The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) recently named Dr. Celestina Ma. Jude P. de la Serna as the new interim officer in charge, president and CEO.
In a statement, the PhilHealth Board of Directors unanimously voted for de la Serna following the resignation of Dr. Hildegardes C. Dineros as interim OIC-PCEO of the government agency. He, however, remains a member of the board representing the informal-economic sector.
Health Secretary and PhilHealth Chairman Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial said the board “has a difficult task ahead’’, and that it needs to “fulfill its governance mandate to keep the PhilHealth strong to serve the poor”.
She also reiterated the board’s commitment “to work toward a just and fair compensation for the entire PhilHealth work force” and “to do its legal duty of appointing able and competent senior officers who can bring solutions to the fore so the PhilHealth can fulfill its mandate in serving the poor.”
De la Serna is the appointed member of the PhilHealth Board representing overseas Filipino migrant workers.
She obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from the De la Salle University in Dasmariñas, Cavite, in 1989. She worked at the De la Serna Clinic, a private health clinic based in Bohol province in 2002 and 2003, before becoming the chief of hospital of Maribojoc Community Hospital for two years. She was the chief at the Cong. Natalio P. Castillo Sr. Memorial Hospital, also in Bohol. She has practical experience in hospital, emergency, home health and primary care.