He is the second child of the late CHRIS FERNANDEZ MENDOZA, a prominent lawyer in the Province of Pangasinan and a former Congressman (9th Congress, 1992-1995) who represented the Second District of Pangasinan, who also served as the youngest Mayor of Lingayen (1980-1986) and a Councilor (1972-1975) and ELIZABETH ACIERTO RADAM. He is married to a businesswoman and a composer MARIA ISABELA M. DE VERA, their happy marriage is blessed with three sons: VON MATTHEW, MARK VONSON & VON MARK II.

He took up his Preparatory Commerce at the University of Sto. Tomas and graduated at the Lyceum Northwestern, Dagupan City with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Management. He finished his high school education at the De La Salle Greenhills and his primary schooling at the St. Columban's School, Lingayen, Pangasinan. He has also attended an Executive Course on National Security at the National Defense College of the Philippines and an Executive Course Leadership Development and Capability Program at the Asian Institute of Management. He also attended the 26th Development Legislation Enhancement Course at the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. As a college student he has held various leadership positions in different organizations, notable among them are: President of the Supreme Student Council and President of the Council of Business Administration and Accounting Students at the Lyceum Northwestern.

His youthful political career started in 1992 at the young age of nineteen, he ran and won as Chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan in Barangay Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan. He was voted as the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan Municipal Federation of Lingayen, Pangasinan (unopposed). On that same year, he was overwhelmingly elected as the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan Provincial Federation (unopposed), thereby making him served as officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan until 1996. He was elected as National Executive Vice President of the National SK Federation.

In 1998, he garnered an unprecedented landslide victory as Provincial Board Member in the 2nd District of Pangasinan (1998-2001) besting six worthy political adversaries and the youngest Board Member of Pangasinan. In 2001, he made his bid for congressional elections, which was a hotly contested fight, and he was not fortunate enough to hurdle such political endeavor. However, during the 2004 Local elections he has redeemed himself and retained anew his old seat as Provincial Board Member (2004-2007) of the Second District of Pangasinan and remained the youngest Board Member of the Province. In 2007, he again won as the No.1 Board Member in the 2nd District of Pangasinan gaining more than 50% of the all registered voters and the biggest winning margin in the entire electoral history of Pangasinan. At present, he is the Chairman of the Committee on Good Government and Accountability of Public Officials.

As NEVP of the Sangguniang Kabataan, he was chosen as one of the Philippine Delegation to the World Assembly of Youth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In his capacity as National Officer of the National Movement of Young Legislators (Auditor), he was chosen as one of only seven (7) young Filipino leaders, who attended a political study tour in the United States from February 20 to March 3, 2006. This all-expenses paid educational trip was sponsored by the American Council of young Political Leaders (ACYPL). This prestigious association is an aggregation of prominent and distinguished young American politicians in the different branches of the government.

On June 20-29, 2006, he was appointed as the Deputy Head of Delegation to the People's Republic of China through the auspices of the All China Youth Federation. This 9-day trip includes visits to Beijing, Nanchang and Xiamen where significant interaction was made between the Philippines and China thru the National Movement of Young Legislators and the All China Youth Federation. On March 15-21, 2009, he was invited as a member of the Fourth Delegation of the Philippine Council of Young Political Leaders to visit Australia through the Australian Political Exchange Council which include a sitting with the Australian Federal Parliament to discuss political process, examine economic and social issues and provide access to a broad range of political figures and opinions. One June 20-30, 2009, he was again invited by the Libsong International Association and other organizations in the United States of America to be one of their special guests during their Induction Ceremonies and other social gatherings.