Meningo outbreaks, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) threats and controversies over condoms: to be Department of Health (DOH) Secretary is to doctor the ceaseless crises and controversies of an entire country. But for Manuel Dayrit, health is more than curing the next epidemic. “We at the DOH are in the healthcare business. It is not just about health services, but also about a healthy lifestyle.”
The man shoots hoops with his collogues, swims laps with his daughters and stretches to calisthenics every morning. At 55 years of age, Dayrit stands tall, shoulders thick with well-used brawn. Be it meeting the President cloaked in fine husi barong or mixing it up with collogues on the basketball court, sporting a cool basketball jersey, the man wears a mantle of confidence and strides with the gait of one who is in his element. He puts muscle to his words as well. “I lead by example,” Dayrit declares. “We have to change the 
attitudes “bahala na [leave it up to God]” and “nandyan naman ang doktor [no worries, there’s always the doctor].” The secretary believes in a holistic approach to health issues. If health were a game, he would be the coach.