Sixty-six years after opening its first clinic in Binondo, George Optical is marking its anniversary with an offer that centers on its long-standing commitment to Filipino customers.
Photo: George Optical
As part of the George Optical 66th anniversary treat, customers who purchase any frame worth ₱6,990 or above can get a second selected designer frame for only ₱66. The offer runs until October 31, 2026, at George Optical branches nationwide.
The milestone promo celebrates the brand’s 66 years of strong ties with the Filipino people—growing from a single optical clinic into a premier eye-care institution while remaining anchored to the same principles that shaped its beginnings: quality, expertise, service, and genuine care.
At the helm of that evolution is a simple philosophy: George cares.
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Looking ahead: A modern approach to eye care
Today, George Optical continues to expand beyond prescription eyewear, embracing advanced technology, specialized eye care, and personalized patient experiences.
Leading this evolution is Dr. Geoffrey Co, president and CEO of George Optical, representing the second generation of the Co family to carry the company forward.
Dr. Geoffrey graduated with first-class honors from City University in London in 1993 and trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he gained extensive experience in contact lens, low vision, glaucoma, and corneal clinics. His contact lens training included complex cases involving keratoconus, high myopia, post-corneal graft patients, aphakia, and prosthetics.
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He went on to top the Philippine Optometry Board Examinations in 1996 and is licensed to practice optometry in both the United Kingdom and the Philippines. He has also served as a resource speaker for optometric organizations and universities, focusing on primary eye care and contact lens fitting.
His contributions to the profession have earned national recognition. In 2012, the Professional Regulation Commission named him Most Outstanding Professional in Optometry. In 2023, he received the Distinction Award from the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations for his private and specialized practice.
Yet for Dr. Geoffrey, carrying the family name forward is about more than professional distinction. It is about preserving a standard of care while ensuring that the brand continues to respond to the evolving needs of its patients.
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Under his leadership, George Optical has continued to build capabilities in primary eye care, specialized services, clinical technology, and professional practice—strengthening the foundation his father established more than six decades ago.
As Dr. Geoffrey puts it, “One thing remains constant—George cares.”
Where it all began
That commitment traces back to the remarkable journey of Dr. George Co Sr., the company’s founder.
Born in Co Kian Kong in Fujian, China, on September 2, 1930, he came to the Philippines with his father at age seven in search of better opportunities. He worked while studying, taking on various jobs—including selling cigarettes on the sidewalk—to support himself.
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After World War 2, he began working at his uncle’s optical shop. Starting as an all-around houseboy, he cleaned, ran errands, bought food, cooked, and did laundry. Among these responsibilities, he learned the skill that would shape his future: grinding glass lenses and fitting them into spectacle frames.
Rather than remaining content with his circumstances, Dr. George chose to pursue optometry. His guiding belief was straightforward: “To attain something of greater value, one must give up something of lesser value.”
The decision proved transformative. He graduated with honors in Optometry and placed among the top ten in the Philippine Optometry Board Examinations.
On October 10, 1960, Dr. George and his wife, Mrs. Belen Co, took a decisive step toward building their future by opening the first George Optometric Clinic on Ongpin Street in Binondo.
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They did not begin with substantial financial resources. Transporting their initial belongings in a kariton (wooden pushcart), Dr. George relied on his reputation and the trust he had built with suppliers to secure the capital needed to establish the clinic. He honored that trust by steadily paying off his debts as the practice grew.
One patient at a time, the small clinic built a reputation for quality, service, and clinical expertise.
Six decades of seeing what comes next
The company continued to grow alongside the Philippine optical industry.
In 1975, Dr. George began producing hard contact lenses and eventually founded what is now G&B Vision Care Inc. The company established its headquarters in Pasay in 1980, and George Optical evolved beyond traditional prescription eyewear toward a comprehensive approach to primary eye care.
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Much has changed since that first clinic opened on Ongpin Street. Optical technology has advanced, patient needs have evolved, and eye care itself has expanded.
What has remained constant is the belief that caring for people’s vision requires more than providing a product—it requires expertise, responsibility, and trust.
That philosophy has allowed George Optical to become part of the lives of generations of Filipino families, and it remains at the heart of how the brand looks toward its next chapter.
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After 66 years, George Optical continues to move forward with the same principle that guided its founder from the beginning: a good name is built through the trust you earn and the care you give.
66 years later, George still cares—and always will.
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