Leading the Charge in Transforming Public Health Service

HEALTH UNDERSECRETARY MOLLY CHIONG IS DETERMINED TO LESSEN BUREAUCRACY AND SPEED UP PROCESSES. SHE BELIEVES THAT SETTING A POSITIVE EXAMPLE IS THE START OF TRUE TRANSFORMATION. HER COMMITMENT TO BRINGING ABOUT GENUINE PUBLIC SERVICE IS REFLECTED IN HER STRONG DRIVE TO GET THINGS DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Prior to making waves in the Department of Health (DOH), Dr. Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong—popularly known as “Doc Molly”—was a dentist who once spent her days attending to patients in her dental clinic. Her business mindset brought her to Coto Grande Corp. as vice president. She then became a consultant and legislative researcher for San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Mayor Florida Robes and eventually became chief of staff to San Jose del Monte Congressman Arturo Robes during the 16th Congress. Her exposure to the work at the city and congressional levels ignited her passion for public service. This prepared her for another government job in the Philippine International Trading Corporation 36 LEAGUE 36 LEAGUE (PITC) as its president and chief executive officer.

FROM BUSINESSWOMAN TO PUBLIC SERVANT

Not everyone at PITC was receptive to her taking the agency's leadership role. “People were a bit adverse when I came into that office,” Chiong recalls. “They thought that I did not know anything about trade and business because I was from the medical field.” Little did they know that she was also a seasoned businesswoman with expertise in operations.

PITC, being the trading arm of the Philippine government, is the procurement partner of different government agencies. Before Chiong joined PITC, the agency was under investigation from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Being solution-oriented, she focused on making ways to save PITC. “Instead of pointing fingers, I looked for solutions,” she says. “I thought to myself that what’s done is done. Let’s move forward.” She saw that funds in PITC were not used for procurement because agencies did not know how to procure properly. “Timelines were missed, deliveries delayed. That’s not how public service should work.” This made her impose a rigid financial reconciliation, ensuring transparency and accountability. She ordered the return of the funds not used by PITC to the Bureau of the Treasury. “I made sure that every returned amount came with documentation—receipts, a copy furnished to the agency, PITC’s Commission on Audit (COA) team, and the corresponding COA office of the agency. We all have the same files. So there’s no finger pointing at the end of the year.” With this, for the first time in history, PITC was recognized as the “Best Accounting Office” in 2023.

It was also in that year that the offer to become part of the Department of Health came to Chiong. She was among the first new appointees when President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., assumed office. Chiong’s entry to DOH was the fruit of the network and relationships she has built since she started government work in 2007, when she came to embrace public service. “The biggest impact, really, is the exposure,” she says, referring to years of groundwork that began long before her formal appointment. “Even when you're not in government, you can help,” she explains. “But you can help more when you are in government.”

DRIVE FOR EFFICIENCY AND URGENCY

Chiong is not only known as a workaholic. She focuses on streamlining bureaucratic processes. When she needs someone’s signature, she would personally go to that person's office, wait, and get it done. Being hands-on, she is not dependent on her staff or secretaries to do the work. Chiong is result-oriented, and she does things with urgency. “I don’t want to wait. I want things done right away. We are responsible for managing the country's healthcare system. If we’re slow, how does that affect healthcare delivery for millions of Filipinos?” she says firmly. Chiong also wants her team to adopt a proactive approach. Others may find her attitude toward work as a source of too much pressure. However, she explains that “If you know what you're doing, there's nothing to be afraid of.” She acknowledges that there are some people around her who are not comfortable with what she is doing. “We can’t be slow because people are waiting. Our documents are important. Moving slowly causes a delay in the entire service delivery process." Healthcare is vital; that’s why Chiong is firm on making things fast, and doing anything else is just an excuse.

CHAMPIONING HEALTH WITH PURPOSE

As chief information officer of DOH, Chiong wants the public to know that although government resources are limited and the health department cannot cover 100 percent of patients’ needs, they have funds to help those in need. She is making sure that her cluster will fairly and equally distribute the funds for those who need them. She currently holds the DOH's flagship program, Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), in the highest regard. This program  provides financial help to patients who cannot afford the cost of medical care, especially those admitted to DOH hospitals. There are 87 such hospitals around the country, and MAIFIP can be availed of in these facilities.

