Daniel Mercado

The Engineer

The name Daniel L. Mercado, the Iniero/Enginero, became a by-word in Sasmuan during my last year of attendance at the town's elementary school. I was then in the Sixth Grade. There was no Grade VII for the next school year in Sasmuan. The local government could not afford it due to lack of funds. Then there was this Iniero Daniel who found his hometown, Sasmuan, mired in poverty and with his family opted to live there.

What is an Iniero. We school children at the time were curious about it. Later, we learned that an Iniero (peculiar pronounciation of ordinary people for the Spanish (Enginero) is one who plans and constructs concrete houses, big buildings, bridges, or build roads paved with asphalt or cement. People who knew more English than we school children told us that an Iniero is an Engineer. Daniel, the engineer, was the first of his kinds in town.

His large house could not be missed. Built facing south at the corner of the main road from Guagua and Pibatbatan, the road slicing the town at San Nicolas 2nd. The lower portion of the house was a drug store with a signboard "Farmacia Sta. Lucia," to honor perhaps the town's patroness saint. How does the Iniero look like?

One morning I was by the river bank and there was a man on a banca paddled by four men. The man who was not rowing and seated towards the bow held a black umbrella similar Dimpulan (working clothes of laborers soaked and dyed in boiled concoction of mixed bark of trees for durability) of the rowers but of lighter shade. He was conspicuously fair complexioned in contrast to the sun-burnt rowers. His curly hair enhanced an aura of respect to the serene patrician mien of the face. I was struck by the features of the man who resembles the picture in one of my school books, that of Julius Ceasar, a Roman emperor. Later, I used to often see the Iniero on Sundays in church always immaculately in white.

"There is Daniel, the Iniero, on his way to his fishpond," I heard someone say, referring to the man with the black umbrella on the banca. I learned he inherited the fishpond from his wealthy grandfather, Capitan Obong. People say the fishpond was not big, only six hectares, but that Daniel devotes his time and skill improving his property, applying modern technology, thus multiplying its seasonal yield to three folds. He stayed with his laborers until time to retire in the afternoon, supervising the proper excavation depth, build and maintenance of the dikes. In no time, it was broached about in town Daniel acquired adjacent properties, expanded his fishpond from the original six to one hundred twenty hectares, the largest owned by a single owner or operator thereabout. He enlisted Alejo Navarro, a barriomate, as his trusted overseer.

Not gratified of being the sole beneficiary to the fruits of his labors, Daniel shares these with his poor cabalens. One of his obsessions is to redeem his cabalens from the quagmire of socio-economic instability. He established an embroidery cottage industry employing the women of the town. This provided productive activity among the women which, otherwise, indulged in idle rumor-mongering (tsismis). The income the womenfolk earned from this embroidery industry not only augmented but competed with the meager earnings of their husbands/sons who were either fishermen and /or laborers in fishponds abounding in Sexmoan. Iniero Daniel was restless in his entrepreneurial pursuits. Much has already been said of the man, but who is he? Let us retrospect on his curriculum vitae.

Progeny

Long time ago, in the depths of the Castillan era, two brothers and their families of the Mercado clan in Apalit, Pampanga, left the warmth of their ancestral abode for greener pastures. One of these brothers is said to have settled in Minalin, while the other penetrated down southward and staked his home in Sasmuan. The latter, industrious and intrepid soon prospered. Some of this offsprings spread farther southward and settled in a somewhat hidden marshy place, a cove, which is now Sebitanan.

Stories handed down from generation to generation trace the origin of Apung Obong (Don Romulo Mercado y Limpin) to one of those Mercados who settled in Sebitanan. This remains to be proven, however. Apung Obong, hardworking and resourceful, more so with Lim Pin (a Chinese ancestor) blood cruising in his arteries had a natural business acumen, became wealthy. Apung Obong married a similar business inclined woman from the neighbor town, Guagua, Simona of the prosperous del Rosario family. He moved from the rural Sebitanan to the town proper and settled at San Nicolas 1st. He built his house of adobe and lumber. In view of socio-economi eminence in the community he was appointed to the position of gobernadorcillo (petty governor, the present equivalence of which is mayor) of Sasmuan and earned the honorific title, Capitan. His wife, Simona, was likewise addressed Capitana. This couple was endowed with three daughters, Gregoria, Eufemia and Narcisa, and four sons, Clemente, Daniel, Felixberto, and Monico. Monico became a lawyer.

