Escape to the Hills is a World War II memoir co-authored by Dr. James W. Chapman and his wife, Ethel Chapman, long-serving American missionary educators at Silliman Institute (now Silliman University) in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. Dr. Chapman, an entomologist, joined the Silliman faculty in 1916 alongside Ethel, who taught English; both played a pivotal role in establishing the university’s academic foundations.
When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in late 1941, the Chapmans, along with other Silliman faculty, staff, and local residents, chose to flee into the rugged mountains of Negros Oriental rather than surrender. For nearly two years, they evaded capture in the jungle while relying on the solidarity and protection of local Visayan villagers and Filipino guerrillas. They were eventually captured by Japanese forces, returned briefly to Dumaguete, and subsequently interned at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila until liberation in 1945.
This text serves as a significant historical record documenting the wartime resilience of the local Negros community, the institutional history of Silliman University during the Japanese occupation, and the shared experiences of American missionaries and Filipinos during the war. In recognition of Dr. Chapman's contributions, Silliman University later named its Science Complex after him, and he was declared an adopted son of Dumaguete City.