MANILA — There are "no disruptions" in the operations of the Department of Health despite a vacancy in the position of health secretary, its officer-in-charge said Friday.

"Para sa akin, serving as OIC for 3 or 4 months, I don't find any difference or I do not see any difficulties in just being an OIC because the authority provided to me has led us to continue with all of our services and operations," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing.

"[There are] no disruptions at all," she added.

Should the DOH face issues, Vergeire said the Office of the President gives it guidance.

"Kung meron man kaming mga issues na kailangan namin i-clarify at kailangan namin ng additional authority, easily naman we can go to the Office of President like what I do," she said.

(If we have issues that we need to clarify and we need additional authority, we can easily go to the Office of President.)

• Vergeire says DOH chief post not offered to her

Vergeire disclosed Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had not offered her the agency's top post, which remained vacant nearly 4 months since he took office.

She also admitted having reservations on being the country's top health official.

Vergeire is a career official who has been with the agency for nearly 3 decades. She noted that a DOH chief could only serve for up to 6 years.

"And by the time I finish the 6 years, I still have years left to serve. And I want to still serve, of course, until I retire. So, isa ho 'yan sa reservation," she said in an ANC interview.

Marcos said last week that he would name a health secretary once the country's COVID-19 situation normalizes.

As of Thursday, there were 21,215 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

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