He came into the agency with critics snarling at his appointment but he proved them wrong several times over in his 55 months of being the country’s health chief.

Former Department of Health (DoH) chief Francisco T. Duque III begins his term as new Civil Service Commission Chief Tuesday. He leaves the DoH with a legacy of accomplishments, one of which is in health service delivery, an area covering maternal and child health that earned the Philippines the top slot in child health care in 2007 outdoing 54 other developing countries surveyed by Save the Children International.

On Sunday, Malacañang announced a Cabinet revamp placing Duque in the CSC and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral in his place. The formal turnover of the DoH office to Cabral is on Friday.

Duque made an emotional farewell when he spoke in the flag-raising ceremony of the DoH Monday.

He bid adieu to hundreds of DoH employees queued by department, some of whom also turned emotional as they heard Duque’s last speech as DoH chief.

One by one, Duque congratulated the department heads as he enumerated the achievements of the DoH from the time he was named health secretary in 2005 up until 2009 under his “Fourmula One” health sector reform agenda that was summarized in a five-page accomplishments report.

“Ako’y talagang nagagalak dahil palagay ko’y hindi ko na magagampanan muli ito… hindi ko na makakamit itong mga tagumpay na ito. Kahit na saan pa man ako dahil sa suportang ibinigay ninyo. Wala na akong puedeng hingin pa sa inyo. Kaya ako ay talagang nagpapasalamat,” he said, his voice breaking off.

In tears, Duque continued, “May lungkot at nakikita naman ninyo sa aking mukha. I haven’t felt as fulfilled as a human being and a public health leader, government official and person, you all have made me live a very meaningful and fulfilled life. “

The DoH accomplishment list under the leadership of Duque includes increased maternal and newborn benefit packages; Outpatient delivery packages for TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS; and 35 percent aggregate increase in Philhealth benefits amounting to P7 billion in 2009.

Increased access to low-priced drugs was also achieved with the passage of RA 9502 or the Universally Accessible and Affordable Medicines Act that paved the way for a better and more effective food and drugs watchdog, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formerly the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

There were also more than 15,000 Botika ng Barangays and 1,500 Botika ng Bayan outlets that were erected nationwide that offered 30 to 70 percent cheaper medicines.

A Social Weather Station (SWS) survey in 2007 revealed that more than 50 percent of Filipinos are now using generics.

The health agency was also placed among the top three government agencies by Pulse Asia in 2006 to 2007, SWS in the third quarter of 2008 and second quarter of 2009 and again by Pulse Asia in the third quarter of 2009.

Meanwhile, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) also ranked the DoH first in terms of aligning donor initiatives with the health sector program in 2007.