On this, its landmark 80th year, Unilab has made one thing clear: its mission of providing health and wellness is not just a corporate commitment — it’s a deeply personal, purposeful journey.
Sebastian Frederick Baquiran, president and chief executive officer of Unilab, Inc. and UL Skin Sciences Inc.
The past few months alone have seen Unilab roll out a meaningful series of anniversary activities in partnership with long-standing allies. First, there was the wellness-themed collaboration with Watsons Philippines that included free health checks and expressive art spaces for patients. Then came the announcement of its grand joint celebration with Mercury Drug’s own 80th anniversary — an all-out, star-studded concert at the Araneta Coliseum that lit up the stage with top artists and filled the venue with music, emotion, and a powerful sense of gratitude for the Filipino public.
And now, as the calendar turns closer to year’s end, Unilab continues to carry the torch of “alaga” (care), this time, through the official launch of “Alagang Unilab Para sa Lahat” held last September 24 at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.
Executives from the partnering brands and companies welcome guest of honor Robina Gokongwei‑Pe, chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., at the ceremonial launch of ‘Alagang Unilab Para sa Lahat’ held at Robinsons Galleria.
The event was mounted in partnership with the Robinsons Retail Group, represented by Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy, both of which now join Unilab in championing wider access to health and wellness services across the country.
A full-day celebration for mallgoers and guests, the launch featured booths offering basic check-ups, health and wellness services, product samplings, and specially priced Unilab packages, which all served to make good health even more accessible to everyday Filipinos.
But more than the activities or promos, what stood out was the campaign’s heartfelt core. During the launch, Unilab’s President and CEO Sebastian Frederick spoke about the deeper meaning behind the milestone and the enduring values that have defined the company’s journey.
“These values have guided every product we’ve created, every partnership we’ve nurtured, and every Filipino family we’ve served,” he said. “Today, we take this commitment a step further with the launch of ‘Alagang Para sa Lahat.’ Care that does not choose who to serve, but chooses to serve everyone.”
Unilab — a proudly Filipino legacy company that began as United Drug Co. Inc. in 1945 — is once again reshaping the standard for inclusive care. The new campaign features the Smart Meds Program, in collaboration with Maxicare, offering exclusive benefits and improved access to medicine for Maxicare members at Southstar Drug and Rose Pharmacy branches. The initiative is complemented by a strong online campaign through both pharmacies, where thematic digital promotions, deals, and discounts aim to bring Unilab’s message of alaga into the virtual sphere. A major raffle promo will also run from October to December, with multiple winners from each brand receiving cash prizes and Unilab products.
But perhaps the most meaningful leg of the campaign lies in its advocacy partnerships. At the heart of the Ortigas event was the symbolic turnover of Unilab’s donation to the Philippine Business Disability Network (PBDN), which Southstar Drug also supports. The gesture underscored the campaign’s commitment to championing dignity, opportunity, and care for Filipinos of all abilities.
In his speech, Baquiran also shared powerful stories of two individuals whose lives were uplifted through Unilab’s partnership with Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. There was Uye Rabasto, a father who found a stable livelihood assembling product kits, and Natty Marino, who once raised a medicine box and said, “Every box I pack, I know it will reach a family that really needs it.”
“For her, each medicine box wasn’t just a product,” Baquiran said. “It was hope, healing, and care that would find its way to a home she might never see.”
These moments, he added, reflect the lived experience of “alaga.” They prove that care is not an abstract value but a shared action that can bridge hardship, restore dignity, and ultimately heal.
This continuing anniversary campaign will proceed to the Queen City of the South on October 25, when Rose Pharmacy leads the next “Alagang Para sa Lahat Health and Wellness Day” at Robinsons Galleria Cebu. The event will share the same vision of meeting people where they are and delivering health, healing, and human connection.
As Unilab moves forward from this 80th-year milestone, it does so not by looking back, but by reaffirming its founding promise. “When we bring care without boundaries, we do more than heal. We give hope,” Baquiran said.
And that is the kind of legacy only a proudly Filipino company can truly build — one born of “husay, malasakit, and bayanihan” (excellence, compassion, and community spirit), and carried forward by generations who choose to care.
