No political plans for 2016 – DOH chief

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Janette Garin said yesterday that she is not seeking any elective position in the May 2016 local and national polls, ending speculations about her political plans.

“I don’t have any political plan (in 2016). I am not closing my door to politics in the future but when I accepted the post in the DOH, I gave an assurance to the executive and the DOH (Department of Health) family that we will fast track the programs. Health care is evolving,” she declared.

Garin said she intends to concentrate on pursuing DOH programs, including those on immunization, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, and reproductive health.

“With the time that I have, there are so many things that we should do. If I focus on politics, it will divert my mind to the things that we have started like the guidelines on diseases, we are amending many things in Philhealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.), we have the immunization and many others,” she maintained.

An obstetric-gynecologist, Garin used to be a congresswoman of the first district of Iloilo and former provincial board member of Leyte province.

President Aquino appointed her as DOH undersecretary in July 2013 and as secretary in Oct. 2014.