B-DAY MUSIC FOR NELSON MENDOZA, SEMINARIAN TURNED RESTAURATEUR
Nelson “Papa Nels” Geralde
Mendoza celebrated his fantastic 75th birthday celebration with a mini concert featuring guest singers Min Yasmin from Malaysia and international and opera singer Jonathan
Badon, dancers and the man-of-the-hour Nelson, naturellement.
“At the height of the war in 1943, food was scarce, no oatmeal. I did not even enjoy mother’s milk because we were on the run all the time. So my lola had to carry me. So that’s where we came from. We were raised with a very deep background of spirituality. My father was the son of an ex-seminarian. That’s why he wanted me to become a priest. So he encouraged me to become a priest,” said Nelson.
Nelson entered the seminary in 1959 and stayed for three years in Cagayan de Oro seminary. In 1962, he took up philosophy at the San Jose seminary. “I was valedictorian in the minor seminary. I was an achiever. Then I graduated. Then I continued teaching. It took me a while to be interested in girls. I was a devoted professor. I was also given administrative duties,” Nelson shared. These days, Nelson and his business partner
Jessie V. Maloles opened four Bless Las Paellas Spanish restaurant to make the popular Spanish dish affordable to every food lover. Not only that, dahlings, he plans to open about six more branches before the year ends. Nelson is a true achiever and mover at 75,
dahlings. Not bad, huh? Not bad at all.