40 roll call
able business for us.”
But before SM Seaside City Cebu even went up, the St. Pedro Calungsod Chapel
Seaside City Cebu requirements. Hans agreed,” Fernan says.
“Then while waiting at the doctor’s [clinic], I was reading a magazine that featured a children’s chapel in Cavite done by Carlos Arnaiz, a Filipino-Colombian based in New York. I was attracted to his minimalist style. I told Hans: This is the architect we should go for.
“His sister Elizabeth, who has an eye for design, learned of our conversation and said: ‘This guy presented to me a week ago!’”
Arnaiz showed to the family, as well as Fernan and her team, three concepts that he had created. One of these was the idea of 100 walls, representing the diversity of worshipers, which won their collective nod. During the chapel’s construction, it was decided that two walls had to be removed for structural reasons. This meant the 100 Walls monicker would no longer ring true (Church of 98 Walls?). But Hans Sy, during one site visit, ordered that the driveway needed an awning of sorts for protection from the elements, an addition that required two walls. Without Henry’s fourth child knowing it, He had restored the “Church of 100 Walls” title. and [you’re] the eldest. One has to make the effort to try to treat everyone equally.”
Once, when she asked for a bike from her father and mother Eloisa (“Elo”), they told her “to ask for something I knew they could afford to give my other siblings.”
“That helped,” she says, “to ensure that I was fair in my dealings, not only with my siblings, but [also] with everyone I encountered.”
Of her famous father, she says: “Even when he was busy building his law practice in Cebu, he always made time for us. At some point, when we didn’t have a driver, both my parents would pick us up from school. Also, weekends were spent as a family, at our beach house, or if we stayed in the city, it was always Sunday Mass, followed by a dinner in a restaurant.” BoardroomWatch posed to Fernan the same question that emcee Bob Barker asked Gloria Diaz during the questionandanswer portion of the 1969 Miss Universe pageant: “Can you name all your brothers and sisters?”
Like the still-quotable Glory, Fernan responds immediately through Viber (no pause was noticed): Marget and Maur (twins), Memel, Marcel, Mitoy, Mona, Mike and Manny.
“Since we are a very close family that does many things together, I can remember all the names of each of my siblings, their respective spouses, children, in-laws, and even their grandchildren. All in all, that’s 40 names to be exact,” she says.
The clan travels regularly together, usually taking cruises (“Easiest to handle,” says Fernan, who, since she lives with their 85- year- old mother, directs the logistics of the chosen destination, dates and meeting locations). They have visited
the matriarch’s birthdays, the siblings and spouses, sans kids, accompanied her to the Holy Land.
Not all of Fernan’s preoccupations are gargantuan in scale. She led the formation of a library of a public school in the mountains, gathering donations from her St. Theresa’s College Cebu high school
of their ruby anniversary celebration.
As I said earlier, my classmate Marissa does truly herculean stuff.