I just saw Danzel Fernandez—one of the children of actor and congressman of the 1st District of Laguna Province Dan Fernandez and actress Sheila Ysrael—I think only a rare chance when he was a young boy growing up in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Unlike his father whom I was a major part of his acting career as a manager when he was launched by El Niño Films as an action star, Danzel was still a dream at the time by his mom and dad.
I knew Dan when we were neighbors in Sampaloc, Manila. He was still an Optometry student at the Centro Escolar University (CEU) but he was already being groomed by movie reporter Eddie Littlefield as a newbie in the biz.
I was already an entertainment writer by then and always at his apartment he shared with his siblings and cousins.
Until Dan became an actor with Eddie as manager. But when the two parted ways, I took over the managerial reign of Fernandez’s career although not long enough to merit a more professional liaison but the personal bond was very much felt.
Dan and I have maintained a friendly relationship in his showbiz and political journeys along the way.
In his baptism of fire in politics, I was one of Dan’s rooters when he ran for board member of Laguna where he won and held the post for three terms.
When he threw in his hat in vice-governorship race, I was also in his pre-campaign sorties where we would visit barangays in San Pedro and Biñan to make his presence felt.
Danzel is also starting his political career from the bottom of the provincial level as a board member.
Just like Jerico, Danzel has his own parent to lead him the way.
Does the young Fernandez as a millennial capable of charting his own political future like being more progressive than his seasoned public servant dad?
Let’s wait and see.