The Commission on Appointments on Tuesday approved the appointments of Dr. Teodoro "Ted" Herbosa and Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. as secretaries of the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture, respectively.

Herbosa's appointment was finally approved by the CA two months after the deliberations were suspended for "lack of time."

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reappointed him on 29 September, two days after the powerful constitutional body technically bypassed him.

During the deliberations on his appointment, Herbosa was asked about the delayed payments of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to health facilities.

"We have actually asked the management of PhilHealth to start paying its arrears. They promised to pay their arrears over a period of 90 days. I think many hospitals have already been paid," Herbosa told the lawmakers.

"We continue to request the management to improve their services so that the claims [could] be paid immediately. We've also asked PhilHealth management to provide more health benefits and primary care, not only health benefit, to actually improve their services to help our universal health coverage," he said.

Herbosa made the remarks in response to Senator Christopher "Bong" Go's query on the delayed payments by the health insurer.

Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, urged Herbosa to help PhilHealth streamline its disbursement procedures to hospitals.

"I am also reminding PhilHealth to exert all efforts possible in accordance with our laws," he said.

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. had previously claimed that the state-run health insurer had yet to settle its outstanding debts amounting to P27 billion to various health facilities nationwide.

However, in an exclusive interview with Daily Tribune on Monday, Acting PhilHealth VP for Corporate Affairs Rey T. Baleña maintained that the agency has been paying both public and private hospitals.

Baleña said that as of 25 November, PhilHealth had paid P32.3 billion, returning to an average of P2.5 billion payments weekly.

Meanwhile, Laurel said that since his appointment on 3 November, he has divested his interests in 68 businesses linked to him.

"I have divested from all 68 companies through deeds of donation or deeds of sale," he said.

He vowed that there would be no preferential treatment of companies owned by his family.

"Transparency is key. Basically, everybody has to observe the rules, especially since I am a public servant. Just as I mentioned earlier, my father's reminder is that we cannot afford to be embarrassed," he said.

"There should be no special favors for my family's companies, no accommodations. My family will not allow that," he added.

Laurel was tapped by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in November to head the DA, a position that the President concurrently held for more than a year.

Prior to his appointment, Laurel managed their family business, Frabelle Fishing Corporation, one of the biggest seafood companies in the country.