SALAMAT, SOCORRO!: Iconic drug store and landmark bids farewell to Ilonggos after 78 years

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By JP Jaen, Daily Guardian Intern

After spending more than half her life behind the counter, 55-year-old Emelin Maldecir ended her 33-year career as a sales clerk at Socorro Drug when the iconic Iloilo pharmacy ceased operations on July 15, ending nearly eight decades of service in the city’s downtown district.

“I’m very thankful guid sa kapwa naton Ilonggo sa ila pag-patronize sa Socorro,” she told Daily Guardian.

“It is the landmark of Iloilo kag hapos sila manaog.”

“I hope na-accommodate namon sila sa ila pag bakal sang bulong. Thank you very much guid sa kapwa ta nga Ilonggo.”

Socorro Drug was Maldecir’s first and longest-held job.

She was among the last employees to close the pharmacy’s doors for the final time at its Plazoleta Gay branch, located at the corner of J.M. Basa and Iznart streets.

Jake Cocjin, grandson of founders Roberto and Gloria Tirol, confirmed the decision to close the pharmacy’s last operating branch.

“Gapasalamat guid kami sa tanan nga nagsuporta sa Socorro Drug kag sa mga pumuluyo sang Iloilo nga naghatag sa amon sang kahigayunan nga makaserbisyo,” he said in an interview, hours before the branch officially closed.

Cocjin said the closure was especially bittersweet, as the store had become a fixture in the daily lives of Ilonggos and was synonymous with the area.

It often served as a reference point, as many would say “sa lugar lang sa Socorro” when referring to the neighborhood near Calle Real.

“Subo man, pero everything comes to an end,” he added.

“Ang pamilya nagdesisyon nga i-close anay ang Socorro. Thank you for giving us the chance nga makabulig kag makaprovide sang affordable nga bulong. Thank you, Iloilo.”

Founded in 1947, Socorro Drug served generations of Ilonggos and became a longstanding landmark in the downtown commercial center.

It began as a small pharmacy on Iznart Street beside A. Chan Trading and across the Iloilo Central Market before expanding to other sites, including J.M. Basa Street and the Iznart-Mabini corner near the University of Iloilo.

After a downtown fire in 1966, the Plazoleta Gay branch opened in 1973 and eventually became the most iconic and longest-operating location of the pharmacy.

Through the years, Socorro Drug served countless Ilonggos with affordable medicine amid the city’s urban growth and changing economic landscape.

While Socorro Drug has officially closed, its legacy continues.

Remaining inventory will be transferred to Ruthcelmar Drugstore on Ledesma Street, which was also founded by the Tirol family in 1949 and is now considered the oldest operating pharmacy in Iloilo City.

The drugstore completed its final inventory at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday before shutters closed and signs came down—marking the end of an era for loyal customers and passersby who knew it as a familiar downtown landmark.