Unilab at 80: Staying the course, shaping the future of Filipino healthcare

The country's leading healthcare company sets its sights on innovation, local growth, and broader impact in the years ahead

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Unilab Group, the country's most-trusted pharmaceutical and healthcare conglomerate, marked its 80th year with a bold signal to the market: it is accelerating its transformation from a humble corner drugstore into a future-ready, innovation-driven healthcare leader.

Celebrating its founding anniversary at the PhilSports Arena, the milestone event gathered over 4,000 employees and partners across the Philippines and Southeast Asia. While the program featured a retrospective of Unilab's growth and milestones, its main message focused squarely on accelerating momentum for the next 20 years as the company approaches its 100th year.

Founded in 1945 during the post-war recovery period, Unilab began as a small drugstore along Sto. Cristo Street in Binondo. Its founder, Jose Y. Campos, and his business partner, Mariano K. Tan, operated with limited capital, a borrowed corner space, and a single shelf for inventory. From those early days, the company grew steadily through hard work, resourcefulness, and a deep understanding of community needs.

That same entrepreneurial mindset continues to guide the organization today. From its origins in pharmaceutical distribution, Unilab Group invested strategically in building robust manufacturing capabilities to ensure quality, accessibility, and self-reliance in its product supply.