Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) has opened the second branch of St. Joseph Drug Powered by SUGI (SJS) at Eastwood City in Quezon City, following the launch of the venture's first branch in Makati City in January. The back-to-back openings trace the early build-out of a venture that pairs a Philippine pharmacy chain with an Ayala-affiliated healthcare group and a Japan-based drugstore operator.

In a statement issued on Friday, the company said the new branch expands the pharmacy venture's presence across Metro Manila.

SJS was established through a partnership among AC Health, Philippine pharmacy chain St. Joseph Drug, and Japan-based SUGI Holdings Co., Ltd. The three-way structure is central to why the opening matters: it connects St. Joseph Drug's local pharmacy retail base with AC Health's healthcare portfolio and SUGI Holdings' private-label merchandise, all under one store brand.

“The opening of our second store marks another important step in our partnership with St. Joseph Drug and AC Health,” said Katsunori Sugiura, representative director and president of SUGI Holdings.

Yet Abarca, president and chief executive officer of AC Health Pharma, said the company plans to expand its pharmacy business and healthcare offerings through the partnership.

“For us, this is more than just opening another branch. It is another step toward our ambition of making quality healthcare more accessible while providing a better, more holistic pharmacy experience for Filipino consumers,” she said.

Dorotea “Gigi” Cruz, chairman and chief executive officer of St. Joseph Drug, said the company expects the new branch to broaden its reach in Metro Manila. Neither company has disclosed a timeline or location for a third branch, so subsequent store announcements will be the clearest indicator of how quickly the partners intend to scale.

The Eastwood branch, located on the ground floor of Olympic Heights, carries medicines and pharmacy products, along with health, beauty, personal care, and wellness items. It also stocks S-Select, the private-label product range of SUGI Holdings, as well as other products sourced from Japan, according to the company.

AC Health is the healthcare subsidiary of Ayala Corp., one of the Philippines' oldest and largest listed conglomerates. Its portfolio includes generic pharmacy chain Generika Drugstore; pharmaceutical importer and distributor IE Medica and MedEthix; Healthway Medical Network, which operates clinics, ambulatory centers, and hospitals; and St. Joseph Drug. Seen against that portfolio, each SJS branch slots a Japanese private-label assortment into a group whose assets already span drugstore retail, pharmaceutical distribution, and clinic and hospital care — making every new opening an additional access point in a wider healthcare network rather than a one-off store launch.

Reporting by Alexandria Grace C. Magno. Source: Bworldonline