Fascinating Filipina: Captain Nieves Fernandez

In the tranquil island of Leyte, Nieves Fernandez lived a quiet life - educating the young minds of the community, running her own wholesale business, and raising a family with her husband and their five children. But when war crashed onto the shores of the Philippines in December 1941, "Miss Fernandez," an unassuming schoolteacher and entrepreneur transformed into "The Silent Killer," a fierce warrior for freedom.

As the Imperial Japanese forces overran Tacloban in 1942, shutting down businesses like Fernandez’s and banning teaching, she refused to cower. After her husband was killed by the occupying troops, she turned to the wilderness that same year, rallying native men to join her makeshift guerrilla army. Equipped with courage, cunning and an iron will fuelled by her desire for justice, she led sabotage missions on enemy camps, freeing imprisoned countrywomen.

A thorn in the occupiers’ side, Fernandez found a 10,000 peso bounty on her head, equivalent to around ₱140,000 or £1,300 today. But no reward could sway her band of 110 loyal guerrillas, who battled alongside her from 1942-1944 to liberate Leyte, city by hard-won city. Her unconventional guerrilla tactics were so instrumental that American forces requested her expertise. Fernandez readily shared her wisdom, helping the Allies defeat Japan in 1945 and reclaim the Philippines.

Aside from a single bullet scar on her forearm, one could hardly guess at the courageous years Fernandez spent fighting for freedom. She received prestigious honours including the Philippines Legion of Honor, Gold Cross Medal and Resistance Movement Medal for her valiant wartime contributions. But when peace returned, this reluctant warrior resumed teaching and eventually became a school supervisor in Leyte. 

In the late 1980s, Captain Fernandez passed away in Tacloban as a remembered war hero, leaving behind a courageous legacy. Her five children survived the war thanks to their intrepid mother’s determination and went on to have families of their own, with Fernandez having over 50 grandchildren according to accounts.

It is heartening to see forgotten stories of courageous Filipinas like Nieves Fernandez resurface despite limitations in preserving their full legacies. It is my hope that she remains a venerated symbol of the indomitable Filipina spirit in the years to come.