Don Monico R. Mercado was a luminous star in the legal and political firmament not only in Pampanga but also in Mindanao. Twice representing the First District of Pampanga in the First Philippine Assembly in 1907 to 1912. Don Monico was, later appointed Commissioner to represent the province of Lanao in the said legislature. It was in 1907, as such representative, he worked for the separation of Sasmuan from Guagua, which was until then only a subtown of Guagua from the advent of the American colonizers. Don Monico is also regarded as the father of the Philippine irrigation system, he authored and worked hard for the passage of his bill therefore in that legislative body. Don Monico was also a moving spirit in the Parnasong Capampangan, the vernacular literary group of the province and of Tarlac. No less than former President Diosdado P. Macapagal, Dr. Amado Yuzon, Don Zoilo Hilario, and other renown Pampango pundits hail the vernacular literary prowess of Don Monico. One of Don Monico's outstanding literary work is Ketang Milabas, an anthology of his and other Pampango writers in the vernacular.

Don Monico set his amoral emotions far northward in Mexico town and was enthralled by the beauty of a demurely Tomasa of the Lorenzo clan. Dona Tomasa Lorenzo y Hizon belongs to one of the most colorful generals of the Philippine 1896 Revolution against Spanish tyranny and in the fight against American conquest in 1898.

Born to this devoutly Catholic couple, Don Monico Mercado y del Rosario of Sexmoan, and Dona Tomasa Lorenzo y Hizon, both towns in Pampanga, is Daniel, son of the dawn, their fifth child on 28 August 1907 in the town of his mother. Daniel's other brother and sisters, in their order are: Leonida de Laki, Aurora de Surla, Mariano - the doctor, Teresa, Victorina de Dizon, Paquita, and Julia. August born Daniel possesses an indomitably dynamic spirit aiming excellence in his every endeavor. Dominance a common trait of individuals born in August, Daniel learned to rein in this with temperance, and this served him in good measure later in life.

Scholastic Life

The Mercado-Lorenzo coupld proved prolific. The beauteous Tomasa blessed the union with an almost annual birth. To relieve the maternal child rearing of Tomasa, her sister, Maura, a spinster, took the young Daniel and some of the children under her care. Daniel saw most of his childhood in Mexico town. Bereft of maternal caress the young Daniel clung to his Imang Orang (Maura) with his affectionate care to the last moment of her life.

Dona Tomasa died. The widower Don Monico remarried. He begot with this second wife, Dona Gregoria Andres of Guagua, Felixberto, Clemente, Dulce de Juco and Irene de Magtuloy.

Daniel studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila, and finished his high school in that Dominican institution in March 1926. Having obtained high scholastic grades in Mathematics and Physics, he was lured to take up Engineering his avowed vocation. There being no Engineering course in the Letran College, he transferred to the University of Santo Tomas, another Dominican institution.

Unlike some of his contemporary students the young Daniel did not indulge in frivolities and vices. Scion of a wealthy family, he did not depend on his father, Don Monico nor rely from his mother's for financial support in his studies. During his high school days he set his hands on employment to support himself. While working for his degree in Engineering, he was offered to teach in the newly organized high school department of the University of Santo Tomas where he taught Mathematics and Physics, his forte. Notwithstanding his teaching loads in high school, he managed to obtain excellent grades in his collegeiate course.

Diligence of a Good Father

Eng'r. Daniel L. Mercado married a diminutive comely maiden, of Paco, Manila, Luz Magpayo y Tempongko, a school mate, on 28 November, 1929 at Paco church. Daniel and Luz were still students at the time, the former in Engineering and the latter in Pharmacy. It was prognosticated by some relatives the two would not finish their schooling but with fortitude and perseverance the young couple overcame the omen. Out of this wedlock six children were born:

Daniel Jr., Civil engineer, with a Master of Arts in Actuarial Science from the University of Wisconsin, USA

Hector B.S. Commerce, major in business management

Monico B.S. Commerce; formerly Mayor of Sexmoan

Renato resting in peace

Romulo B.S. Commerce, major in business management not necessarily in that order. The fifth is a sweet rose among the thorns, Aurora, who acquired her education from exculive institutions for girls here and abroad. She also attended a finishing school for girls in Madrid Spain in Europe.

Daniel, "Tangulan"

When Daniel established the embroidery cottage industry in Sexmoan mentioned earlier, he had under his employment a good number of young unmarried woman working in his large house. The girls were stay-in workers, or fetch some clothings. Some swains in the vicinity got attracted to the girls and made amorous attempts. It was only natural for Daniel to protect his domain and the girls in his care. Now and then he had to shoo away the more daring of the boys. These his actuations earned the ire of those boys and they mouthed unsavory epithepts for him to the extent of calling him Tangulan, a moniker ascribed to a group of tenant farmers up in arms for their rights against abusive landlords somewhere in northern Luzon, at the time, Tangulan, however, is a Tagalog word the meaning of which is synonymous to protection, protector, defender.

