Ernesto de Pedro, a historian and alumnus of the UST Graduate School, died on Tuesday, March 9. He was 88.
De Pedro was the main promoter of the cause for canonization of Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, the Japanese samurai and Catholic convert exiled to Manila by the Tokugawa shogunate.
“Whatever he chose to do, he committed himself to it completely. Whether it was his work in Philippine cinema, his love for photography, or later in life his dedication to the cause of Takayama Ukon, he approached everything with the same intensity and conviction,” his son, Edge de Pedro, told the Varsitarian.
Born on Nov. 17, 1937 in Iba, Zambales, de Pedro grew up in his father’s hometown of Laoag, Ilocos Norte. He studied grade school at Shamrock School, before moving to St. William’s College.
In his high school, he enrolled in a mission seminary school, and returned to St. William’s for college. He later finished a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of the East.
De Pedro obtained his master’s and doctorate in history from the UST Graduate School.
De Pedro dedicated his life pushing for sainthood cause ofBlessed Takayama, who was dubbed the “Samurai of Christ” and was exiled to Manila in 1614 for refusing to deny his Catholic faith.
In 1988, the historian founded the Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation, aimed at researching the Japanese martyr’s legacy.
On Feb. 7, 2017, Blessed Takayama was beatified in Osaka, Japan.
Through the efforts of De Pedro, an image of the saintly feudal lord was erected at the garden of the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex in 2017.
“Seeing this work firsthand allowed me to understand the depth of my father’s dedication. My father was not pursuing material success. He was pursuing something much deeper,” De Pedro’s son said.
From 1981 to 1989, De Pedro served as director general of the National Film Archives of the Philippines (NFAP), advocating for the survival and funding of the state-run film archives.
The wake was held on March 10 to 12 at Santuario de San Antonio Parish, Makati. John Kobe S. Balod
