Orly Mercado

Orlando S. Mercado
Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines
In office June 30, 1998 – January 19, 2001
President	Joseph Estrada
Preceded by	Fortunato Abat
Succeeded by	Vacant[1]
In office January 22, 2001 – January 25, 2001
President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by	Vacant[2] Post last held by himself
Succeeded by	Angelo Reyes
Senator of the Philippines
In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1998
Majority leader of the Senate of the Philippines
In office 1987–1989
President	Corazon Aquino
Preceded by	Vacant[3] Post last held by Arturo Tolentino
Succeeded by	Teofisto Guingona, Jr.
Mambabatas Pambansa (Assemblyman) from Quezon City
In office June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 Serving with Ismael A. Mathay, Jr., Cecilia Muñoz-Palma and Alberto Romulo
Personal details
Born	April 26, 1946 (1946-04-26) (age 65) Manila
Nationality	Filipino
Spouse(s)	Susan Pineda-Mercado[4]
Residence	Makati
Alma mater	University of the Philippines
Occupation	Diplomat, Politician, Professor, Broadcaster
Profession	[[]]
Religion	Protestant[5]

Orlando Sanchez Mercado (born April 26, 1946), also known as Orly Mercado, is a politician from the Philippines. Mercado was a senator for three terms (1987–1992, 1992–1995 and 1995–1998) and the head and anchor the popular radio program Radyo Patrol of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971. Since 1975, he has been the producer and host of GMA Network's Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko, the pioneer television program in public service in the Philippines. In 1998, he was appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Joseph Estrada. He resigned as Secretary when the call for President Estrada's resignation in 2001 resulted to the EDSA Revolution II. In 2008 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nominated Mercado as Philippine ambassador to the People's Republic of China, also accredited to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia,^[6] however this was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments.^[7] In 2009 he was appointed as the first permanent representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, a newly created ambassadorial post that then did not require Commission on Appointments approval.^[7] He is currently the Secretary-General of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), an organization of states, groups and individuals in the general area of Asia and the Pacific.

Television programs

• Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko (GMA Network) (1975-present)
• What's Up (GMA Network) (1980-1983)
• Lasang Pinoy (GMA Network) (1980-1984)
• Apat na Sulok ng Daigdig (ABS-CBN) (1970-1971)
• Tipunang Bayan (GMA Network) (1974-1975)
• Lunch Date (GMA Network) (1986-1987)
• Kontak 5 (ABC) (1992-1994)
• Newswatch (RPN) (2008-2009)

Significant Contributions

As Senator, among the measures he authored are:

• Generics Drug and Medicines Act of 1988 (R.A. 6675)
• An Act establishing provincial centres for Science and Technology (R.A. 6959)
• Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (R.A. 7277)
• Consumer Act of the Philippines (R.A. 7394)
• An Act promoting Salt Iodization nationwide (R.A. 8172)
• An Act promoting voluntary blood donation, providing for an adequate supply of safe blood, regulating blood banks, providing penalties for violations thereof (R.A. 8180)
• Children’s Media Act of 1996 (R.A. 8370)
• Philippine National Police Reform Act (R.A. 8851)

As Secretary/Minister of Department of National Defense, he:

• Instituted a reorganization program in the Department of National Defense to assert civilian supremacy over the military
• Initiated reforms in the Retirement and Separation Benefit Systems (RSBS), the pension fund of the soldiers
• Instituted a computerization program for the Philippine Veterans Administration Office (PVAO)
• Pioneered the use of electronic technology for procurement of equipment and supplies of the Armed Forces of the Philippines ^[8]

References

1. ^ Mercado resigned as Secretary of National Defense in part of calling the resignation of President Joseph Estrada during the EDSA Revolution II.
2. ^ Mercado resigned as Secretary of National Defense in part of calling the resignation of President Joseph Estrada and was reappointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
3. ^ Vacant due to the Martial Law declared by President Ferdinand Marcos.
4. ^ "Orlando S. Mercado". Department of National Defense. http://www.dnd.gov.ph/DNDWEBPAGE_files/past-snd/mercado.html. Retrieved August 14, 2009. 
5. ^ Bob Tabada. "Libanan’s racket". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
6. ^ gmanews.tv, Ex-defense chief of Erap named new RP envoy to China
7. ^ ^{a b} "Mercado named ASEAN envoy". INQUIRER.net. March 11, 2009. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090311-193571/Mercado-named-ASEAN-envoy. Retrieved August 14, 2009. 
8. ^ "Orlando Mercado". http://eropaexp.weebly.com/mercado-orlando.html. 

Persondata
Name	Mercado, Orly
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 26, 1946
Place of birth	Manila
Date of death
Place of death