Daniel the Arbiter-Pacifier

The Guagua incident

In the year 1932 or thereabout, Don Monico R. Mercado, Daniel's father, and Don Fabian de la Paz, allied politically, faced one of their crucial political involvement. Their political opponents in Guagua, where both resided and practical opponents in Guagua, where both resided and practiced law, plaed a coffin complete with candles and wreath in front of each of their homes to insult and ridicule them, their candidate having lost that year's election. Let it be noted don Fabian de la Pax of Macabebe, Pampanga, was formerly a representative for the First District of Pampanga and during his stint he was dubbed Lion of the House for his fiery and uncompromising stand.

Townmates of these political stalwarts got wind of this outrage. In no time die hard followers of both from Macabebe and Sexmoan organized themselves to rescue their champions. Such insolence would not go unpunished. Twelve picked matadors from Macabebe landed in Guagua and joined the furious multitude from Sexmoan bent to wreak havoc on Guagua, raze the town and kill not only the political antagonists of Don Fabian's and Don Monico's but massacre even the unsuspecting innocent residents.

The tension was volatile. Night. Guagua's poblacion appeared quiet were it not for the sonorous noise coming from one of Guagua's plush eatery. Guagua's political elite, the adversaries of Don Fabian and Don Monico, were gathered in that eatery celebrating their victory, unsuspecting of the danger about to snuff them out. Shadowy figures lurked in strategic points ready for the kill. A certain Alfonso Umlas from Sta. Monica, Sexmoan, an eager beaver to start the riot approached the eatery, posted himself at the doorway, shouted invectives, dared the group to come out and fight. An unintentional utterance or action of the revelers might trigger the holocaust. The timely arrival, sober intervention and soothing reconciliatory advice of Daniel to his father's and Don Fabian's supporters prevented the blood baths and conflagration that might have ruined the town of Guagua to smithereens. The would be rioters pacified, Daniel entered the eatery and admonished the revelers to go home immediately. This they (the revelers) did with him, Daniel, escorting them safely home.

Had it not been for Daniel's timely arrest of the situation, what would have happened to Don Fabian, Don Monico and their followers under the pale of the law?

The Angeles-David -vs-Baluyut Imbroglio

The Angeles-David Baluyut rivalry dominated the Pampanga political arena for a good number of years. This stemmed in the respective espousal of these two political titans, Pablo Angeles-David and Sotero Baluyut, Pro and Anti respectively of the independence movement of the '30s. Pablo Angeles David was a Osmena-Roxas Pro tandem rabid supporter while Sotero Baluyut was avidly for the fiery Manuel L. Quezon, Anti. The perennial controversy of these protagonists was carried on up to and during the post-war liberation era. Either leader did his level best to wrest political leadership of Pampanga from the other.

During the Quirino administration Pablo Angeles David, a Nacionalista, was a senator and member of the Commission on Appointments. Pres. Quirino appointed Sotero Baluyut, a fellow Liberal, as Secretary of Public Works and Communications. The appointment, however, had to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments and Pablo Angeles David, Baluyut's political arch adversary was there at the Commission on Appointments, a thorn on the side. Baluyut's confirmation had to pass through the proverbial needle's eye. Pablo Angeles David trounced several times by Baluyut in the provincial political bouts had the ball in his court. All indications pointed to a thumbs down on Baluyut's confirmation. Not only was Baluyut's personal honor and integrity at stake but Pampanga's as well. Baluyut missing the confirmation, Pampanga would tremendously suffer in the much needed public works rehabilitation. Cold war existed between the two political camps.

Comes now Daniel L. Mercado, Baluyut's nino bonito to the rescue. Daniel realized the exigency of the situation and it was evident to work double time to quench the flaming cinders of animosity that would engulf Pampanga. He sought help of some political moguls of Pampanga, particularly Salvador Buyson of Bacolor, a Pablo Angeles David henchman and a friend of his of long standing, to patch up the enmity. How would Daniel maneuver a peaceful meeting of the two? It was a an arduous task, a tall order. Daniel shuttled to and fro the two enclaves until he got the nod of the two with Pablo Angeles David's conditional demand of Daniel's presence in the pow-wow. Daniel was also ably assisted in the undertaking by Pedro I. Regala, his townmate, who set a lunch date for the occasion at a prestigious place. At the momentous hour Pablo Angeles David escorted by Daniel Mercado and Salvador Buyson, Sotero Baluyut escorted by Pedro I. Regala met at the appointed rendezvous. The stalemate was tense. However, with Daniel's diplomatic maneuvering the meeting concluded with Pablo Angeles David's solemn promise not to interpose Baluyut's confirmation in the Commission. The rest is history - Sotero Baluyut's confirmation sailed smoothly in the commission, another feather to Daniel's quintessential ability as a peacemaker.

