Edwin Mercado

Mercado earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology in 1983 and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1987, both from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. He had his orthopedic training at Philippine General Hospital. He received an executive master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020 and completed his Master of Medical Science degree from Harvard Medical School in 2023.^[2][1][3]

Mercado has worked on strengthening health systems through technology-driven financial management and primary care programs. He has collaborated with the Zuellig Family Foundation and the Department of Health’s Centers for Health Development, providing technical assistance to Provincial Health Boards in implementing Healthcare Provider Networks (HCPN).^[1]

Since March 2021, Edwin Mercado has served as the vice chairman of Mercado General Hospital/Qualimed Health Network. His expertise includes executive leadership, strategic planning, and healthcare accessibility expansion.^[1][4]

From August 2022 to June 2023, Mercado served as a consultant for the Department of Health, providing guidance on the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC).^[3]

Since July 2023, Mercado has been a fellow under Dr. Chunling Lu at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School’s Department of Social Medicine and Global Health. His research focuses on analyzing the cost of per-member payments for global inpatient service coverage and studying the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist community health workers in delivering primary care.^[1][2]

In addition to his administrative and advocacy roles, Mercado is involved in academia. He is a faculty lecturer at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH). He also serves as a guest lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Public Health, focusing on medical processes and programs.^[1][3]

On February 4, 2025, Mercado was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..^[1][3][4][5]