06/10/2026
The history of La Nueva Supermarket and Pharmacy is rich and inspiring, from a humble cold store to 4 supermarkets and 22 pharmacy branches. Through it all, our mission remains the same: to serve our fellow Cebuanos while staying true to our tagline, “Siguradong Barato!”
La Nueva: From Tong Guan to a Cebu Institution
Long before La Nueva Supermart became a familiar name in Cebu, its story began in 1933 on Magallanes Street in Cebu City.
The business was originally established as a cold store called Tong Guan by Uy Chun Tong, an immigrant from Amoy (now Xiamen), China. At the time, the store dealt mainly in imported wines and canned goods, reflecting Cebu’s long history as an important center of trade.
The most dramatic chapter came during World War II. Tong Guan was struck by aerial bombing and was forced to close. But the story did not end there. After the war, the business reopened at the same location under a new name: La Nueva, a Spanish phrase meaning “The New.” The new name became a symbol of starting again after the destruction of the war.
During the 1970s, La Nueva expanded beyond its earlier business and developed into a grocery wholesaler and retailer. It became known as La Nueva Grocery. In the 1980s, the company evolved again into La Nueva Supermart, offering a wider range of grocery products.
Another important milestone came in October 1989, when La Nueva officially opened its pharmacy in Magallanes Street. This marked the company's expansion beyond groceries into pharmaceutical and health-related products.
Today, La Nueva is remembered not simply as a supermarket, but as a business whose roots reach back to 1933 Cebu—a story of Chinese-Filipino entrepreneurship, wartime destruction, rebuilding, and adaptation across generations.
The most remarkable part of La Nueva’s history is perhaps this: a small cold store called Tong Guan survived the upheaval of war and returned under a new identity—La Nueva, “The New.” Its transformation mirrors the resilience and changing commercial life of Cebu itself.
Disclaimer: This article is based on available historical and company records. Some details, particularly about the wartime destruction and early business operations, are based on company historical accounts and may benefit from further archival verification.
Sources: La Nueva Pharmacy official history; PhilJobNet company profile; The Freeman archive on Old Cebu.see
