Garin a shoo-in for DOH

ROMBLON, Philippines—Rep. Janette Garin is poised to become the next Health Secretary after President Benigno Aquino III disclosed on Friday that only “ministerial stuff” are left to deal with to formalize her appointment to the post.

“I am very satisfied with Sec. Garin. We will be putting in another undersecretary to help her. And of course, this is subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointment,” President Aquino told reporters.

Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin. FILE PHOTO

Garin was standing right behind the President during the press conference and tried to hide behind Mindoro Oriental Rep. Rey Umali.

President Aquino said that Garin’s appointment would be in order following the papal visit from Jan. 15 to 19.

“Perhaps we will deal with a lot of ministerial stuff after the Pope’s visit. Maybe the urgent matters will be attended to now but those that can wait a little so as not to distract the people who will be working on the Pope’s visit,” the Chief Executive said.

Garin, who was appointed undersecretary at the Department of Health (DOH) in 2013, was named by Mr. Aquino as acting DOH chief in late October after he asked then Health Secretary Enrique Ona to go on a one month leave.

The President himself said he wanted to give Ona time to put together his explanations to various issues raised against the former secretary, the most serious of which was DOH’s alleged questionable purchase of antipneumonia vaccines. Ona later resigned.

At the press conference, the President also defended the fare increase in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1 and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 systems.

“This is not a popular decision, okay. I don’t want to be part of the problem (by having) no (fare) increase, (then) we pray to St. Jude that this (train system) will at least work until my term ends, and this will be the problem of whoever would succeed me (as President),” he told reporters.

The President said the fare increase was necessary to ease the burden of subsidy on non-users of the LRT and MRT, reducing it by about P2 billion.

He stressed that it was not fair to non-users of the LRT and MRT to be subsiding the train system while they are waiting for government to provide transport services in their own regions or provinces.

The President visited Romblon for an aerial inspection of the Romblon-Sawang-Agpanabat provincial road and the ceremonial inauguration of new buildings of the Romblon provincial hospital. It was Mr. Aquino’s first visit to Romblon.

While he talked about the efforts of the local and national government to further bring development to Romblon, Mr. Aquino also devoted much of his speech praising his close friend, Usec. Rey Marfil, a native of the province.

Marfil, a former journalist, is undersecretary for media affairs at the Presidential Communication Operations Office.

With the President lauding Marfil’s story of hard work and perseverance as a son, journalist and government worker was worth emulating, he appeared to have made his first endorsement for the 2016 national and local elections.

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