Masonic and government services of Bro. Lazaro Malabanan

Title

Creator

Mercado, Lazaro M.

Language

English

Year

1964

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Masonic and Government Services of Bro. Lazaro Malabanan By LAZARO M. MERCADO The accounts mentioned here are briefly taken from the Ledge and Govern* ment records, and from the personal biography of Bro. Laiaro Malabanan. Bro. Lazaro Malabanan was born on December 17, 1888 in the barrio of Bayuyungan, municipality of Talisay, province of Batangas. He was the youngest and the only male child of nine children his parents had. When he was about 10 years old sometime in 1898, lie had studied the Spanish language with a private tutor. By 1901, the American occupation forces had established schools in the province of Batangas. He immediately enrolled in the primary classes then offered in Lcmery. In 1905 Bro. Malabanan was appointed as a barrio teacher in Buli, Taal, Batangas, teaching only in the morning and attending primary and intermediate classes in the afternoon under an American supervisor. One year later, he was transferred to the Lemery Central School in Batangas holding the office of principal with four teachers under him. He carried out the practice of teaching in the morning and attending classes in the afternoon. On March, 1909, Bro. Malabanan finished his intermediate grades, and on June of this year, he was appointed teacher pensionado to the College of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna. He had a four-year teaching stint in this college. Afterwards he was called back to teach, this is in the year 1913, with assignment as principal of Agricultural School in Batangas, Batangas. Later lie was assigned as elementary school principal, then, supervising teacher, and finally, as division industrial supervisor, taking charge of vocational instruction, health and dental work, athletic activities, etc. until he retired in 1931. There were unfavorable circumstances which had deprived Bro. Malabanan to carry further his collegiate studies; lie had to content himself by virtue of self-study and enrolling in a correspondence school then already established in America. Imbued with qualities of devotion to duties, stirred with sincerity, honesty and frankness, lie achieved success in the leaching service. Bro. Malabanan first saw light in Masonry when he was initiated an Entered /Apprentice Mason in August, 1917 at the Batangas Lodge No. 35, F. fc A. M. He was passed to the degree of Fcllowcraft in September, 1917 and raised as Master Mason in November, 1917. Hc had occupied various positions in the Lodge having been assigned by the Master during absence of incumbent officers. Bro. Malabanan was elected as Worshipful Master in December, 1950, and installed in January, 1951. He held this position until December 31, 1954, being continuously reelected, therefore, giving him four 262 The Cabletow full successive years if masonic service as Master of his Lodge. During this four-ycar term, Bro. Malabanan had to his endeavor, with the cooperation and support of the brethren, the following accomplishments: (1) Lodge Camarin was rehabilitated at a cost of 1*6,000.00; (2) Permanent fence on site was built at a cost of Pl,200.00; (3) Lost or burned records of the Lodge were partly rehabilitated; and (1) More equipments were purchased. In December. 1 962, he was again elected as Master and installed by January of year next. Within a span of nine months, he worked for the addition to the present building a floor space of IS square meters at the back, costing the Lodge the amount of about 1*9,985.3-1, with painting and elec trie wiring included. The ground floor of the extended building is now rented by GAMI at a rate of P70.00 a month which constitutes additional income for the Lodge. Another outstanding masonic achicvement of Bro. Malabanan was the organization in 1962 of the Koumintang Bodies, A. & A. S. R. of Batangas, Batangas. The establishment of the Bodies was rather a delicate matter on the occasion, but with tact, Bro. Malabanan had handled the situation very well, and now, Kouminlang Bodies appears to be on the way to success. In the area of politics, he had also an outstanding popularity, being a well-known political leader. In the November. 1951 general elections, Bro. Malabanan was prevailed upon by the Nationalista Partv to run as member of the provincial board. He consented and won. In 1955 general elections, he run again for the same post and won. He had served the people of Batangas as provincial board member for 8 successive years with meritorious record. A A GRAND MASTER'S MESSAGE. . . (From P.ae 259) gether and pledged to denounce the maladministration in the country. Those patriots, sacrificed all they had for the love of their native land. We who are enjoying the fruits of their sacrifices can do no less than to carry on their mission of enlightenment, and should besides give the communities in which we reside something concrete and tangible by helping our fellow men in distress, and by practicing in our everyday life the three principal tenets of Freemasonry — charity, love and truth. The principal thing is that we should practice what we preach. Thus we enlarge and brighten the image of Masonry before the world. PEDRO M. GIMENEZ Grand Master February 1964 263

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