THERE is now an oversupply of Fernandezes in the Dagupan City government.

Two more relatives of Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., former immigration commissioner; assumed office at the beginning of the year.

No other families with the same surname such as the Fernandezes has ruled Dagupan in such numbers under one administration throughout the city’s political history.

Mayor Fernandez ran and won for an unprecedented fourth term in office along with Belen Fernandez, now vice mayor and presiding officer of the city council.

The vice mayor however is not their blood relative, yet she is an adoptive member of the Fernandez family, a branch of the Fernandez, Coquia Llamas or Fercolla clan that ruled Dagupan City for many long years since the turn of the 19th century.

Vice Mayor Fernandez, president of the retail giant CSI Group of Companies, owner of chains of shopping malls and supermarkets in Northern Luzon, said it was her late father Jimmy who was first adopted by the Fernandezes.

Those who just assumed their posts as ex-officio members of the Dagupan City council are Lino Fernandez, newly elected president of the Liga ng mga Barangay chapter, and Carlos Alipio Fernandez, president of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation.
Lino Fernandez is a distant relative of the mayor.

Carlos Alipio is a grandson of Mayor Fernandez and a son of another councilor, Alfie Fernandez. The other Fernandez councilor is Michael Fernandez, nephew of the incumbent mayor.

Mayor Fernandez said two more councilors are also their relatives as they are also members of the closely-knit Fercolla clan. They are Librada Reyna and her cousin Karlos Reyna.

The two are grandchildren of former four-term Mayor Liberato Reyna Sr., one of the original members of the Fercolla clan.

All in all, there are now seven Fernandezes holding high positions in the Dagupan City government with the addition of City Administrator Alvin Fernandez. (PNA)