VIVIAN Que, a UST Faculty of Pharmacy alumna and the longtime president of Mercury Group of Companies, Inc., which owns the leading Philippine drugstore chain Mercury Drug, died on April 5. She was 69.
Her death was confirmed to the Varsitarian by Prof. Aleth Dacanay, dean of the UST Faculty of Pharmacy and president of the Philippine Pharmacists Association, Inc., where Que previously served as director.
On Facebook, the national pharmacists’ group honored Que’s “leadership and contributions to the pharmacy profession,” which it said would “always be remembered.”
In a statement on April 10, pharmaceutical company Unilab Group paid tribute to Que, “a visionary leader who has left an indelible mark on the Mercury Group of Companies, the healthcare industry, and the country.”
“We believe her meaningful work uplifted millions of lives through the years, leaving a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come,” it said.
Born on Sept. 1, 1955, Que is one of the eight children of Estelita Que and Mariano Que, who founded Mercury Drug in 1945.
After earning her degree in pharmacy with cum laude honors from UST, Que became a licensed pharmacist and joined the family business in 1977 as a staff assistant.
She was promoted to assistant general manager in 1980 and later appointed vice president and general manager of Mercury Drug in 1984.
Que took the mantle of Mercury Drug leadership in 1988, leading the drugstore chain for over four decades, during which she spearheaded the expansion of the company to over 1,200 stores nationwide.
Under Que’s leadership, Mercury Drug became one of the top 10 companies in the Philippines in 2015, gaining recognition for its contributions to healthcare and the economy. Reader’s Digest has recognized the company with the Platinum Trusted Brand Award for 10 years.
Que received various accolades from UST, including the 1996 Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Award for Business and Management and the 2010 Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Business Leader Award.
During UST’s 400th anniversary in 2011, she was among the three alumnae who received the Quadricentennial Award for Exemplary Service to the University.
Que donated a pharmaceutical care laboratory and provided scholarship grants to UST pharmacy students.
Her other achievements include the Philippine Pharmacists Association Bowl of Hygeia Award (2013), the Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Pharmacy Award from The Colegio Medico Farmaceutico de Filipinas, Incorporada (2019), and the Most Outstanding Health Professional in Pharmacy from the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (1989).
In 2024, Que and her siblings ranked 14th among the Philippines’s 50th richest with a net worth of $1.7 billion.
