On Mother’s Day, Pops Fernandez is doing double duty, as a mom and a grandma. She recently flew to the United States to be with her eldest son, Robin, and snuggle up with the newest (and tiniest) member of the family: baby Phineas.
The baby boy, lovingly nicknamed Finn, is Robin’s child with partner Mian Acoba. Fernandez and her ex-husband, Martin Nievera, also share another son, Ram, who is likewise based in the States.
“I’m excited for this Mother’s Day because I’ll be with my boys and my grandchild,” Fernandez told Lifestyle in a recent interview. “Although, of course, I’m sad I won’t be with my mom. But I think we already had lots of bonding moments while I was still in Manila.”
She was referring to her mother, former actress Dulce Lukban. “I’m expecting this Mother’s Day to be very special—it’s my first with Finn.”
Fernandez flew out on May 1. “Every Mother’s Day is special to me,” she added, “especially now that I hardly get to spend time with my boys. They’ve grown-up and are off living their own lives.”
Asked how she’d like to be remembered as a mom, especially this Mother’s Day, Fernandez said: “As a loving mom. I was always busy while they were growing up, but I tried to do everything for them. This isn’t to pressure them or anything—everything I do is still for them, even now.”
Even with her sons all grown-up, Fernandez admits the nurturing never stops.
“When they were little, I was the one making an effort on Mother’s Day—they didn’t really understand what it was yet,” she said. “Now, it makes me so happy that they’re the ones who make the effort. Even just a greeting is enough to make me cry. But sometimes, they’ll surprise me with flowers even though they’re far away. That means so much.”
She admitted to dealing with the dreaded “empty nest” stage at the moment. “I’m still adjusting to it,” she pointed out. “I’m happy they’re independent and living their own lives, but as a mom, of course I still want them with me all the time.”
Before flying out, Fernandez wrapped up taping for the third season of TV5’s “Masked Singer Pilipinas,” where she’s a panelist alongside Arthur Nery, Janno Gibbs, and Nadine Lustre. The show, hosted by Billy Crawford, premieres on May 17.
Surprise friendship
One of her biggest takeaways from the show, Fernandez said, is a surprise friendship with Lustre. “I didn’t have expectations going in. I even said one day that it might take us a while to warm up to each other—but I was wrong. Nadine’s very down-to-earth and nice,” she said. “We shared a dressing room and talked a lot, mostly about what she’s been up to. She loves Siargao. I kept asking her about it, since I’ve never been.”
Turns out, Lustre is not just cool, but also super generous—with her vegan baon. “She brings her own food and always encourages us to try it. One time, she brought vegan sisig and explained what was in it. She’s so game. One day, I brought food to the set and felt bad she couldn’t eat any, but she still shared her food with everyone.”
The vibe on set was so good, Fernandez said it barely felt like work. “We have super early call times, but I honestly look forward to them. It’s a happy, no-stress set. Even Janno—who’s famously late—was on time. That’s how you know the energy is right.”
And yes, Lustre’s love life did come up during this interview. Did she give Fernandez any dating advice? “Not really, but I did tell her, ‘Next time, invite me when you and your boyfriend hang out with his afam friends. Baka may makilala ako.’ She just laughed. I’m not sure if she took me seriously—but I am serious, Nadine!”
So, is she open to dating again? Well, let’s just say if Lustre sends an invite, our glam grandma might just say “yes.”
As for “Masked Singer” Season 4, Fernandez is definitely game. “If the same team returns, I’d love to do it again. It usually takes time to get to know everyone on a new show, but for us, it clicked right away. Just when we were all getting close, the season ended. It flew by. That’s how you know it was a happy set.”
And on this Mother’s Day, Fernandez—who would rather be called “Lolli” than lola—is exactly where she wants to be, surrounded by love, laughter, and her growing family.
