Samuel Joshua C.

De Leon Feature Page 1 of 4

On being a Yamashita

When the Japanese waged war ended in the Philippines, many people were displaced from their homes. Many have also been tortured and have died in the hands of the Japanese. One name, or surname, that stands out the most, is Yamashita. Bearing that name could be the only problem that you will ever have but it could be a grave one. You see, General Tomoyuki Yamashita was a Japanese general during the World War II and was known by the moniker Tiger of Malaysia. Of course, having experienced the war and lived through it, people began to hate the name. Just hearing it irked the townsfolk, especiallt those who lost their relatives under Yamashitas command. One person, an exceptional one, just happened to bear the name Yamashita. She is Hilda Tadaoan, daughter of Tokutaro Yamashita. Tokutaro Yamashita first came to Baguio City around the year 1904. He was one of the many Japanese who worked on Kennon Road. After this, he was taken to Sagada by the late Rev. John Staunton, where he was commissioned to build the church of Saint Mary the Virgin, among others. In 1917, he met Hildas mother and they got married. Hilda was the sixth among nine children.

During the war that is from 1941 to 1945, people lived in fear of the Japanese. Innocent men were killed in mere suspicion of being against the Japanese. On the other hand, Filipinos suspect that Hildas family was working for the Japanese army and vice-versa. In 1942, the Japanese ordered the closure of some schools, including the Trinidad Agricultural High School where Hilda was enrolled as a first year student. More than a historical account of the war, the important highlight of this article is the suffering of Hilda Tadaoan as a bearer of the Yamashita surname. After the war, the Trinidad High School was open once again and students began to enrol. This was in 1946. But Hildas mother refused to let her go back to school because people were still angry, especially with General Yamashita. As such, people who bear the surname will earn the ire of the people. Then in October 1946, Hilda was able to convince her mother to allow her to go back to school. It was good that the principal was kind enough to accept Hilda even after five months have gone into the school year. Of course, she had to make up for missed classes and activities. Though she missed a lot, she was able to cope with the academics. She was also able to catch up with the current lessons. However, there was one thing would always have a negative impact on her: her surname. In school, she was called the daughter of the Tiger of Malaya, a play on the nickname given to General Yamashita. Despite this, she excelled in her academics and was always at the top of ther class. She was also at the Honors List of every grading period, and she received the All-around Student award. However, her previous honors were not considered when she was about to graduate. The schools superintendent said that another one should be conferred the title of Valedictorian.

However, her class records were retained since she worked hard for those grades, and her teachers knew how much dedication she put into her work. Moreover, she was not given a teaching position because she is a Yamashita. Being a graduate of the Special Normal Curriculum has its benefits including teaching appointments. All the graduates were given teaching positions except for Hilda. The superintendent told his staff I will not employ that Yamashita girl who bears the same name as the general who slaughtered my relatives. This will make us wonder, is it her fault that her surname is Yamashita? she waited and waited but to no avail. It was good that a high ranking official spoke to the superintendent on hildas behalf. She was then assigned to a school in Apayao. In July, she was advised to report to the superintendent in Baguio. She was afraid thinking that her position might be taken away from her. What happened was contrary to her fears. The superintendent assigned her to her hometown: Sagada, after the superintendent had a conversation with an official who told him about Tadaoans excellent performance in school and in the community. This leads us to think about the way we look at people, not only because of skin color or height. Sometimes, we are biased because of our previous experiences. In this case, the superintendent lost his relatives during the time of General Yamashita. But then again, we can see the hard work and perseverance of Hilda Tadaoan, and it is not her fault that she shares that infamous name. Hilda Tadaoan was one of the people who were largely affected by the war. But this did not stop her from pursuing her love of teaching. As such, she has given a valuable contribution to the community. She has chosen a path of peace and love, and not the path of those who waged war.

The experiences during the war taught me that there are no winners in war... Let us all remember that war or nay conflict does not choose who it hurts. Everybody loses. Both the socalled victors and losers, most specially the innocent, suffer. We should all strive for peace, Hilda said. We may not know her or her students personally, but we should be thanakful for her and people like her who choose to sow seeds of peace instead of hatred and love of war in the hearts of people.