Boracay

Punta Rosa resort

It was a clear day when I first met Elena Fernandez in one of the guest rooms she designed for Punta Rosa resort in Boracay. There was a knock at the door and I opened it to this petite, brown-skinned woman with long straight hair, in a white t-shirt, denim mini skirt, black slippers, and backpack, an altogether chic and laidback look. She’s slim, something she attributes to the long trek up the steps to her hilltop house in Bulabog. But it just might be down to good genes. We sat at the verandah where there is a view of the breathtaking White Beach. This is Fernandez’s first interview and she is a reluctant participant. Nevertheless, she is warm and friendly.

Punta Resort

Fernandez and her family left their native Puerto Rico when Fernandez was 10 to move to New York. She did not speak a word of English, but like most kids quickly adapted. She went on to study Fashion Design at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York, which eventually landed her a job as a designer for a firm that made clothes for big name brands like Victoria’s Secret, Christian Dior and Next. Work also required that she travel all over Asia to speak to buyers and look after the different manufacturing plants. As quotas continued to increase, the company set up shop in the Philippines, a place she found easy to relate to.

The culture and lifestyle was similar to the South Americas. “This is the only Asian-Latino country that I could relate to,” she said. She did not need any interpreter in dealing with business as everyone spoke English. As she hopped from one Asian country to another, Manila became her base from 1977 and as a respite from her demanding and stressful job; she would spend weekends touring around the different islands in the Philippines, traveling on a small plane owned by a friend.

Photo and Article Source: Inflight Magazine ( Seair)