| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
| Orlando S. Mercado | |
| Office: | 20th Secretary of National Defense |
| President: | Joseph Estrada |
| Term Start: | June 30, 1998 |
| Term End: | January 19, 2001 |
| Predecessor: | Fortunato Abat |
| Successor: | Vacant[1] |
| President2: | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Term Start2: | January 22, 2001 |
| Term End2: | January 25, 2001 |
| Predecessor2: | Vacant[2] Post last held by himself |
| Successor2: | Eduardo Ermita (acting) Angelo Reyes |
| Office3: | Senator of the Philippines |
| Term Start3: | June 30, 1987 |
| Term End3: | June 30, 1998 |
| Office4: | Senate Majority Leader |
| President4: | Corazon Aquino |
| Term Start4: | July 27, 1987 |
| Term End4: | October 31, 1989 |
| Predecessor4: | Vacant[3] Post last held by Arturo Tolentino |
| Successor4: | Teofisto Guingona, Jr. |
| Office5: | Mambabatas Pambansa (Assemblyman) from Quezon City |
| Term Start5: | June 30, 1984 |
| Term End5: | March 25, 1986 |
| Alongside5: | Ismael A. Mathay, Jr., Cecilia Muñoz-Palma and Alberto Romulo |
| Birth Name: | Orlando Mercado y Sanchez |
| Birth Date: | 26 April 1946 |
| Birth Place: | Manila, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Nationality: | Filipino |
| Spouse: | Susan Pineda-Mercado[4] |
| Residence: | Makati |
| Alma Mater: | University of the Philippines |
| Occupation: | Diplomat, Politician, Professor, Broadcaster |
| Party: | Lakas–CMD (2008–present) Lakas (2004–2008) Independent (2001–2004) LDP (1992–2001) Liberal (1987–1992) UNIDO (1984–1987) |
Orlando "Orly" Sanchez Mercado (in Tagalog pronounced as /ˈsɐntʃes mɛɾˈkadɔ/, born Orlando Mercado y Sanchez; April 26, 1946) is a Filipino politician and broadcast journalist best known for having served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1987 to 1998, Secretary of Defense from 1998 to 2001, and for his long career as a broadcast journalist, most famously for hosting the television program Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko.
Mercado's career in Radio broadcasting began when he got a job as Disc Jockey for the program Night Life on Manila FM Station DZXX. He then became an ABS-CBN journalist in 1968, taking on roles as a reporter for The World Tonight, and for the Radyo Patrol show on ABS-CBN's sister radio station DZAQ (now DZMM).
He was the head and anchor of the popular radio program Radyo Patrol of ABS-CBN from 1969 to 1971 as well as the field reporter for pre-Martial Law days in The World Tonight and the anchor for the Filipino newscast Apat na Sulok ng Daigdig. He also hosted his own morning show, originally called “Orly Bird” however the title of the show was changed after an incident occurred when radio announcer Henry Ragas mistakenly announced “Orly’s Bird” instead. Upon Marcos' Proclamation No. 1081 in 1972, Orly was charged for subversion under Republic Act 1700 (Anti-Subversion Law) and was detained in Fort Bonifacio then his release after nine and a half months in detention, he returned to broadcasting and started teaching.
Since 1975, Mercado has been the current producer and host of GMA Network's Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko (I Love My Fellowmen), the pioneer television program in public service in the Philippines.
Mercado ran and won as a Senator of the Philippines for two consecutive terms, first in 1987 until 1992, and then again from 1992 to 1998.
As Senator, among the measures he authored are:
In 1998, he was appointed Secretary of National Defense by President Joseph Estrada. On January 19, 2001, the Chief of Staff and all of the commanding generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, together with the rest of the military establishment, withdrew their support for President Estrada who was then facing impeachment for plunder and corruption. Their appearance before a throng of protesters at the EDSA Shrine was the culmination of what was to be known as EDSA People Power II (Second EDSA Revolution), which ousted President Estrada from office. Mercado was reappointed Secretary of Defense by incoming President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but resigned the post in protest of the designation of a former Chief of Staff as National Security Adviser who was also the subject of Mercado's anti-corruption campaign in the Department of National Defense.
As Secretary/Minister of Department of National Defense, he:
In the 2001 Senate election, Mercado ran as an independent candidate under the Pwersa ng Masa Coalition but he failed to win a seat. In 2004, he ran again as a member of Lakas–CMD and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's coalition, K4 but once again failed to win a seat.
In 2008, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo nominated Mercado as Philippine ambassador to the China (People's Republic of China), also accredited to North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and Mongolia.[6] However, his nomination was rejected by Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of President Estrada), then a member of the Commission on Appointments.
In 2009, he was appointed as the first permanent representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, a newly created ambassadorial post which did not then require Commission on Appointments approval.[7]
As the Philippines' first Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he:
He Mercado 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.
He has taught courses in Public Administration and Communication in the University of the Philippines where he obtained all his degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Master of Arts in Communication, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He is also a faculty member at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government. On June 17, 2013, he returned to radio broadcasting with his program "Orly Mercado: All Ready" on Radyo5 92.3 News FM (now 92.3 Radyo5 True FM).
Mercado's wife, Dr. Susan Pineda-Mercado, the highest-ranking Filipino woman in the World Health Organization (WHO), was named Special Envoy for Global Health Initiatives by the government of the Philippines in 2018.
She was also the Philippine nominee for WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, a post which will be elected in the Sixty-ninth session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, October 8–12 in Manila, Philippines.
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Early All Ready | Host | 5 (now back to TV5) |
| 2008–2009 | Newswatch | Anchor | RPN |
| 1992–1994 | Kontak 5 | Host | ABC (now TV5) |
| 1986–1987 | Lunch Date | GMA Network | |
| 1980–1984 | Lasang Pinoy | ||
| 1980–1983 | What's Up | ||
| 1975–present | Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko | ||
| 1974–1975 | Tipunang Bayan | ||
| 1970–1971 | Apat na Sulok ng Daigdig | ABS-CBN | |
| 1969–1972 | The World Tonight | Reporter |
| Year | Title | Role | Station | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Early All Ready | Co-Anchor | ||
| 2013–2019 | All Ready | Anchor | ||
| 1994–1995 | Kambal Kamao | DZRH | ||
| 1969–1971 | Radyo Patrol | DZAQ | ||
| 1966–1968 | Night Life | Disc Jockey | DZXX |