The Town Hall Builder

The June, 1934 elections saw Eng'r. Danile L. Mercado as one of the elected municipal officials elected in that political exercise were, in their order, as follows:

Mayor : Hon. Jose L. Lacsamana

Vice Mayor : Hon. Jose. B. Dagal

Councilors : Hon. Pedro R. Baltazar

Hon. Daniel L. Mercado

Hon. Bernardino Mercado

Hon. Arsenio L. Baltazar

Hon. Florencio Miranda

Hon. Pedro B. Torres

The destructive howler (typhoon) of mid October 1934, leveled a good portion of the houses in Sexmoan not sparing the "camalig" type building housing the town's municipal government. The municipal government was forced to relocate and secured permission from the then parish priest Rev. Fr. Luis Mallo, OSA with Councilor Daniel L. Mercado's prominent role in the negotiation, to temporarily occupy one of the vacant halls in the ground floor of the parish convent. Not so long ago those vacant halls served as the parochial school for boys and girls, separately. The municipal government housed in the ground floor of the parish convent appeared awkward and queer under the concept of church and state separation in a democracy. Moreover, the municipal government seemed subservient to the parish priest. Councilor Daniel L. Mercado lost no time in finding remedy to the situation. He authored a resolution to raise funds for the construction of a new municipal hall of strong material by holding a mini lottery-sweepstakes where the municipal council unanimously approved. The sweepstakes, a fluvial race of bancas on the town's principal waterway, Sexmoan river, was colorful. The first prize of P10,000.00 was a fortune at the time. The proceeds from the undertaking was not enough for the construction of the municipal hall in accordance with the plans and specification drawn by Eng'r. Daniel L. Mercado, councilor. Eng'r Daniel L. Mercado had to solicit donations from some of his good friends of means for the completion of the two storey structure. The building completed, was inaugurated with a appropriate rites on January 15, 1936. Later, the façade of the building was renovated to its present grandeur during the administration of Mayor Felipe Cubacub.

The Banker and Insurer

Eng'r Daniel L. Mercado is one of the pioneers in Philippine rural banking. He established a rural bank in his town, Rural Bank of Sexmoan, Pampanga to teach and involve his townmates in the virtue of savings and investing their accumulations in worthwhile production. He established the First National Surety and Assurance Co., Inc. to educate his townmates to save for their future by way of insurance.

Daniel Mercado fought relentlessly with Central Bank until he convinced authorities the wisdom of establishing bank branches in far-flung areas of the archipelago. Bankers in the Philippines look upon Eng'r Daniel L. Mercado as the father of branch banking and was awarded a plaque of appreciation therefore.

D. L. The Darling Employer

Eng'r Daniel L. Mercado subscribes to the dictum of an ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tse, in the conduct of his business, much more so in relation with people working for or with him. It is the virture of humility. Lao Tse says:

"Why do mountain brooks, rivers and streams bow and rush to the sea? Because the sea is below them and they pay homage to it. Likewise, why do a general stay behind his troops? Because by so doing the soldiers would not feel the weight of his authority."

More so, his father, Don Monico, oftenly reminded him to "liken himself to the palay, its stalks bend when it bears grains."

Upon assumption of duty of a new employee, Daniel enunciates his policy to the recruit, thus:

1. Punctuality

2. Deliver the goods on time and in good order.

He does this to avoid misunderstanding in the course of time. He always has in mind a stanza of a poem by an anonymous writer:

"If I know you and you know me

Very seldom we would disagree,

Not having held each other's hand

How do we expect to understand?"

A considerate boss he is, Daniel never calls an employee to his desk/room if he, Daniel needs anything; information of whatever, but himself goes to the employee. Does he bawl out his employees? Never. If anything goes wrong in the office, he calls for an emergency meeting. He brings the problem out into the open, asks the employees for analysis and solution until the trouble is resolved. With such procedure he makes his employees feel their importance in the organization. He emphasizes coordinated cooperative efforts to promote harmonious relation and efficiency.

