After five years, Unilab has welcomed back TV and movie actor John Lloyd Cruz as the celebrity endorser of Paracetamol brand Biogesic. The 39-year-old actor was the face of the brand from 2007 to 2017, before he decided to take a hiatus from show business.
During the grand welcome ceremony hosted by the company on November 17 at the Garden Wing Ballroom of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Unilab Corporate Vice President Alex Panlilio explained the relationship between Biogesic and Cruz.
“Unilab exists because we believe we are instrumental in working towards a healthier Philippines, one medicine at a time. Sino pa ba ang mag-aalaga sa Filipino kundi ang kapwa Filipino? We take that to heart. Alaga is a key part of Biogesic as a brand.
The best representation of that Alaga is alaga from our moms. There is something unconditional, genuine, lasting, and sincere in malasakit of nanay. That is what we emulate as an organization and for the brand Biogesic. We want to replicate and mimic that in all we do,” Panlilio shared.
He continued narrating: “We started that early in the history of our organization. Unilab started as a corner drug store in 1945. After the war, two partners, Jose Y. (JY) Campos and Mariano K. (MK) Tan realized that there was a gap after the war in terms of vitamins and medicines. So they established the drug store in Sto. Cristo Street in Binondo.
We cannot do it alone. After the war, life wasn’t easy. Back then, most of the time, customers will look for medicines that our founders realized the drugstore did not offer. Almost every day, at about lunch time, our founder JY Campos would bike around Manila and ask friends who may have the medicines that our customers had been looking for. By the afternoon, by the time he asked customers to come back, he already had the medicines. He did that not alone but in partnership with many people.”
He continued: “That story highlights the importance of relationships to our organization and to the brand Biogesic. We recognize that we cannot fulfill our mission or purpose by doing it alone. And today, we celebrate one very special relationship.
Unilab Corporate Vice President Alex Panlilio
The relationship started in 2007. We needed an endorser, someone to deliver the brand message. In 15 years, that relationship blossomed into something more than just endorsement. John Lloyd truly was a partner in delivering our message of alaga—not just by what he says, but also by what he does. He did many advocacies. He did not hesitate when we invited him to join us for Yellow Boat of Hope. We helped a community where children had to ride a boat just to go to school. We distributed blankets and other necessary materials.”
Thus, Cruz is once again waving the iconic “ingat” salute as the partnership evolves into a deeper, more meaningful, more collaborative relationship—one that aspires to provide Alagang Walang Pinipili to Filipino families.
The actor has talked more about how ‘ingat’ has evolved for him personally because of his experience of Unilab and Biogesic’s care and support over the years. “’Yung word na ‘ingat’ reminds me of a journey, [of] familiar people. Reminds me of warmth, the feeling of being home. Definitely, ‘ingat’ has a new meaning.”
Biogesic is available in leading drugstores nationwide and online on several e-commerce platforms.
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