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'Charming, engaging, expert': Dancing doctor's appointment to DOH praised

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag dances in front of Sto. Nino de Tondo church, Manila as he leads a campaign against the use of fire crackers during New Year" s="" Dec.="" Jhun="" Dantes="" ABS-CBN="" News="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/11/16/eric-tayag.jpg"/><figcaption>DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag dances in front of Sto. Nino de Tondo church, Manila as he leads a campaign against the use of fire crackers during New Year&#x27;s festivities, Dec. 27, 2013. Jhun Dantes Jr., ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The appointment of &quot;dancing doctor&quot; and infectious disease specialist Dr. Eric Tayag as the new undersecretary of the Department of Health has earned praise from a health reform advocate.&quot;I think he would be an asset to the health department,&quot; Dr. Tony Leachon told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;.&quot;It would also motivate and increase the morale of the Department of Health knowing that the new undersecretary came from their ranks.&quot;Prior to his new appointment, Tayag was the head of the agency’s Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service.He is also known as the &quot;dancing doctor&quot; for promoting the agency&#x27;s campaigns through dancing.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/15/22/eric-tayag-named-doh-undersecretary">&#x27;Dancing Asec&#x27; Eric Tayag appointed as DOH undersecretary</a></li></ul>Leachon said he had worked with Tayag during the time of former Health Secretary Enrique Ona and during the administration of late President Benigno Aquino III.&quot;He is an expert in infectious disease being a former president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, an expert communications person, charming and engaging,&quot; he said.Leachon, a former adviser to the government task force on COVID-19, said Tayag would be effective in promoting the government&#x27;s health programs.&quot;Eric has a different way of communicating and engaging the public. In the era of social media, we need a lot of innovation perhaps renewed spirit and energy,&quot; he said.&quot;On the other hand, he would also be participative in terms of health policy knowing that we have right now a dearth or perhaps a lack of clear organizational structure knowing we have not completed the lineup for the Department of Health,&quot; he added.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to appoint a health secretary. The agency is currently headed by its officer-in-charge, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.In a press briefing Tuesday, Vergeire said Tayag has yet to take his oath.Tayag&#x27;s duties as health undersecretary are also still being discussed.&quot;Pinag-uusapan pa ngayon ng aming mga officials kung saan namin siya appropriately, based on his capacity, mai-assign para mas makatulong sa ating kagawaran,&quot; Vergeire has said.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2342934" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

A health reform advocate welcomed the appointment of infectious disease specialist Dr. Eric Tayag as new undersecretary of the Department of Health.