Is Daniel unapproachable? An employee entangled in work difficulty may see the boss anytime for guidance and instructions without fear of being called down. Daniel is father, brother to his employees and is affectionately addressed as "Tatang" or "Coya", and when the employees talk among themselves of their box they simply refer to him as "DL". He makes his employees feel he is one and among them, and sets an example of frugality by his simple meals, dressing simply and neatly.

It is noteworthy Daniel's employees never ever entertain notions of forming labor unions to present grievances, if any, for all his establishments are labor oriented. Sentiments of labor have a special core in his heart, for was Daniel not an ordinary employee himself before?

There are now a number of employees weaned from his establishments and they look back in fond retrospect of their former boss, Daniel, instrumental in more ways than not to their successes in their respective ventures. A plaque of appreciation from these ex-employees presented to him during a birthday party they rendered for their former boss attests to this, an epitome of an ideal employer.

Daniel, the Philanthropist

Altruism is another hallmark of D. L. Mercado. He keeps posted conspicuously in his pocket book office desk, on walls of places he frequents in his home or office this famous quotation from St. Francis of Assisi:

"I will pass this way but once. Any good or kindness I can do or show to my fellowmen, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor delay it, for I will not pass this way again,"

to remind him every now and then his avowal to help people in need. On occasions of dire calamities wrought by fires, typhoons, and/or inundations, Eng'r Daniel goes out of his way not counting the costs to reach out and dole aid to victims of such disasters. At times he might not have been seen personally distributing those aids as that was done for him and under his supervision/instructions by trusted workers of his. Anyone in need would not leave Daniel's threshold empty handed.

He set up scholarships, personally financed by him, to help needy but deserving students pursue their studies, some of whom are: Roberto O. Mangalindan, Diosdado M. Beltran, Ador Laus and many others.

A working student himself during his school days, Eng'r Daniel employs deserving students in his various business ventures and proffers them the opportunity of pursuing their studies. Plaques of appreciation from such beneficiaries adorn his office.

In his hometown, now Sasmuan, he had constructed on his own lot in San Nicolas 1st a medical clinic (puericulture center) he donated to the town in memory of his late spouse Dona Luz Magpayo-Mercado. This medical clinic renders free medical consultations and therapy to the needy of Sasmuan. More often than not, he is involved in community projects, socio-civic or religious. Of late, he intends putting up a Trade High School to provide technological education to the youths of his hometown, Sasmuan.

D. L. Mercado's Sojourns

Whenever local and/or national political climate so permits, Eng'r Daniel travels here and abroad to broaden and hone to sterling fineness his socio-economic expertise.

Overview

While Eng'r Daniel appears like a steeled cutlass, he has the litheness and suppleness of a bending reed. On occasions he bows and yields gracefully to sound reasons, abandons opinion that might, otherwise cause bitter imprints in his relation with people, businesswise or socially. He cuts and rounds up corners and mends dents smoothly wherever and whenever ugly heads pop out in turbulent waters of his vast business enterprises. Tumult stilled, these are the nourishing ingredients of his business acumen, Daniel L. Mercado the altruistic engineer, entrepreneur, and indomitable. In passing, it is safe to enumerate few of his achievements, these are:

Past Business Connections:

National Power Corporation - Member of the Boards, 1950-1954

Bureau of Internal Revenue - Chair, Committee on Distrait and Levy, 1962-1964

Development Bankers Association of the Philippines - President, 1965-196

First National Surety & Assurance Co., Inc. - Chairman of the Board and

President

Agro-Industrial Development Bank - Chairman of the Board and President

Mermag Brothers, Inc. - Chairman of the Board and President

AB Credit Corp. - Chairman of the Board and President

Present Business Connections:

President and/or Chairman of the Board of the following Corporations:

Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Co., Inc.

Demersons, Incorporated

DL Securities Corporation

Luda, Incorporada

Apo Flexible Units, Inc.

Rural Bank of Sexmoan (Pamp.) Inc.

Sexmoan Development Corporation

A Latin saying runs thus: "Sic transit gloria mundi," roughly translated: "Thus pass the glories of the world," Eng'r Daniel L. Mercado, denouncement years telling on him, is aware, very much aware when the day of the Lord comes, he will gracefully bend his knees in adoration and yield all his mundane possessions to the ABSOLUTE GOOD. His love to all not sparing, he says: "Amor vinct omnia" - Love conquers all, and in thanksgiving - "DEO GRATIAS".

The last time I called on this SSS (social security system to many) of a man attired immaculately in his customary white, seated serenely, assiduously and sedately leafing some business papers, he still is the very resplendat SSS man he is - Sprightly, Spic and Span. - jcm