The Mercados of North Texas
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Gus and Ethel Mercado are shown at the Banaag Awards Ceremony at the Malacañang Palace in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Gus Mercado)
The Mercados are community pillars in North Texas, and their accomplishments have had a great impact on the Filipino American community, past and present. Their commitment to each other reflects their commitment to the community.
Through an email interview, Gus said, “A common love for making a difference in people’s lives, being on the same page on issues facing the community and our company, is one of the strengths of our marriage.” That strength has grown deeper through the years.
Gus and Ethel Mercado are community pillars in North Texas. (Photo courtesy of Gus Mercado)
To understand the Mercados’ journey to the United States, one has to travel back to the tumultuous years in the Philippines when then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law and allegedly incarcerated people who got in the way of his power grab under his brutal dictatorship. The year was 1972.
The Mercados hail from Ibaan, Batangas, which is known for its historic Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint James the Greater. The city chose the “Pascua” as its official flower due to its red color, symbolic of residents’ courage, according to amazingbatangas.com.
Like many who had the means to leave the Philippines during the political turmoil of the 1970s, Gus and Ethel initially settled in New York City. A job transfer in 1976 took them to Dallas. While working for Caltex in Las Colinas, a Dallas suburb known for its corporate hubs, Gus was assigned to public affairs and became involved in the community, philanthropic activities, and public relations—experiences that catapulted him to establishing Filipino associations in Dallas.
He said he wanted “to establish businesses and charitable organizations that would align with his personal goals of giving back to the community, helping Filipinos back home, and having a voice in the localities where Filipinos live and work to express their needs and concerns.”
Clear Goals
The couple had a clear concept of where their goals would take them in uniting the growing communities of Filipinos who came from different islands and spoke their own dialects.
“Our vision is to see the community, in our lifetime, more united and eager to rally around worthy causes for the betterment of Filipino Americans in the U.S. as well as our native land,” Gus said.
From a publisher of a world trade magazine, Business Horizons, to founder of their current company, Datalogix—an information technology consulting company that blossomed into a multistate enterprise—the Mercados’ hearts have always belonged to Filipinos, the marginalized, and immigrants.
OnePhilippinesTX, a tabloid-format newspaper, reported in 2017 that “Datalogix provides high-paying jobs to more than 200 Filipino and Mexican engineers, who were hired on H1B visas.” The newspaper also noted that “the company has expanded beyond engineering into construction, civil works, and tower services, remaining proudly 100% family-owned. The information technology company provides services to companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon and utilizes the founders’ backgrounds as Communications Managers with large corporations such as San Miguel Corporation, Rockwell International, Caltex, and Sprint.”
Gus, a graduate of De La Salle University, serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of the company, while Ethel, a graduate of Philippine Women’s University, serves as the company president and chief financial officer.
The extent of their commitment to their marriage and the community has been witnessed by Filipinos in Texas, Philippine presidents, and local politicians. Yet Gus emphasizes that it’s Ethel who has contributed more to the community and is the reason behind their success. He said Ethel has done more for Filipinos than he has.
Numerous Achievements
Of the numerous achievements, awards, and accolades the Mercados have received, perhaps the most notable was when Ethel accepted the role of “unpaid Honorary Consul,” offered to her by the late Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on January 7, 2014. Ethel ended up serving under three Philippine presidents and five Consul Generals, she said.
According to click2houston.com, the Philippine Consulate General in Houston, Texas, was closed for 25 years before reopening in September 2018. With a unique role to help Filipinos get their passports renewed or apply for dual U.S.-Philippine citizenship in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas, Ethel set up an office in their home and donated “$65K every year for salary, staff, and office costs,” according to OnePhTX.com.
Ever the modest “community servant,” as she calls herself, she doesn’t seek credit or the spotlight. Her humility is sewn into everything she does for the community. Her strength lies not in commanding attention but in earning trust—a quiet conviction “that leadership is about service, not spotlight,” as she has shown through the years.
In 2024, Ethel received the Emeritus Chamber Leadership Award, handed to her by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson at a celebration of Filipino Heritage Month.
Devoted to Altruism
Devoted to the basics of altruism, the Mercados have rallied Filipinos through the organizations they have founded to raise funds for health emergencies, natural disasters back home, scholarships for the poor, and many acts of kindness.
Gus said, “Their mission has always been simple: to give back to the country and the community without holding back and without forgetting their motherland.”
Bringing the community together is not an easy task, Gus said. Moving forward requires a willingness to confront uncomfortable realities. But for the Mercados, such challenges have only strengthened their commitment to serve.
“If you have the patience and genuine love for your community and show leadership by example through self-sacrifice and humility, you can make leaders with clashing egos realize that conflicts are normal,” Gus said. “But community service and service to humanity are bigger than us. You figure out where the community wants to go, and you’ve gotta be willing to get there by surrendering your ego to the service of your fellow men.”
Praise from Peers
Filipino leaders in North Texas shared their high regard for the Mercados.
Myrna Carreon, overall chairwoman of Kalayaan 2025 and past president of FILCON and Philippine American Chamber of Commerce (PACC) DFW, said, “Their collective wisdom has been invaluable to me and to all our constituents in the community. Gus and Ethel's journey and impact resonate as true legends within our community.”
