November 15th, 2022
I am fully supportive of the appointment of Dr. Eric Tayag as Undersecretary for Health. Dr. Tayag was a close personal advisor to my efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Albay. He has also helped me in my work to expand fiscal resources for health, especially with the Sin Tax measures. As a trained epidemiologist with a long history of work in health promotion, Dr. Tayag will be one of the best options for appointment as the first Executive Director and Usec of the Center for Disease Control, which is now seeing accelerated progress in Congress.
This appointment signals PBBM’s commitment to informed and active health promotion and disease control in the country. Since the DOH leadership is still looking for a good fit for his expertise, the CDC will surely benefit from his experience and insight.
As former head of the National Epidemiology Center, Dr. Tayag was always crucial in Albay’s efforts to contain diseases during evacuations and disaster response efforts to achieve zero casualty. He will do well in the CDC, once created.
Congratulations, Dr. Tayag!