Who is Beverly Ho, Marcos’ pick to lead PhilHealth?

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday named Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho as the new president and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Ho’s appointment came as Marcos transferred the now-former PhilHealth chief, Edwin Mercado, to the Department of Health (DOH), replacing Dr. Jose “Brix” Pujalte Jr.

But Ho is no stranger to the health sector, having previously served as chief health officer of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. before being appointed to the state health insurer.

READ: Edwin Mercado appointed new DOH chief replacing Jose Pujalte

She also brings years of experience at the DOH, where she served as assistant secretary and undersecretary for the agency’s Public Health Services Team.

Moreover, the new PhilHealth chief was the director of the DOH’s Health Promotion Bureau and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, as well as special assistant to the health secretary for the Universal Health Care package.

Ho graduated cum laude with a degree in biology from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. She later earned a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine degree from UP Manila.

Among the awards she has received for her work are the Leadership Award in Public Health Practice, the Ten Outstanding Young Men award in 2022, and the Ten Outstanding Young Women for Nation Service award in 2022. /cb