Singer Mercy Oria, 82, passes away in So. San Francisco

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO – Longtime professional singer Mercedes “Mercy” Oria Villegas died peacefully in her home on Sunday, January 27, 2019.

Mercy Oria started singing at a very young age at El Ranchito, a Spanish restaurant in Malate, Manila. As a trained operatic soprano, she later followed the footsteps of her eldest sister, Elsa Oria, a prewar and post-war movie star dubbed as the “Singing Sweetheart” of the Philippines.

Mercedes “Mercy” Oria Villegas, 1926-2019

She was born on August 27, 1936 to Tomas Oria and Mercedes Irinco of Laoang, Samar, Philippines. She was later adopted by Jose Munoz and Dolores Alonso Munoz of Manila, Philippines.

Mercy became a mainstay performer at the Manila Opera House. She hosted television shows and made several movies with Dolphy of RVQ Productions and Vilma Santos of Tagalog Ilang Ilang Productions. While performing in Manila, she met David J. Villegas who became her husband of almost 55 years.

Upon her arrival in the United States on December 1975, Mercy began singing at the Mabuhay Gardens restaurant in San Francisco. She later joined the cast of the San Francisco based TV show, “Something Pinoy” with the late Paquito Toledo and Tatay Johnny. She also performed with the San Francisco Opera choir. In the mid ‘80s, Mercy Oria and Dell Madill became the first unique mother-son duet singers in the San Francisco Cabaret Circle.

At the turn of the century, she left the entertainment industry and worked for Triple A. After 15 years, she retired but remained active. She led the choir of the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association of Northern California. Mercy’s friends remember her as the life of the party.

A private memorial service attended by her immediate family was held at Cypress Memorial Lawn in Colma, Daly City, California. She is survived by her loving husband David, her son David Roman Villegas and her many nieces and nephews.