By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

On December 18, 2018, more than 200 people went on a pilgrimage to Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz as part of the events for the 75^th Hopevale Memorial. The rain made the journey difficult as the trail from Katipunan Evangelical Church to Hopevale Baptist Church became slippery and muddy. When the pilgrims reached Hopevale Baptist Church, Bgry. Aglinab, Tapaz, Capiz, they held a memorial worship service.

The idea, after the service, was to proceed to the Cross where the Hopevale Martyrs were buried and to the Cathedral in the Glen, an open church that Dr. Francis Howard Rose designed. Everyone waited for the sun to come out so that they could take the journey, but it was not meant to be. Although disappointed, the pilgrims also thought that it must have been God’s way of showing them a glimpse of what the 11 American Baptist missionaries experienced during their 20 months of stay in Hopevale before they were executed by the Japanese soldiers on December 20, 1943.

Looking back on World War II, missionary nurse, Jennie Clare Adams, read to the group on June 16, 1943, a poem that she wrote on January 12, 1943. The reading took place on a Wednesday. It must have been their prayer meeting time since Wednesday prayer meetings is an American tradition left by the American Baptist missionaries to Philippine Baptists. The poem that she read has a greater meaning and impact to those who have visited Hopevale.

May this poem affirm our freedom in Jesus Christ, and that no one or nothing can imprison us.

The Hills Shall not Imprison Me

I shall not let these hills imprison me,

Where I for refuge have been forced to flee,

Like walls they shut me in on every side

While offering a sheltered place to hid

Grim war who reaches out with bloody hands,

Some bitter price of every soul demands.

His cruel clutches tightened on our shores,

We felt his fingers touch our very doors,

Our work was soon in smoldering ruin laid,

Our home into an alien fort was made

In wooded hills we chose to hide away

And not in concentration camp to stay.

I shall not let these hills imprison me,

Where I in exile weary months must be.

Their towering peaks conceal from hostile view

But screen the sunrise and the sunset too.

The forest deep seems damp with dew and rain,

My thoughts turn homeward to a sunny plan

The sun emerging from the fields of grain

And sinking into meadow land again.

For I am prairie born where wheat fields grow

Where prairies grasses wave, when breees blow

With eyes that yearn to gaze on distant scene

Must I be cloistered in a small ravine?

I shall not let these hills imprison me,

I shall remember that I still am free,

No hills can from my soul a vision hide,

Nor hope be shackled long whate’er betide

Nor faith be shaken by a troubled day,

If prairie lessons ever with me stay.

O prairie land, whose massive breadth and length

Inspires the soul to greatness and to strength,

Whose sturdy trees withstand the stormy gale

And summer droughts cause not their leaf to fail.

Deep searching roots find streams of water pure,

And anchor on a hidden rock secure.

Faith is instilled by every pasture green

The far horizons teach a hope serene

The scenes of commonplace great lessons tell,

O prairie land, may I apply them well.

I shall not let these hills imprison me

The birds are not shut in, nor shall I be.

I shall look up, and up to azure sky

Beyond the wooded rims of hilltops high,

Beyond the walls that seem to shut me in,

Beyond disturbing sights and dismal dim.

I must be looking up if I would see

What love and goodness God has given to me.

I must look up beyond life’s walls and bars

If I would see the brightness of the stars.

Mine eyes I must lift upward and afraid

Remembering in whom my strength is laid

Each day I must more grateful learn to be

Remembering with joy that I am free

The freedom God alone can give today,

None other gives, and none can take away.

I shall not let these hills imprison me

For soon will sound the cry of victory

Then wanton war and drear exile shall cease

While we behold the glorious dawn of peace.

I shall lift up my heart in grateful prayer

To One who keeps us safely in his care

Then I shall pause to say a kind farewell

To lofty hills and quite forest dell

The hills where I have been so safe and free

Then quite hills that kindly sheltered me

Then I shall climb to yonder hilltop green

And feast mine eyes upon the distant scene

In exultation view the trail before

Then wend the joyous homeward way once more

I shall be grateful then that I am free,

And say, “Those hills did not imprison.”

by Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Before the American Baptist missionaries evacuated into the mountains of Tapaz, Capiz in 1942 due to World War II, Rev. Dr. Francis Howard Rose was the Acting President of Central Philippine College from 1938 to 1941. Before that, he was the Acting Principal of Jaro Industrial School from 1914 to 1916.

There were no classes during the war and technically, one can say that Dr. Rose was still the president during that period. Indeed, Dr. Rose still acted in that capacity when he continued to monitor what was happening in the campus.

