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How Masons Effected the Creation of the Modern Day Republic of the Philippines

MASONRY IN THE PHILIPPINES 

How Masons effected the creation of the modern day Republic of the Philippines

The first evidence of early Masonic activity in the Philippines was during the brief British occupation of Manila from 1762-1764.  It was noted in a letter now in the Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain, where the Archbishop of Manila requested the demolition of the Manila Cathedral because it was “desecrated” by the British who were holding military, Masonic meetings in the Cathedral.  The request was not granted, and the historic cathedral still stands today as the premier cathedral of the Philippines.

The first lodge in the Philippines was organized in 1856 by a Spanish naval officer, Jose Malcampo y Monge who later became the Spanish Governor General to the Philippines. The lodge was named Primera Luz Filipina (First Philippine Light) chartered under the Grande Oriente Lusitano of Portugal. From then on, additional lodges were organized – first by the Germans, then followed by the British, then by another Spanish lodge.  No Filipinos were admitted into these lodges.

The first Philippine lodge was organized in Barcelona, Spain, in 1889 by Graciano López Jaena together with some Filipino students and reformists who formed the Logia Revolución under the Gran Oriente Español. In 1890, López Jaena and other Filipino Mason Reformists organized the 2nd lodge named the Logia Solidaridad in Madrid. In January 1891, Filipino Masons in Barcelona and Madrid sought the permission of the Gran Oriente Español to establish lodges in the Philippines.  This was granted on January 6, 1892. The first Filipino Lodge in the Philippines (Logia Nilad) was constituted. A year later, more than 100 new members were accepted to the new lodge with more lodges being organized throughout the country. With the increasing growth of members and lodges within the country, a Regional Grand Council was organized on December 16, 1893.

The country’s popularity and growth of Masonry attracted the alarm and ire of the Spanish Friars who, with their strong influence in the colonial government, initiated a brutal campaign of arrest, exile, imprisonment, torture, and even execution of Masons. The Spanish Government, at the urging of the Friars, banned Masonry and all Masonic activities on December 30, 1896. Coincidentally, Dr. Jose Rizal (the Philippine National Hero), a Master Mason and Past Master of the first Filipino Lodge (Logia Nilad) was executed, and was followed a few days later by the execution of the “13 Martyrs” who were mostly Masons. By then the Philippine Reform Movement has had turned into a full-blown, armed Revolution. The roll of the Revolutionary Movement leaders was filled with Masons like General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the First (Revolutionary) Philippine Republic, Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution, and Apolinario Mabini, the brains of the Revolution, to name a few.

The Filipino rebels gained victories throughout the country which eventually led to the Spanish to be being isolated, besieged and surrounded in the Walled City/Fort of Intramuros in Manila. Just when victory was ripe for the taking by the Filipino Revolutionaries, the United States entered the political scene with the arrival of Admiral George Dewey’s Asiatic Squadron in Manila Bay on May 1898.  Through the treaty of Paris in 1898 between Spain and the United States with the Philippines not invited to participate, the Philippines were ceded (sold) by Spain  to the United States for $20 million. This agreement did not bode well with the Filipinos who were left out of the  negotiations. The Philippine Revolutionaries this time resumed hostilities against the American occupiers, called the Philippine American Revolution, which lasted for three years from 1899-1902.

With the American occupation of the Philippines, which lasted until Philippine independence in 1946, came the arrival of American Masons and American Lodges.  One was a lodge organized by Military volunteers from North Dakota. Another was a Prince Hall Lodge organized by African American servicemen from Missouri. There was also a lodge organized under the Grand Lodge of California.  With the growth of American lodges, there was also a resurgence of Filipino lodges under the former Regional Council.

On November 17, 1912, three lodges of the Grand Lodge of California held a meeting to prepare for the eventual organization of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands. On December 12, 1912, a convention was held with delegates from these three lodges where the completed constitution for the new Grand Lodge was presented and approved with Brother Eugene Stafford elected as the first Grand Master. None of the Filipino lodges or Masons were invited to this convention. The reason for this non-invitation was that the petitioning Lodges were anticipating that the presence of “Irregular Lodges” (lodges of foreign jurisdiction) in their ranks that would lead the Grand Lodge of California to disapprove the petition. Being sensitive to the needs of the Filipino Masons and in the true spirit of “Brotherly Love,” Brothers from both sides, notably led by the First Grand Master Eugene Stafford on the American side and Manuel L. Quezon, (the future first President of the Commonwealth Republic of the Philippines) on the Filipino side, worked tirelessly on the delicate matter of the fusion of the two groups. On February 14, 1917, twenty-seven Filipino Lodges of the former Regional Council were constituted into the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands. After all the business of the fusion were attended to and completed, the group proceeded to elect officers for the coming Masonic year. The American members of the Grand Lodge realized they had effectively handed over to their Filipino brothers control of the Lodge with the Filipinos now having a majority of members and lodges. To the surprise of the Americans, WB Manuel Quezon, a Filipino, was elected as Deputy Grand Master. When asked about the election turn-out, Manuel Quezon reported saying that since the Americans were magnanimous in handing over the control of the Grand Lodge to the Filipinos, the Filipinos would share the privilege and honor of the Grand Masters Chair alternately on a yearly rotation with their American counterparts. That honorable agreement lasted from 1917-1974 when the last American Grand Master MW John Wallace was elected.

