Continuing a Legacy of Compassion

From the ashes of World War II, Mariano Que built what would become the thriving Mercury Drug Corporation. He opened the first Mercury Drug store on March 1, 1945, in Manila, Philippines.

Orphaned at age 10, he was only able to attend school up to the seventh grade. These formative experiences instilled in him the value of education and a deeply compassionate, generous spirit. 鈥淗elping people has been one of the most important values that my father wanted to pass on to his family,鈥 said his daughter, Fortune Que Andrada. 鈥淪ince he started from humble beginnings, he wanted to be able to help others as he knew what it was to need help.鈥

Since 1999, the Mercury Drug Foundation has provided medicines and medical services to individuals in underserved communities throughout the Philippines through the Operation Bigay Lunas medical outreach program. 鈥淢y siblings and I would accompany my parents to visit several sites of Operation Bigay Lunas,鈥 Fortune said. 鈥淲e saw firsthand how it helped many people. The smiles and relief I saw on their faces made me realize the impact that Operation Bigay Lunas meant to them. This helped us realize the importance of giving back.鈥

Fortune, her husband, Perfecto A. Andrada, and their children Irene Frances Que Andrada 鈥15, PharmD, BCGP and Elena Anne Que Andrada 鈥22, established the Que-Andrada Foundation Endowment Fund at 91成人导航 in honor of Mariano. The Que-Andrada Foundation is supporting the efforts of 91成人导航鈥檚 Medicare Part D Outreach Clinics. Through the power of the Powell Match, the endowment will support an annual health fair focused on reaching the Filipino community.

Fortune noted how the efforts of the Medicare Part D Outreach Clinics mirror those of Operation Bigay Lunas. 鈥淚t is nice to know prepharmacy and pharmacy students volunteer for this event just like how the pharmacy students from different schools throughout the Philippines volunteer at Operation Bigay Lunas,鈥 she said.

In addition to his philanthropic spirit, Mariano passed on his firm belief in the value of education. 鈥淢y father strongly believed that education is the best investment and I am glad that my husband and I listened to him because, without a doubt, 91成人导航 is truly a worthwhile investment that no one can ever take away.鈥 Mariano was proud his two granddaughters decided to pursue careers in pharmacy. Fortune shared that from a young age Irene wanted to become a pharmacist. 鈥淎fter being inspired by my father, she knew that she wanted to join the profession to help others,鈥 Fortune said. 鈥淪he knew that pharmacy would be a great way to serve both patients and doctors.鈥