Carreon added, “They have not only led with vision but have inspired countless individuals to believe in a blessed life and a better future. Their individual strength in the face of adversity, and their ability to bring people together, are hallmarks of true leaders whose legacy will endure for generations.”
Elna Mallari, PACC DFW past president and co-founder and board member of Pilipino American Community Endeavor, expressed her admiration of the Mercados.
“Gus and Ethel Mercado are an extraordinary couple who embody elegance and class, yet remain incredibly humble despite their prominent standing in the business world and the Filipino community,” Mallari said. “Their decades-long commitment and dedication to the community are unmatched. They are the leaders I truly admire and will continue to learn from.”
As the Filipino-American community grows in North Texas, the Mercados’ efforts to bridge the gap between new and longtime Filipino immigrants have encouraged open conversations, mutual respect, and shared efforts to understand each other.
Their commitment to understanding different perspectives across cultural and language barriers led to the founding of an organization dedicated to fostering inclusion, dialogue, and community empowerment. In 2018, the Filipino Coalition of North Texas (FILCON) was born.
The Mercados are pictured in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Gus Mercado)
“Our vision is to see the community, in our lifetime, more united and eager to rally around worthy causes for the betterment of Filipino Americans in the U.S. as well as our native land,” Gus said.
He added, “Over the years, several well-meaning groups celebrated Philippine Independence, but many of them no longer exist. Only one organization has consistently focused on the real essence of independence and celebrates the memory of our fathers and grandfathers who fought for our freedoms.”
Joel Clemente, FILCON’s vice president for 2025 humanitarian projects, said, “The Mercados’ leadership in North Texas is of excellent performance. They drew people closer to each other in remembering our roots as Fil-Ams through the annual Kalayaan event—celebrating culture and arts in songs, dances, and other meaningful stints—and by giving honor and recognition to our World War II heroes.”
Joel Clemente, FILCON VP for 2025 humanitarian projects, is shown at the Kalayaan 2025 in Grand Prairie, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Joel Clemente)
Gus said, “We founded several organizations in our community for different purposes, and many still exist today. In terms of outreach and growth, the most successful organization that we founded is the PACC of Texas. From Dallas, our Chamber expanded, and we are now the biggest Filipino Chamber of Commerce in the U.S., with over 1,000 members.”
Yet he emphasized, “We think FILCON is still the most meaningful and patriotic organization in Texas that appeals to all generations of Filipinos.”
Lalaine Henry, a current FILCON board member, said she met the Mercados in an outreach program when her parents were renewing their Philippine passports.
“I met them and saw how passionate they are about helping their fellow Filipinos,” Henry said. “FILCON is the only organization in D-FW that celebrates Philippine Independence Day in a traditional way. Our goal is to make the Kalayaan celebration bigger every year and to have more young Filipinos get involved.”
Lalaine Henry is a FILCON board member. (Photo courtesy of Lalaine Henry)
Most Important Achievement
There is one chapter in the Mercados’ life that Gus said was their “most important and impactful achievement in community service”—their benevolent fight for justice for the Texas 10.
According to positivelyfilipino.com, “Mercado gained national prominence as ‘the Hero of the Texas 10’ when he spearheaded a national campaign to free a group of Filipino airline mechanics who were incarcerated and mistreated in Texas prisons for six months as an overreaction to 9/11. He raised funds for their legal defense, gathered 1,000 signatures meant for President George W. Bush, took care of the inmates and their families for six months, and eventually won their acquittal and release.”
Gus said that one of the Texas 10, after his release from custody, said, “Mr. Gus Mercado and his wife, Ethel, advocated for us and fought for our eventual release. While we were in prison, the Mercados took care of our families while raising funds for our legal defense. The all-out and unselfish support that the Mercados gave us and our families during the worst six months of our lives, which eventually led to our release, is something we will remember forever.”
Reflecting on the present situation, Gus said, “This happened 24 years ago, and even back then, racial injustice and discrimination against foreign immigrants were widespread, although not as intense as it is now. I have a very unpleasant feeling that if this case happened today, it would not stand a chance against the Trump officials with their strong disdain for democracy, equality, and inclusion. So the historical significance and relevance of the Texas 10 story is very clear.”
Their commitment to each other reflects their commitment to the community.
Gus and Ethel have paved the way for Filipinos in North Texas, and it’s now time to pass the torch. Their decades of leadership and vision have opened doors for the next generation. The path they’ve paved is long and winding, but the next generation is ready to walk it, carrying forward the legacy they built.
But to the Mercados, retirement does not mean completely disappearing. They are still present, providing support to the organizations and offering words of wisdom to those who will follow in their footsteps.
“Our advice to the young and future leaders who will come after us is to stay motivated at all times and to stoke and keep the fires of patriotism, love of the motherland, and unity among themselves burning in their hearts,” Gus said. “The challenge for the next generation of leaders, whose words and actions are being watched by their young Filipino children, is to always keep their children engaged in Filipino activities and keep their interest in their roots alive and strong.”
Jocelyn Alvarez Allgood is a freelance writer and a local actress in North Texas.
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