Deep in the forests of Barangay Timugan in Los Baños, Laguna are two “secret locations” that evoke one of the darkest moments in the Philippines’ history.
These are the General Yamashita Shrine and the General Homma Execution Shrine, which were built to commemorate two generals who oversaw the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II.
General Tomoyuki Yamashita, dubbed the "Tiger of Malaya," supervised the military activities in the Philippines, Singapore, the Malaya Region, and Great Britain.
On the other hand, General Masaharu Homma, dubbed the “Beast of Bataan,” was the instigator of the infamous “Death March” from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac, in which 10,000 American and Filipino soldiers perished due to starvation and maltreatment.
After the war ended in 1945, the two generals faced American occupation forces who tried them for “war crimes.” General Homma was executed by firing squad on April 3, 1946, while General Yamashita was put to death on February 23, 1946.
Both occurred in the Laguna Prison Camp's Los Baños, close to the location of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Baker Hall.
Today, the shrines appear abandoned, but for a few Japanese – mostly militants who still revere the country’s past days of glory – who offer prayers at the shrines.
Given these generals’ roles as villains in Philippine history, it’s not surprising that locals hardly visit the sites or even pay close attention to them.
In fact, if not for the efforts of 46-year-old Efren Sangalang, who has served as “caretaker” for the shrines, it’s most likely that these historic sites would have fallen into disrepair and obscurity.
It is his name that is inscribed on a faded sign in one of the shrines, a testament to a lone man's efforts to keep history – no matter how dark and painful – alive in the minds of Filipinos.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #HistoricalPlaces #GeneralYamashitaShrineandtheGeneralHommaExecutionShrine #LosBaños