Atty. Eduardo Hernandez, the Farmer.
A short drive southwest of the city leads us to the rooftop of a cottage within the vast Hernandez estate in Tigbauan, the invigorating afternoon breeze adding an air of majesty to the panoramic view of the beach overlooking the Gulf of Panay. Our host, Atty. Eduardo Hernandez has graciously invited us over for merienda – and in between casual sips of freshly-made Spanish hot chocolate and nibbles of sugar cane, The Farmer cracks a smile.
“There are no bad lands, only lousy farmers,” Eddie says. “Even the most non-arable land, if you put your mind to it can be rehabilitated and used to turn a profit. All it takes is determination and patience.” Indeed, for in his decades of experience, Eddie has seen both the acquisition and redevelopment of various agricultural properties turned into profitable industries from poultry, rice, and sugar milling, to fish and hog farming.
As a lawyer, leader, and philanthropist, Eddie’s achievements have been just as prolific: senior partner at the firm of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and de los Angeles, president of the Philippine Bar Association, author of books and articles on such topics as Criminal Law and Landowner Rights, a Centennial Professorial Chair at UP, and President of the Petroleum Association of the Philippines, to name but a few. “I’ve started slowing down, at least in terms of practicing law,” he cheerily admits. “But I’ve still got a lot to do. The minute you decide to fold up and die, well – that’s the end of you.”
There is a disarming joviality in Eddie’s pragmatism, even as he tells of his newest venture: a student residence in Jaro set to open within the next few months. His adventures (and misadventures) in the process of putting up the business lead him to deftly segue into his outlook on Iloilo: “The local government is all right. But it should always remember to be hospitable to businessmen. ‘The development of incentives and benefits to entrepreneurs can only mean a more conducive environment for growth, and more business can only mean continued development and progress.
Our conversation goes on to span a wide variety of topics, from ingenious business ideas inspired by his many travels to his take on the rehabilitation of the Lloilo River. And before we know it, night has fallen. “I am a man with no enemies,” Ed Hernandez says as we take our leave. And if the pleasant hours we spent with him are any indication of how he has built his success, we can only agree.
Source: Ilonggo Initiatives published by Iloilo Business Club (2011)
