Cherie Mercado-Santos is a Filipino broadcast journalist. She has worked for various broadcast networks in the Philippines, the longest with TV5, and is currently based in Canada.
Career Mercado's career as a news anchor, reporter, researcher, and eventually as a live on-the-scene reporter began with GMA News (1994–1995) and then ABS-CBN News (1995–2004). With ABS-CBN, Mercado hosted morning show Alas Singko Y Medya (lit. Five-Thirty, for the show's airtime), The Global News, the health and weather segment of Magandang Umaga Bayan (Good Morning to the Nation), and her own lifestyle show on ANC, Coffee Talk with Cherie Mercado. As a reporter, she covered the EDSA II Revolution and the May 1 riots. After nine years with ABS-CBN, she signed with ABC/TV5 (2004–2016).
In 2011, together with Shawn Yao and Cheryl Cosim, Mercado served as one of TV5's special correspondents for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, reporting live from London.
Mercado was the anchor for several news programs. She was the co-anchor of the late-night newscast Aksyon JournalisMO (Action: Your Journalism) together with Jove Francisco and Martin Andanar. She was the host and anchor for CNN Konek, which aired on AksyonTV, and starting in 2012 was the co-anchor of the late newscast Pilipinas News (P-News), together with Francisco and Paolo Bediones. Mercado was also one of several co-hosts of the news documentary series Insider, along with Cosim, Bediones, Andanar, Luchi Cruz-Valdes, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Mike Templo, and Lourd de Veyra.
She and Bediones also co-hosted Trabaho Lang with Paolo and Cherie (Just Work with Paolo and Cherie), which aired every weeknight on Radyo5, 92.3 News FM from 8:00-9:30pm.
In July 2014, Mercado was moved to the noontime newscast Aksyon sa Tanghali (Action at Noon) together with Raffy Tulfo.
On July 15, 2016, Mercado left TV5, her home network for 12 years to become the spokesperson of the Department of Transportation (DOTR). She later resigned in May 2017 due to her motherhood.
On February 12, 2018, Mercado joined CNN Philippines, as she took over as a new anchor of the Evening Edition of Newsroom replacing Mitzi Borromeo. On September 3, 2018, Mercado moved to mid-morning Filipino newscast Newsroom Ngayon.
Mercado and her family moved to Canada in 2021 in order to give her children a specialized arts education. There she began working at Filipino TV, a channel targeted at Filipinos in Canada. Her programs with Filipino TV include Thrive in Canada, which introduces services and resources to new immigrants, and The Hub Daily, a news roundup show. In 2023, she hosted The Cherie Mercado Podcast, which features conversations between Mercado and another Filipino living or working in Canada. On September 20, 2025, she received the Excellence Award in Media at the Golden Balangay Awards, a recognition for outstanding Filipino-Canadians.
Personal life Mercado is married to Mike Santos, a stockbroker, and they have two children, Christiana and Anabella.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role 1995–2004 The Weekend News News Anchor 1996–2001 Hoy Gising! News Anchor (substitute for Gel Santos-Relos) 1996–2001 Balitang K Reporter 1998–2001 Global News News Anchor 2001–2004 Alas Singko Y Medya (now Magandang Umaga Bayan) Host 2001–2003 Coffee Talk with Cherie Mercado Host 2004–2008 Big News News Anchor 2008–2010 TEN: The Evening News News Anchor 2010 Aksyon Weekend News Anchor 2010–2012 Aksyon JournalisMO News Anchor 2010–2011 Sapul sa Singko Host 2011–2013 CNN Konek News Anchor 2012 Insider Host 2012–2014 Pilipinas News News Anchor 2014–2016 Aksyon sa Tanghali News Anchor 2018 Newsroom News Anchor 2018–2019 Newsroom Ngayon News Anchor 2018–2019 CNN Philippines Updates Various Contributor 2019 CNN Philippines The Filipino Votes: Senatorial Forum Co-Moderator
Radio Trabaho Lang! (2013–2014; 2015–2016)
References