Masonry and Masons had very a strong influence in the direction and outcome of the Reform and Revolutionary periods of Philippine history, both of which were organized, led, and fought by Masons. The Philippine flag, which was designed by Brother General Emilio Aguinaldo, has strong Masonic influence, it being patterned after the Masonic apron with the “three stars” representing the ”Three Great Lights”.

Today, the Grand Lodge of the Philippines stands strong on its historical foundation with more than 21,000 members from all walks of life in over 460 lodges. Filipino Masonic lodges are also active and growing in US Grand Lodge jurisdictions such as the Grand Lodge of New York, New Jersey and California, to name a few.

I wish to thank my brother-in-law, Past Worshipful Dr Victor Pajares of the Philippines, for his help in the preparation of this article.

Respectfully submitted,

William Friedman

Jephtha Lodge No. 494

Grand Lecturer’s Convention in Suffolk Masonic District

The R:.W:. Richard Friedman, the Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York, visited the Suffolk Masonic District this past Saturday, March 26th, 2022.

The Convention was held at Riverhead Lodge and hosted by Peconic Lodge No. 349.

The convention kicked off at 2 PM led by our DDGM, R:.W:. Jeff Santorello. The Grand Lecturer made some opening comments and we launched directly into the first part of the 1st degree.

The Convention was very well attended and it seemed that the Brothers in attendance learned quite a bit from the Grand Lecturer’s instruction during the exemplification of the 1st degree.

All participants in the exemplification did a fantastic job. Prior to the close of the GL Convention, the Grand Lecturer distributed some overdue Potts Awards for 2 lodges from past GL Conventions. Afterward, attendance was taken and Riverhead Lodge won the attendance award with 14 members in attendance.

The Convention closed and the Grand Lecturer and the DDGM thanked all for their attendance and filling the Lodge room with Brothers eager to learn and/or improve their ritual.

Following the GL Convention the District MAGLA competition was held. This year 3 Brothers who had not yet attained the rank of WM and 2 that had competed in 2 categories.

The ritual was excellent by all but a winner had to be chosen by the judges to represent Suffolk District at the Metro regional MAGLA and hopefully are the jurisdictional Ritual excellence competition.

The winners of this years District MAGLA:

W:. Joseph Lombardo – Star of the East Lodge No. 843 in the W:. and above category

Bro. Michael Stegmeier  – Connetquot Lodge No. 838 in the not W:. category

We wish them both best of luck and we know they will represent the District well in the Metro regionals at Grand Lodge.

After the competition all enjoyed a delicious meal arranged by Peconic Lodge no. 349. All seemed to enjoy the day and the festivities after.

Finally a hearty thank you should be extended to the District AGLs:

V:.W:. Bill De Benedetto

V:.W:. Bruce A.T. Siska

V:.W:. Gill Kruse

They worked long and hard on assuring all gained in Masonic knowledge and enjoyed the GL Convention.

Lots of Changes for 2022…a recap

2021 and 2022 have been very unique years for all and especially Freemasonry. The pandemic had us staying home and trying to organize online video meetings and such just to keep in touch with our brothers. This also gave rise to brainstorming on how we could improve some aspects of the way we do things.

To many Brothers, nothing is more grating a sound to the ears than hearing the phrase “because that is how we always did it”. Now there is always or should always be a consideration for the past. But let’s face it, not everything that worked 20 or more years ago works today.

We often hear that everything moves slowly in Freemasonry. Well, that may be true but the last 2 or so years have seen a paradigm shift in this thinking. Over the last 2 years WMs, District, and GL officers had to “think quickly” and come up with solutions to problems that were neither anticipated nor considered frankly. This led to changes that for the most part were good for the Fraternity or maybe the jury is still out on some.

