| Assuming
office on June 30, 2007, Damian Gaviola Mercado is the 8th
governor of the Province of Southern Leyte.
Born
on November 24, 1954, Governor Damian G. Mercado is the 5th
child of Nacional Orito Mercado and Lourdes Lecaros Gaviola.
He has three brothers, Vincent, Alvin and Roger — the
latter the congressman of the Lone District of Southern Leyte;
and two sisters- Jocelyn Mercado-Pascual and Emily.
A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Gov.
Mercado started earning his own money from a construction
venture where his initial capital and resources were almost
all borrowed, but which he was able to pay on time. From then
on, helping his father with the family business and having
his own business ventures as well, propelled him to be one
of the successful businessmen in this part of the country.
He attributes his success to his keen determination to succeed
and to the principles he abides by: that one’s credibility
must be solidly established and all transactions dealt with
are all in good faith.
Public service beckoned when the group of his brother, Congressman
Roger Mercado, was looking for the best material to run as
barangay captain of their home barangay Abgao in Maasin. From
June 1, 1979 to March 27, 1998, he served as the barangay
captain of Abgao and the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay
in the municipality of Maasin.
Elections 1998 came, he was pitted against two mayoralty opponents
– one was the incumbent mayor who is a medical doctor
and the other one a former mayor and lawyer by profession.
It was an uphill struggle where all the comparisons made were
to his disadvantage, but he proved victorious. He held the
distintion of being Maasin’s last municipal mayor and
the first city mayor.
On
August 10, 2000, Maasin became a city largely to then Mayor
Mercado’s gigantic efforts of supporting wholeheartedly
the cityhood activities and meeting the requirements involved
towards making Maasin a millennium city. With increased internal
revenue allotment, his energies were all devoted into changing
the face of Maasin into a place worthy to be called a peaceful
home for all Maasinhons. He became the primemover and the
architect of Maasin’s transformation. Thus since 1980,
he is the only mayor in Maasin who was able to complete three
whole terms.
As city mayor had reaped so many awards for him, as well as
for the city, with the most notable ones as a consistent winner
of the “Most Child-Friendly City,”Consistent Regional
Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) awardee and 3rd Best
Performing LGU in Finance as judged by BLGF Region 8.
His administration as city mayor heralded on the banner “Aksyon
Solusyon Inisyatibo” proved to manifest an effective
governance that have generated positive responses among emong
empowered barangays and benefited communities.
His battlecry during the gubernatorial race in the May 14,
2007 election was “DALHON KO ANG AKSYON SOLUSYON INISYATIBO
NGA KALAMBUAN SA SIYUDAD SA MAASIN NGADTO SA KAPITOLYO (I
will bring to the Capitol the actions, solutions and initiatives
that developed Maasin)” He has started to concretize
these words into action.
And
Damian G. Mercado will always serve as an inspiration to all
local government leaders and officials of Southern Leyte to
give their best in relevant and practical leadership.
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