Philippine Masonry

In 1856,  Freemasonry was introduced to the Philippines when a Spanish naval officer  organized a lodge in Cavite under the auspices of the Portuguese Gran Oriente Lusitano.  Soon, other Lodges under the jurisdictions of the British, Germans but more particularly under the Grand Orients of Spain gained their footholds thus making the Philippines a melting pot of plural jurisdictions.  Masonry therefore has existed in the country for more than 155 years.  However, native Filipinos, generally referred to as Indios were not allowed membership in the early decades of Masonry in the country.  What may be considered the roots of true Philippine Masonry sprouted  in  1889 when Logia Revolución was organized by Filipino nationalist Graciano Lopez-Jaena in Barcelona, Spain under the auspices of the Grande Oriente Español.   This was in an era when Filipinos who went to Spain either to escape persecution or as students were advocating social and political reforms for the Philippines.  Foremost among this group were Graciano Lopez-Jaena, Jose Rizal, Mariano Ponce, Antonio Luna and Marcelo del Pilar.   Lopez-Jaena was  the founder and first editor of the fortnightly La Solidaridad, the mouthpiece of the Propaganda Movement. He was initiated in 1882 at Logia Porvenir No. 2, and later served as its Worshipful Master. He became the Master of Logia Revolución, with Mariano Ponce as Secretary.  Marcelo del Pilar was also member of this lodge.    It was here where Ariston Bautista, Galicano Apacible, Jose Alejandrino and many other Filipinos were initiated.  The founding by Filipino Masons of Logia Revolución in Spain  was  the first concrete step towards the formation of true Philippine Masonry.

            Lopez Jaena, with Marcelo del Pilar and other Filipino Masons organized a second lodge in Madrid, La Solidaridad No  53,  chartered on May 15, 1890 also under the Grande Oriente Español .  Logia Revolución was dissolved and this lodge became the lodge for Filipino  expatriates in Spain.  With the idea of propagating the teachings of Masonry, at the same time providing a unifying force for the Filipino society, Marcelo del Pilar sought authority from Grand Master Miguel Morayta, to establish Filipino Lodges in the Philippines.   Morayta, the Grand Master of the Grande Oriente Español, was a professor at the Central University of Madrid.  A  republican and a liberal, he was the strongest ally  of the Filipinos and  the venerable President of the Hispano-Filipino Association.  Antonio Luna and Pedro Serrano Lawtaw were commissioned for the task.  But Antonio Luna had to go to France and Laktaw returned to the Philippines alone.  Luna on the other hand, together with Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and Dr. Ariston Bautista founded a Masonic club or triangulo in Paris under the auspices of La Solidaridad No 53.  Juan Luna, Felix Pardo de Tavera, Osmundo Evangelista and several others were initiated here.

DELANTAR,MICHELLE DIANE G.
BSBA I-B