One change has focused on communications and how lodges, at least in our district, have “solved” or at least attempted to solve. How to keep all who wish “in the loop” when it comes to events and what other lodges are doing. Although it may seem that each lodge is an island unto itself, we cannot allow this to happen. Working in isolated silos works against all our interests. What works for a lodge to help them with members, finances, etc. should not be kept secret and should be shared.

The LIPMA (Long Island Past Masters Assoc.) has been attempting to help facilitate that sharing and collaboration we should be seeing. One way they are doing that is to try and have a consolidated outlet of news and information to distribute to all members of the Suffolk District or others. Some have embraced this and others have not yet. Having a consolidated events calendar is the first focus.

A one-stop-shop for all events happening at Lodges and concordant bodies in and around the Suffolk District. This includes obtaining tickets to paid events and fundraisers. Instead of waiting for tickets to be mailed to a member or lodge, they can go and pick them up anytime they like, 24/7/365. LIPMA even went the extra mile on this to assure that those that post events/fundraisers get their funds from the event quickly and electronically. Several have already taken advantage of this system and are either in progress or soon will be. You can check out events and purchase tickets anytime anywhere by going here and finding the upcoming events you would like to attend -> Suffolk District Events

Another change you may notice is communication on the District BAND. Brothers are signing on and sharing experiences and what’s happening at their lodges, requesting assistance, or just joshing with Brother online. The monthly newsletter is also back and hopefully, many brothers are receiving it and have a look at the goings-on around the District and the jurisdiction and beyond. The Grand Lodge of New York is also collaborating with CraftsmanOnline.com to bring excellent education to anyone who desires it. If you are not getting the District News Letter, you can sign up for that on suffolkmasons.com or go here -> Craftsmen Online – Suffolk Masonic District (suffolkmasons.com) and look for the blue mailbox with the S&Q and type in your email address.

It only took 22 years but it seems to me that Freemasonry is finally taking bold steps into the 21st century.

So here is the recap:

  • The suffolkmasons.com for the Suffolk Masonic District is new and improved.
  • Online ticket sales have taken off and received well by most. (don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the upcoming District Dinner at Polish Hall).
  • every day new members join the District Band. The BAND is for members only and updates the suffolkmasons.com events calendar daily. Feel free to add your Lodge events to the Suffolk District BAND so they can be published on the District Website.
  • Post articles of interest on the BAND and they may make it onto the website. Be sure and give credit for yourself and any contributors including photo credits.
  • The Suffolkmasons.com site is encrypted and secured, so feel comfortable with using it.

All of these solutions are for the brothers of the district and set up for your use. We are hoping for others to wade in and also think outside the square so to speak and find solutions that work and share these with your brothers. Everybody has ideas and we must seek that noble contention, or emulation, of who can best work and best agree.

A united front on getting information out to the District is critical. Too many times I have heard that “I didn’t hear about this” phrase. In this day in age there is no reason for that. Any member can post to the BAND and add to the calendar. Yes it’s moderated so we must remember our obligations when posting but there is no reason why brothers should be lacking information. I mean come on; we hold in our hands the aggregate sum of all human knowledge on a daily basis. if you didn’t hear about an event then chances are you didn’t want to hear about it.

If you would like more information about some of the changes or to recommend some, please get in touch. Leave a comment below reach out on BAND or send me and email, webmaster@suffolkmasons.com

 

The Silent Summons

V:.W:. Brother Bruce Siska posted this on BAND and I always like this portrayal or story. I thought it should see a wider audience. So here it is, thank you V:W:. Siska for posting.

A member of a certain Lodge, who previously attended meetings regularly, stopped going. After a few months, the Worshipful Master decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening, and the Worshipful Master found his brother at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for the Worshipful Master’s visit, the brother welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace, and waited. The Worshipful Master made himself comfortable but said nothing.

In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After several minutes, the Worshipful Master took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember, and placed it to one side of the hearth, all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

His host watched all of this in quiet contemplation. As the one, lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow, and its fire was no more. Soon, it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Worshipful Master glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately, it began to glow once more, with all the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the Worshipful Master reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your fiery summons, my brother. I’ll be back in our Lodge next meeting.”

— Author Unknown

 

WB George Washington visits Smithtown Lodge No. 1127

The 18th C. came alive last night at Smithtown Lodge when an unexpected guest arrived.

None other than Bro. George Washington (W:. Bill Mountzouros)! He, with the able assistance of Bro. Gary Gudzik, DSA, entertained and ENLIGHTENED the Brethren.

The topic was Civility and proper comportment, in the very words of Bro. George (see slide-in photo).

