Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the Department of Health‘s spokeswoman during the pandemic’s challenging times, has left her post. The DOH confirmed the news on July 29. DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo did not disclose the reason for her exit.
He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 27, “Decisions of Execom members leading to their separation from the service (e.g., retirement, resignation, etc.) are personal in nature and treated with the utmost respect as to privacy,” he said in a message on Sunday.
Vergeire became one of the prominent figures during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the daily voice of “calm,” reporting cases and updates daily. This proved to be her legacy while in office. She joined the health department in 2007. She became the officer-in-charge of the DOH from July 2022 to June 2023, until Ted Herbosa became the DOH Secretary in June 5, 2023.
In a profile for CNN Philippines Life, Vergeire said that her calm yet firm voice “became valuable not just for DOH but for the whole government.”
“I never planned to have this kind of voice or demeanor when I am in front of the public or the media. This is really me,” she told CNN Philippines Life. “Because I am a mother and I speak with my children, my three boys, like this. I have to be calm. I cannot raise my voice at the start [otherwise] they will not listen to me.”
Upon exiting the department, Vergeire did not reach the retirement age of 65. There are no comments from Vergeire regarding her departure as of posting.
