Mariano Que

Mariano Que (14 August 1921 - 14 April 2017) was a Chinese Filipino businessman best known for being the founder of the pharmacy chain Mercury Drug.

Mariano Que
Born(1921-08-14)14 August 1921
Died14 April 2017(2017-04-14) (aged 95)
Occupation(s)Petty trader,[1] Businessman
SpouseEstelita de Jesus
Children8

Background

Born in 1921,[2] Que worked as an employee at Farmacia Central, a major pharmacy owned by Jose Tee Han Kee along Calle Rosario (now Quintin Paredes Street) in Manila, prior to the onset of World War II.[3] He was orphaned during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.[4]

After the war ended in 1945, Que bought ₱100-worth of Sulfathiazole pills. He sold these drugs in single doses and using his savings decided to buy an assortment of medicine which he later peddled through a pushcart.[5][6] He would eventually found Mercury Drug in Bambang on March 1, 1945.[4] Mercury Drug would open its second store in 1963.[4] In 1972, Mercury would acquire the Tropical Hut fast-food and supermarket chain.[7][8]

Mercury expanded outside Metro Manila with the acquisition of Medical Center Drug Corporation, a medical supplies and equipment manufacturer, in 1976.[4]

Que's daughter Vivian Azcona, would take over Mercury and become company president, following Que's retirement.[5]

Death

Que died on April 14, 2017, at age 95.[9]

Personal life

Que was married to Estelita de Jesus and had 8 children.[5]

References
  1. Bowring, Philip (May 5, 2022). The Making of the Modern Philippines: Pieces of a Jigsaw State. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 173. ISBN 978-1-350-29682-4. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. Dacanay, Barbara Mae (April 15, 2017). "Filipino-Chinese drugstore tycoon Que dies at 96". Gulf News. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  3. Flores, Wilson Lee (April 23, 2017). "Al Yuchengco, Mariano Que & Bobby Aboitiz: 3 Tycoons, 3 Visions". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  4. "How Mariano Que built Mercury Drug with P100". Rappler. April 15, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  5. "The legend of Mariano Que". Rappler. April 25, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  6. Agoncillo, Jodee A. (September 28, 2015). "Mariano Que on living life to the full". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  7. Legazpi, John (June 14, 2022). "Dishes you should try at Tropical Hut, according to Twitterverse". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  8. "Why 'Tropical Hut' trended on Twitter, inspiring sentimental tweets for the OG burger chain". ANCX. June 13, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  9. Barahan, Ed Margareth (April 15, 2017). "Mercury Drug founder Mariano Que dies at 96". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
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