Feb 2022 School of Instruction

Suffolk District AGLs V:.W:. Bill Debenedetto and V:.W:. Gil Kruse came out last night to Potunk Lodge #1071 for a School of Instruction. On the agenda was to discuss and get info on the Drama of the 3rd degree.

Brothers from Potunk Lodge, Riverhead Lodge, Smithtown Lodge, Suffolk 60 and others all joined in the discussion and ritual.

All had a very enlightening evening and are looking forward to the next.

 

Craftsmen Online

Brothers the Craftsmen Online has taken another great step to bring substantial Masonic content to every Freemason. The Grand Master, M:.W:. Richard Kessler recently chatted with Craftsmen Online about his vision for Freemasonry.

You can get to Craftsmen Online and all their content here -> CraftsmenOnline.com

FROM Grand Lodge of New York:

We are very excited to announce our grand lodges partnership with the Craftsmen Online. To kick off our first conjoined program we bring you the Grand Master! This also was shot with a video segment you can see on their website. We will have a wide range of programming coming to you over the next weeks with access and insight to our Grand Lodge as never before.

Listen to “Craftsmen Online Podcast” on Spreaker.

2022 MDC Registration is open

Brothers,

The Grand Lodge Staff Officer is responsible for Education and Leadership in the Suffolk Masonic District. Please see below the schedule for The Masonic Development Course

 

Babylon Lodge

Wednesday, March 16, 2022-7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 30, 2022-7:00 PM

Wednesday, April 6, 2022-7:00 PM

Riverhead Lodge

Saturday, April 9, 2022-9:00 AM

Saturday, April 2, 2022-9:00 AM

Saturday, March 19, 2022-9:00 AM

The scope of this course is to bring Knowledge of each of the Three Masonic Degrees, regarding Ritual, History, and symbolic meaning of Masonry to New and Old members of the Fraternity.

 

This course is offered both East and West with different times for your convenience. If you are unable to attend a session at Babylon Lodge, the same course is offered the Following Saturday at Riverhead and so on with Sessions 2 & 3.  You must complete all three sessions to receive your Certification.

 

This course is free.  Please fill out the Registration form online below or open and print the form and mail it back to me as soon as possible.

The cutoff date for registration is March 13th, 2022.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or call me at 516.398.3577.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

R∴W∴ Robert Licata

Grand Sword Bearer

email: glso@suffolkmasons.com

2022 Masonic Development Course Registration and Information Form

Lodge Name and Number- choose one

Choose which Lodge you would like to attend the course at


Alternatively: Open/Print the MDC Registration and mail it to the GLSO

Click Here to open/download the MDC Registration form.

You can then print it and mail it in to the GLSO, instructions on the form.

Lets get ready to RUMBLE – with Masonic Education

2021 is coming to a close in a just a few weeks, the holidays will be here before we know it and our busy schedules will be strained to the breaking point. Its a yearly routine and as we all know the last 24 months has been anything but routine. Hopefully things will be rocking and rolling by February as this is the beginning of the Road to the East course, followed by the Masonic Development Course. The Road to the East (RTE) is a required course for all who seek to be installed in the east in the near future. The Masonic Development Course (MDC) is a great course for new Brothers to take to get a deeper dive into Freemasonry. Some older more seasoned Brothers are also welcome to reacquaint yourselves with the basics of Freemasonry and take the MCD as well.

If you plan to take either or both courses, you will need to contact R∴W∴ Robert Licata, GLSO. You can email him here -> GLSO

 

GLSO sets dates for RTE – MCD and Masters Chair

Brothers,

The Suffolk Grand Lodge Staff officer, R:.W;. Bob Licata, has set the dates for the RTE (Road to the East), the MCD (Masonic Development Course) and the Master’s Chair.

The RTE Course is required for Officers who are expected to be elected and Installed in the East in the coming year or two. However any Master Mason may sit for the course. The RTE is a course designed to educate upcoming officers on how a Lodge should operate, Masonic Law and several other topics.

The MDC (Masonic Development Course) is a class that any Master Mason may take. It is designed for newer Master Masson to learn more of the history and basics of our Craft.

The Master’s Chair of course is a required 1 day session for all newly elected and not yet invested or installed Worshipful Masters of individual Lodges. So all Brothers sitting as SW in a Lodge this year (2021-2022) if you are expected to be elected to preside in the East for 2022-2023 or beyond, you should lock this date into your calendar and make sure you are there. Those that may have taken this course in the past as you have already been in the East, you should take it again.

All dates are on the BAND Calendar as well as the website calendar. Set your reminders and RSVP to the GLSO, R:.W:. Robert Licata at glso@suffolkmasons.com for any of the courses listed.