ORO Enterprises Inc - Manila

On November 10, 1934, Felipe and Epifania Guanzon gave The Farmacia Nueva at Sto. Cristo, Manila, to newlyweds Horacio and Anita Guanzon as a wedding gift. Soon after, the drug store was transferred to R. Hidalgo St. corner Quezon Blvd. in Quiapo, Manila and was renamed Farmacia Oro. Through good business sense, the drugstore prospered under the couple’s hands.Then the dark days of World War II descended on the Philippines. The Japanese forced the Guanzon family to evict to Montalban, Rizal. But feeling a strong sense that medicines should still be available to his countrymen, Horacio Guanzon kept Farmacia Oro at R. Hidalgo open all throughout the Japanese occupation. To do this, he had to ride a bicycle from Montalban to Quiapo everyday. Riding his bicycle home at night, he would bring  

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badly needed medicines in a sack back to Montalban to give to the guerillas.With all this unselfish service, it was no wonder that Filipinos after Liberation honored Farmacia Oro with their undying loyalty. Soon, seven more drug stores were opened on Rizal Avenue corner Soler St., Espana St., Legarda St., Taft Avenue, Cebu City, Naga City, and Quezon City.To break his dependence on drug imports, Horacio Guanzon founded Oro Laboratories in 1949 more ably serve the medical needs of a growing Filipino population. Oro Laboratories produced galenical products like aceite alcomporado, tintura de yodo, aceite de manzanilla, elixir paregoric, sulfa antibiotics, multivitamins, mentholated throat lozenges, methyl slicylate and others still fondly remembered by our parents. Oro made a name for itself with skin help preparation Oroderm, which is still popular today, and Gold Cross Rubbing Alcohol, the original 70% isoprophyl alcohol.