[1] He studied at the Ateneo de Manila and then left for England, where he obtained his diploma in electrical engineering.
[2] In 1913, Fernández was appointed as manager of the San Miguel Corporation, together with Enrique Brías de Coya.
In 1939, the management of the company was reorganized along the lines of American corporations, and Fernández was elected president of the board of directors.
In July 1923, he resigned after his order to dismiss an American detective for accepting bribes from gambling houses was reversed by Wood.
He defeated Juan Sumulong in special elections to succeed Pedro Guevara who had been appointed Resident Commissioner to the United States.