MANILA, Philippines – Vivian Que-Azcona, president of Mercury Drug Corporation, the Philippines’ leading pharmacy retailer, has died. She was 69.
The University of Sto. Tomas’ (UST) student publication, The Varsitarian, reported that Que-Azcona, an alumna of the Philippines’ oldest university, died last Saturday, April 5. The cause of death was not disclosed.
The Campos family’s pharmaceutical conglomerate Unilab Group, with over 300 brands mostly sold through Mercury Drug’s over 1,200 branches nationwide, also disclosed in a Facebook post on Thursday, April 10, the demise of their partner’s leader.
“Ms. Que-Azcona lived with purpose and passion, ensuring only the best healthcare is accessible to Filipinos. We are grateful for the longstanding partnership with the Mercury Group of Companies for 80 years and for the privilege of having worked alongside Ms. Que-Azcona, whose integrity and care for Filipinos have been an inspiration to those around her,” the Unilab Group said.
Que-Azcona was number 14 on Forbes’ 50 richest Filipinos list in 2024 with a net worth of $1.7 billion (around P97 billion).
She took over as president of Mercury Drug after her father Mariano Que, retired in 1998. Que-Azcona was the eldest of 8 siblings, but she had to rise from the ranks of Mercury Drug before she became head of the company.
“When Mariano Que passed away in 2017, Vivian had already been leading Mercury Drug as its president for nearly two decades. However, she did not inherit the role by default —she earned it. After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Santo Tomas, she became a licensed pharmacist and joined Mercury Drug in 1977 as a staff assistant,” says a profile of Que-Azcona by an award-giving body, Aces Awards, which named her Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021.
“Under her father’s direct mentorship, Vivian was immersed in all aspects of the business, from warehousing and inventory control to marketing, finance, and corporate management. With no special treatment, she worked harder than most, progressing from assistant general manager in 1980 to vice president and general manager in 1984. By 1998, she had taken over as president and CEO, proving her capability to lead the company into the future.”
Asia Pacific Enterprise (APE), a non-government organization for entrepreneurship, also chose her as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015. The NGO cited her pro-labor stance as well as her initiatives in helping the poor.
“All of Mercury Drug’s over 12,000 employees enjoy a superior package of benefits. Every one is a happy Mercurian and justly compensated not only while employed but for the rest of their lives after retirement. Continuing education is also provided to employees. Vivian put in place a highly-competent training team and a modern training facility for the year-round training of pharmacists and store front liners to ensure exceptional customer service,” the group said.
Que-Azcona has been credited for introducing Mercury Drug’s Suki Card, a loyalty program that is one of the most used in the Philippines. The Mercury Drug Foundation, meanwhile, has served over 2.6 million Filipinos with free medicines and medical services since 1999.
“Like father, like daughter. Thanks to the passion and entrepreneurial spirit that Vivian Que-Azcona shares with her father Mariano, she has taken Mercury Drug to new heights,” said Shanggari Balakrishnan, chief executive officer of MORS Group, the entity behind the Bangkok-based Aces Awards, in 2021.
The De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute conferred on Que-Azcona an honorary Doctorate Degree in Science in 2020, and UST honored her with a Quadricentennial Award for Exemplary Service to the school in 2011.
After World War II, Mariano Que, then a drugstore worker, bought for P100 a bottle of sulfathiazole — then considered a “wonder drug” used to treat various diseases such as pneumonia but no longer used today. He sold the tablets piece by piece, and from his earnings, he was able to buy a push cart where he sold more medicines until he was able to put up his first store on March 1, 1945. [READ: The legend of Mariano Que] – Rappler.com