(2025.01.21) Special Contribution by Hisao Yoshihara, Former
Chairperson
Reunion with my Godson Yoshio
On November 21, 2024, I met again with Yoshio, my Godson, at Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo for the
first time in six years for dinner and shopping.
In mid-November, Hon. Romeo Salda, Municipal Mayor, La Trinidad, Benguet Province, Republic of the Philippines
and his delegation of 15 people came to Japan to participate in the “10th Anniversary of Exchange Ceremony”
held in Minamimaki Village, Minamisaku-gun, Nagano Prefecture. Yoshio, one of the delegates, is Municipal
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer in La Trinidad office. Six years ago, by taking another
opportunity to come to Japan for JICA's “Disaster Management Safety Training”, he visited our home to meet my
family.
Mayor and company at Senso-ji Temple (Nov. 2024)
With Yoshio (Nov. 2024)
As a volunteer agricultural corps member, I was dispatched to the Philippines
In March 1972, I joined the JOCV(1) of JICA(2) and was dispatched
to the MSAC(3) in La Trinidad as an agricultural corps member. My mission was to introduce and
teach “Pomology on Temperate fruits trees” which is the science and practice of temperate fruit trees culture
to the hi-land people there.
I made research and collected temperate fruit trees in the province, developed Experimental orchards. I
introduced superior breeds of seedlings of mandarin oranges, summer oranges, apples, and peaches from Japan.
JOCV(1) Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers,
JICA(2) Japan International Cooperation Agency,
MSAC(3) Mountain State Agricultural College, Benguet State University at present,
Map of Northern Luzon
Map of Benguet Province
At MSAC's orchard（1973）
MSAC Graduation Ceremony（1973）
I became the Godfather!
One evening, when I went to the government building where the truck driver Mr. Alfred Labi and
his family lived to confirm our schedule for the next day, I saw a baby crawling around. I asked him what his
name was and he said, “I haven't named him yet, soon or later I will baptize him in church and give him a
name, Yoshi-san, will you be his Godfather, oh yeah, the name should be YOSHIO”. I immediately replied OK. One
Sunday morning in September, I went to a Catholic church near the college and attended the baptism. It was my
first holy experience. After the baptism, I returned to the government building where his relatives,
neighbors, and colleagues gathered for cannao (feasts).
About my host family, the Cabato's
At that time, I was taken care of for two and a half years by a nice family in Baguio City.
They were the husband, Mr. Fernando Cabato (Attorney, Professor and Judge passed away in 2000) and his
wife, Julie (a medical doctor). Julie is 88 years old now and is doing very well.
I learned many things from them as “Lesson 1” of living in a foreign country, such as the country, people,
history, culture, customs, English language, family life. Mr. and Mrs. Cabato were also very understanding of
our cooperative missions and supported my duties. My successor, Mr. Shigeki Koyama, was also taken care of by
Mr. and Mrs. Cabato. To date, they have taken care of about 100 Japanese cooperative members and so on. My
relationship with the Cabato’s continues to this day. On the occasion of Yoshio's return to Baguio, I asked
Yoshio to convey a Christmas card and Japanese sweets for Julie.
Yoshio at our home (July 2018)
Yoshio with Dra. Julie (Nov. 2024）
