2021 September 8

The UNILAB mission and vision has always been to provide quality and affordable healthcare products and services that promote and enrich life for the communities we serve. In 2008, we took this to include prevention, and with the direction of our COO Mr. Ben Yap, we got started on studies on Swiss-made Sanosil which was very promising.

Sanosil was our first foray outside of our line of pharma products, vitamins and medicines. As such, we made sure to subject Sanosil to stringent tests. Lydia Sombrero and Dr. Rose Capeding helmed the RITM studies on anti-microbial efficacy, kill rate and kill time. The results were in so many words, beyond belief especially when it is considered that the product is practically like water: odorless, flavorless, colorless. More tests were done by Dr. Melecia Velmonte (founder of PHICS) in the neonatal ICU of MDH. Ms. Tess Ticman of the EAMC did tests on ventilator tubings, while Drs. Jose Sollano of Cardinal Santos performed tests on endoscopes and gastroscopes – all yielding very good results. We even subjected Sanosil to indoor air environment compliance with the DOH under Engr. Ana Trinidad and again, Sanosil passed with flying colors. Even with our own Unilab manufacturing plants, Sanosil was tested and approved for use without the need for rotation which was normally performed to prevent germ resistance. We had several significant in vivo and in vitro tests as well done at St Lukes Medical Center (Quezon City and Global City), the Medical City, PGH, Lung Center of the Philippines, Phil Heart Center, UST Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital to name a few.

With these validations, Unilab was ready to venture into infection control with Sanosil as its banner product. Over the following years, we made Sanosil available from Batanes to Zamboanga and Cotabato. Non-stop testing per hospital was conducted, totaling over 100 individual hospital tests, making it the most locally-tested disinfectant in the country.

Part of our advocacy was to provide assistance to hospitals and evacuation centers during the aftermaths of typhoons like YOLANDA and PABLO. But at no other time than today, in the midst of this global pandemic of COVID, has Sanosil proven more useful to the local community. By introducing this Sanosil technology of vaporized hydrogen peroxide decontamination for air and all exposed surfaces, we have somehow helped our partner hospitals in providing their best effort to protect their medical teams and staff. I am frequently told Sanosil is being used as a verb now in the COVID wings and red zones of the top hospitals: “Na-Sanosil na ba yan?” “Ipa-Sanosil muna yan.” “Pending Sanosil pa po.” Hearing these makes all the efforts of the past decade worth it.

I am so proud of our small team who launched and got this started over ten years ago: Rhais Gamboa, Gerry Farin, to name a few. This was one of my last projects at Unilab before retiring, and I will always be proud of our effort in pioneering this high-level environmental disinfection to our Philippine healthcare industry. Sanosil is a game-changer.

(Originally Signed)
Rosario O. Dumpit
Vice President (Ret.) 2008-2021
United Laboratories Inc. (UNILAB)
September 8, 2021