But being a natural trouper, Gabe literally had to prop himself up for the interview and in between sips of calamansi juice, narrated how he first got a taste of being in the limelight when in 1998, somebody from ABS-CBN saw him perform on stage and asked him to join the network as one of its talents. From then on, TV commercials followed and Gabe soon found himself enjoying his showbiz career.
For this Interdisciplinary Studies graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, his career start was more behind the camera rather than in front and in the full blaze of klieg lights – as a copywriter cum producer. And it was unlikely that he would be drawn into showbiz had he followed in the footsteps of his dad, advertising luminary Tony Mercado of Basic Advertising. "It was a short-lived affair in advertising," says Gabe, who found the Makati lifestyle "not to his liking." It was both a case of burnt out and the desire to do something purposeful with his life that Gabe decided to leave the advertising world. Gabe soon joined Christian Life Community, a Catholic non-government organization that guides people in their spirituality. "Maybe it was the Jesuit upbringing in me that goaded me to tread this path," Gabe says, who also at that time went into teaching and considered it as his calling.
But Gabe later on realized that it was not his life to be – one of the many detours that this young man of serious mien, despite the jolly image, would go through before he finally finds his niche. After his stint with the NGO, Gabe found himself tilling their farmland in Laguna where his green thumb was put to good use as he grew chili peppers (all of 32 varieties) and different types of roses. Since farm life gave him enough time to pursue other passions, Gabe went back to Ateneo where he became active once again in the school theater, Tanghalang Ateneo.
It was there that showbiz beckoned. His first stint in TV was Puedeng Puede with Robin Padilla. Since then, Gabe has been offered a slew of programs including a hosting job. In between his projects, he managed to put up his own theater group, SPIT, for Silly People Improvisational Theater. Their team, Gabe proudly shares, is the first Filipino group invited to the Los Angeles Comedy Festival in 2004. For those who would like to experience a different kind of stand-up comedy, Gabe’s group has a regular gig at Magnet Café in Katipunan every Thursday. Gabe adds that they are giving free workshops weekly at Ateneo for aspiring comedians and those interested can e-mail them at SPITworkshops@moc.com.
Just recently, Gabe was tapped by ABS-CBN Network to host its current affairs program, Noypi! Ikaw Ba ‘To?, an hour-long program which airs every Monday that aims to test the true character of Pinoys. "I’m honored to have been given this opportunity to host a program that will allow the viewers to get an insight on the Pinoy psyche: who we are and why we do things the way we do," Gabe explains. This program was partly inspired by the article that came out in a Readers Digest survey which ranked Filipinos as one of the most impolite people in the list of 35 nationalities. "Our aim in doing this show is to present, by way of real-life situations, the behavior of the Filipinos in a variety of settings. At the end of each show, a resource person will explain what happens in that particular situation and the rationale behind the Pinoys’ actions," Gabe adds.
Gabe, who at 12 years old already did his country proud by being one of the volunteers during the historical EDSA 1 Revolution as an assistant to June Keithley at Radyo Bandido, felt that it was one of the proudest moments of his life as a Filipino. His new show further defines what it is to be a Filipino and hopefully, make us see ourselves in a braver and more generous light. "I am hoping that this program will show the world how amazing Pinoys are and that we collectively stand proud as true Filipinos."