Rudy Fernandez

Who was Rudy Fernandez?

Rudolfo Austria “Rudy” Fernandez, Sr. was a prominent Filipino Labor Leader, Trade Unionist and staunch oppositionist of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Davao City, Philippines. He was one of the original and primary organizers of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines in 1975 and helped draft, developed and established its Constitution and By-Laws. He first came into the Philippine Labor Movement arena when he founded the Davao, Port General & Transport Worker’s Union now the Association of Trade Unions - TUCP in Davao City. DPGTWU was one of the most active labor organizations in Davao City and spread its membership in the whole of Mindanao, Southern Philippines during the years 1967-1979. He ran for the Interim Batasang Pambansa in the Philippines in 1978 as an Industrial Labor Sectoral Representative for the Mindanao Region and ultimately lost against his closest rival Princess Porti Pacasum, daughter of one of the richest Lanao Muslim clans and owner of the biggest transport company in Lanao, Philippines.