Ninety percent of DOH hospitals’ bed capacity should be ward beds and they should be free for qualified patients. There are patients, though, who choose to be admitted to private rooms, but they need to pay for that. Private hospitals, according to Chiong, should also allocate 10 percent of their bed capacity for ward accommodations.

 The DOH continues to expand people’s access to basic health services by accrediting more primary health care facilities under the Universal Health Care (UHC) program. This effort is in line with Marcos’ vision of bringing healthcare closer to the people—making consultations and preventive care more accessible, especially to those in underserved areas. In support of this, the DOH has launched the Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services initiative, which gives free outpatient services to those who do not need hospital confinement. Many Filipinos, according to Chiong, are not aware of these services. She explains that clinics within 100 kilometers of an accredited “mother facility” may operate as mobile or satellite units, helping sustain medical needs and expand the reach of health services across regions.

Chiong further states that her cluster ensures a timely and transparent delivery of health commodities purchased by DOH—from vaccines to nutritional supplements and oral health supplies. “Everything we procure should reach the people when they need it most,” she says. She cites as an  example flu vaccines, which should be administered on time because they are only fully effective if administered before the rainy season begins in June. Delayed distribution of these vaccines reduces their effectiveness, defeating the purpose of the intervention. Her office also makes sure that the DOH strictly adheres to procurement processes under Republic Act No. 12009, or the New Government Procurement Act. This ensures that government agencies will only purchase what is needed without compromising quality. “We want good, effective medicines—no shortcuts. The public deserves only the best,” she stresses. Her office ensures the proper bidding, adherence to laws and procedures, and efficient delivery of every item.

Despite current efforts to streamline processes and ensure effective delivery of health services to the public, Chiong laments the neglect of oral health. What makes it more saddening for her is the fact that she is a dentist. This is the reason why oral health is the health-related cause she champions. But she is still thrilled that she was given the chance to be part of DOH because she gets to see that oral care is often overlooked in government policy and underfunded in programs. The undersecretary wants the public to know that oral health is not just about toothaches. Improper oral health can cause many serious infections, will have an effect on nutrition and even work because this can affect one’s confidence and ability to speak and even live with dignity. "The body includes everything from head to toe. You cannot skip the mouth. If you can’t speak or eat properly because of poor oral health, how can you function in society?" she underscores. Because of her cause, she was able to convince PhilHealth to include oral preventive healthcare in its package. "I really pushed PhilHealth to include oral health, at least the preventive part—cleaning of the mouth and teeth." She was delighted because in the World Health Assembly last May where she was the Philippine representative, oral health was the focus of discussion. She reported in the assembly that PhilHealth has now included the Oral Health Package for Prevention. Chiong reminds the public that many illnesses begin in the mouth. She stresses that oral cancer often goes undetected because people take it for granted. Chiong encourages everyone to change the culture—oral health is not optional, it’s essential.

DRIVE TO SERVE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Chiong comes from a political family, but she admits that being in government is not a gateway for political ambition. Although she admits that she wants to enter politics someday, she is not certain when. “I don’t even know if I’ll have the resources,” she adds, saying that should she decide to gun for any elective position, it will be about giving back to the people. She firmly believes that she can make a difference. She also says that although she can also do it outside politics, “You can help more when you're in government—because you're empowered by the people.” Chiong notes that her passion to serve the public was gradually deepened as she assumed more and more important roles in government.

In conclusion, Chiong stresses that her desire to join politics is rooted not in personal ambition, but in a sincere commitment to make a meaningful difference. Whether or not she plans to pursue a political career, her focus right now is on serving others and giving back to the community that has contributed so much to her success. For now, one thing is certain: her commitment to transforming public health service and her steadfast efforts in making a positive impact, regardless of where she is or what path she takes.

YOU CAN HELP MORE WHEN YOU'RE IN GOVERNMENT— BECAUSE YOU'RE EMPOWERED BY THE PEOPLE.