a healthy childhood and a lifetime of preventable illness.
A cool P525 million worth of vaccines, denied, because the DOH couldn’t get its act together.
The rules are clear, folks. COA Circular No. 2012-001 and the DOH’s own Memorandum No. 2023-0369 explicitly state that no new funds can be allocated if prior transactions remain unliquidated.
It’s a simple, common-sense rule designed to prevent exactly this kind of mess.
Yet here we are, with a DOH that seems to be operating under a different set of rules entirely—one where deadlines are mere suggestions and accountability is an afterthought.
The COA Audit Observation Memorandum dated August 7, 2025, paints an even grimmer picture of a DOH under Herbosa’s leadership.
Delays in addressing critical issues? Not just a few days, but in some cases, a jaw-dropping two to eight months. All while a seven-day deadline gathered dust.
This isn’t just inefficiency, it is gross mismanagement bordering on criminal negligence.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) remains in place, emphasizing the need for rapid and comprehensive vaccination of children across the country.
Some stakeholders have expressed concerns that the situation within the DOH could negatively impact the rollout of the administration’s nationwide immunization campaign.
A directive that now seems destined to be stymied by the very agency tasked with implementing it.
The irony is as thick as the polluted air in our cities.
While the DOH fails to secure life-saving vaccines for our children, its leader, Secretary Herbosa, was seen accompanying the President on a recent trip to India.
A calculated move, perhaps, to maintain a proximity that might just save his job.
But while the good doctor is out of the country, what’s happening back home?
A visit to the emergency room at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), tells a story far more compelling than any press release.
PGH’s ER is overwhelmed, refusing to accept new patients unless their condition is critical.
It’s a snapshot of a healthcare system on the brink, and a stark reminder that while the DOH bureaucracy stalls, real people are suffering.
The public deserves answers. Our children deserve a fighting chance.
And the President, who has placed his trust in this administration’s ability to deliver, deserves an honest accounting.
The question now isn’t whether Secretary Herbosa should be on the hot seat.
The issue is, how much longer can he sit there while the health of the nation deteriorates?
The doctor may be in, but for how much longer? The signs, for his career, don’t look very bright.
