Person biography:
Jennylyn Mercado's early life was marked by tragedy when she was nearly four years old and was severely battered by her stepfather. Her mother, who was working in Dubai at the time, returned home but instead of taking care of her daughter, she bailed out her partner who was in detention. As a result, Jennylyn's aunt, Lydia Mercado, legally adopted her.
Jennylyn's biological father, Noli Pineda, returned home in June 2004, but his arrival was met with controversy as he was accused of asking for money from his now self-sufficient daughter. Despite this, Jennylyn and her biological father keep in touch.
Jennylyn is now the official spokesperson of the Bata Foundation (Christian Mission Services),a non-governmental organization that operates with basic funding support from its partner organization, Christlicher Missionsdienst (CMD) headquartered in Germany, supplementary assistance from two Japanese organizations, and a few local groups.
She was a senior at the Augustinian Abbey in Las Piñas, where she actively took part in school programs from Prep to 4th year High School. Due to her hectic work schedule after winning Starstruck, she had to take a leave from school.