In a letter dated May 18, 1943, marked “Strictly Confidential” (due to the content of the letter that described their whereabouts), and addressed to a certain “Dr. Decker and all at the Rooms” of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society in 152 Madison Avenue in New York, Dr. Rose narrated a report of what happened to the campus of CPC.

Here is a portion of his letter:

“At C.P.C. the following have been destroyed: 1. All our books in both libraries, together with the buildings housing them, i.e., the building named after the former Industrial School head (note: Rose was referring to William O. Valentine Hall) and the new building named after the first head of the B.M.T.S. (note: Rose was referring to Anna V. Johnson Hall). These constitute by far our greatest loss, equal perhaps to 50% of our C.P.C. property evaluation, or close to $200,000, as our recent inventory rated them. These were burned by our guests; 2. The chapel has been burned with all furniture except what had been previously looted, together with our new three-manual pipe organ (note: this was located in what is now the Kabalaka Center/Medical Laboratory Clinic); 3. Industrial Hall containing our campus lighting plant and our mission press (which was almost half paid for) (note: this was located in front of the Half-moon drive near the Lopez Jaena St.); 4. The frame house near the road (where the widow lived); 5. The concrete residence, gutted by fire. Nos. 2,3,4 and 5 were burned under the “scorched earth” policy – folly in this instance, as only a very temporary gain was obtained. Still undamaged are, therefore: 1. The Dining Hall for men; 2. The Men’s Dormitory; 3. The Women’s Dormitory; 4. The Science Building; 5. The temporary chemistry building; 6. The temporary Physics Building (new), and 7. Four remaining missionary residences, all frame houses. Apparatus and equipment has very likely been taken or looted.”

Dr. Rose was optimistic that they would come back and re-open CPC after the war. He wrote, “However, there is still a considerable amount of property available for reopening our work when hostilities are over, as the above list will suggest, especially to you who have seen the campus.” But this was not meant to be. Seven months after the letter was sent, the 11 American Baptist missionaries, including Dr. Rose and his wife Gertrude, were martyred because of their Christian faith in Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz.

Dr. Rose was never able to report anymore because of his death. But after the war, the reported undamaged buildings—Weston Hall, Franklin Hall, and Roblee Hall—were later destroyed during the war.

Recently, some archived materials have come to light: an aerial sketch of the campus of Central Philippine College before World War II and another aerial sketch of the destruction that happened in the campus after World War II. What is very interesting in the campus map sketch is that House No. 5 was the home of Dr. Rose and his family. It was destroyed during the war. This was the main reason why the CPC administration decided to build the original Rose Memorial Hall in the very place where Dr. Rose lived. It was indeed a fitting memorial.

On December 17-20, 2018, the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches will spearhead the Hopevale Diamond Commemoration to be held in Central Philippine University, Filamer Christian University and in Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz. If you attend, you will surely hear more stories about these American Baptist missionaries and their Filipino counterparts.

By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

As of 2018, the trail to Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz is still difficult. However, there are now ongoing efforts to make a Hopevale pilgrimage trail so that people can go there to contemplate and reflect on what happened there. Looking back, more than 75 years ago, one can only imagine the way to Hopevale as the American Baptist missionaries evacuated to that area to hide during the war. There were no trails yet, no pathways to lead them where to go. They were trailblazers who were walking with faith and hope that the war would soon end so that they could go on with their missionary work.

Jennie Claire Adams, a missionary nurse, evacuated together with 10 other missionaries from then Central Philippine College, Filamer Christian College, and Capiz Emmanuel Hospital between April to May 1942.

On July 12, 1942, Missionary Adams penned a poem relating the trail to Hopevale to her own life’s pathway. Here is her poem:

Life’s Trail on my Wanderings

Through all my wanderings

My Lord has cared for me,

Although the path ahead,

I could not always see.

What though my feet should slip

What though my strength should fail

My Savior holds my hand,

While climbing up life’s trail.

The rocks may bruise my feet,

The thorns may pierce and tear

And heavy seems the load

That I am called to bear

But O, the heavy load,

Christ bore on Calvary

His nail-scarred hands and feet,

Were wounded there for me.

Then I should not repine

A little grief to bear

While He walks by my side

And I am in His care.

His promise I will claim

And trust Him day by day,

He never will forsake

He leads me all the way.

More than a year after writing this poem, specifically on December 20, 1943, Adams and 10 other American Baptist missionaries were martyred because of their Christian faith in Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz.

On December 17-20, 2018, the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches will spearhead the Hopevale Diamond Commemoration to be held at Central Philippine University, at Filamer Christian University, and in Hopevale, Tapaz, Capiz. If you attend, you will surely hear more stories about these American Baptist missionaries and their Filipino counterparts.