MANILA, Philippines — The past few years have been challenging for Filipinos. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everyday life, curtailing liberties such as eating out, watching movies even getting together with loved ones.

The topic of health suddenly became the forefront of every conversation: How do you protect yourself better from sickness? What do you do when you get sick? What effective treatments have you tried?

Because of the pandemic, most Filipinos have developed a consciousness of threats to their health that continues to this day.

Because of the pandemic, most Filipinos have developed a consciousness of threats to their health that continues to this day. Novel diseases such as COVID-19 and monkeypox are out there, but common illnesses—coughs, colds, headaches—still pose a health risk to everyone. All these diseases ground us in caution, reminding us that we are vulnerable and must always be conscious of caring for our health and well-being. 

As the pandemic went on, we saw how Pinoys started to rethink their everyday health habits and have changed such that they devote greater focus on wellness and invest more time, energy and resources to stay healthy. 

Many Filipino celebrities and key opinion leaders recently took to social media to share how they dealt with their #WorstSickDay—that is turning to their trusted Unilab medicines and vitamins to help them manage their symptoms better. 

Instead of going for traditional methods like hilot or other home remedies, those who experienced getting sick turned to the brands that have already worked for them.

These are mostly Unilab brands Filipino families have grown up with over the years, among them brands like Paracetamol (Biogesic), Multivitamins (Enervon), Ascorbic Acid (Ceelin), Loratadine (Allerta) and  Ibuprofen Paracetamol (Alaxan FR), to name a few. Unilab is the leading pharmaceutical company in the country that offers a wide range of medicines and vitamins. 

Here are some of the celebrities and content creators that shared their stories.

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A post shared by Gabbi Garcia ♡ (@gabbi)

“From my #WorstSickDay because of my allergic rhinitis yesterday, I'm back and G for more adventures today thanks to @official_allerta!” celebrity Gabbi Garcia shared on Instagram, sharing that she took her medicine with her to Disneyland “…just in case.”

Actress Jodi Sta. Maria, meanwhile, also shared an Instagram post on how she coped with a bad headache. “From #WorstSickDay yesterday due to bad headache, I am back on my feet today for a shoot. Paracetamol really works for me pag masakit ang ulo ko. When headaches strike, buti talaga may gamot na nakakatulong at nag-aalaga sakin. Thank you Biogesic and @unilab. What a relief talaga,” she wrote, adding, “I am better now and ready to shoot.”

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A post shared by Jodi Sta.Maria (@jodistamaria)

Filipinos have also discovered the power of vitamins in building immunity to prevent sickness or aid in recovery. Well-loved pop band Ben&Ben shared on Instagram how some of their band members were hit by illnesses and how they recovered.

“Some weeks ago, we played gigs na 6 kami instead of 9. Three of us were sick and had to stay at home but the show had to go on. Our sound was different but we poured our hearts out to give a great show,” they wrote. Thankfully, their “#WorstSickDay is over, complete na ulit kami sa shows ngayon thanks to Enervon for the extra boost of energy and immunity,” they posted.

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A post shared by Ben&Ben (@benandbenmusic)

As TikTok star Benedict Cua posted, “Sino ang go-to person mo pag may sakit? Hindi jowa, kundi Unilab.” Comedian Angelu Sangalang echoed this on her TikTok video, describing how “alagang jowa” coupled with Enervon and Bioflu or “alagang Unilab”  was all she needed to recover from her flu.

One positive thing to come out of the pandemic is how Filipinos learned to take health seriously. People want to stay protected against sickness and take an active role now in caring for themselves better—and with Unilab, you can be prepared for it.

As Luis Manzano captures so well in his Instagram post, “Getting better from your #WorstSickDay is always easier when merong alagang @unilab!”