▁present , ▁Mer c ado ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁Statist ical ▁Association , ▁Philipp ine ▁Association ▁for ▁Te acher ▁Education ▁( P AF TE ), ▁the ▁Rot ary ▁Club ▁of ▁New ▁Man ila ▁He ights ▁and ▁a ▁Fellow ▁of ▁Royal ▁Institution ▁based ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁He ▁started ▁a ▁business ▁franch ise ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Ser iously ▁Add ict ive ▁Math s ▁Singapore ▁( S . A . M ) ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁and ▁opened ▁a ▁branch ▁in ▁Man ila . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁▁ ▁Mer c ado ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁in ▁Cal apan ▁City , ▁Oriental ▁Mind oro ▁to ▁Santos ▁Lim ▁and ▁L ol ita ▁Tan . ▁His ▁ancest ry ▁includes ▁Filip ino ▁and ▁Chinese . ▁He ▁completed ▁primary ▁education ▁in ▁his ▁h omet own , ▁Mind oro , ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Metro ▁Man ila ▁for ▁further ▁studies . ▁▁▁ ▁Mer c ado ▁finished ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁App lied ▁Statistics ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁App lied ▁Science ▁degree ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Edu c ational ▁Management ▁degree ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁at ▁the ▁Poly techn ic ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Mer c ado ▁accepted ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁complete ▁a ▁Ph D ▁on ▁C rimin ology ▁at ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁College ▁of ▁C rimin ology , ▁with ▁his ▁brother ▁Mar lon ▁Lim