FILE PHOTO: Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Outgoing Health Secretary Francisco Duque III plans to return to teaching after his stint at the Department of Health (DOH).
“Marami akong plano [I have many plans]. I wanna go back to the private sector, I want to help run the family university in Dagupan City where I will also teach,” Duque said over One News’ The Chiefs in an interview Tuesday night.
The health chief said he used to teach in the university’s College of Medicine and he plans to introduce universal healthcare in its medical curriculum.
It was during Duque’s DOH stint that President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Universal Healthcare law, which seeks to give all Filipinos access to quality healthcare.
“I used to teach in our College of Medicine so yun ang gagawin ko [so that’s what I’m going to do and I want to do Universal Healthcare, yung modules and I want this introduced in the medical curriculum, yung Universal Healthcare,” Duque went on.
“Para bata pa, alam na nila, may appreciation na kung ano ba itong [So while they are young, there’s already an appreciation of] Universal Health Care beyond aspiration but how do you implement this, what is the roadmap for the Philippine Universal Healthcare,” he added.
Duque, who has been at the helm of the DOH since 2017, will step down from office at the end of the month.
As health chief, Duque’s department led the government’s response against a global pandemic.
He has also faced widespread criticisms and resignation calls throughout his time as DOH secretary, but the President stood behind Duque saying he would not accept it if he offered to resign.