History of ...
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- History of ...
- Language
- English
- Source
- The Cabletow Volume XLIII (Issue No.12) December 1967
- Year
- 1967
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- History of. . . WB Geronimo F. Macaraeg, WM • Pangasinan Lodge No. 56 On December 18. 1918, some fifteen Master Masons, members of several Lodges in Manila, many of whom were residing in Pangasinan at the time, met in Lingayen, Panganan to discuss the matter of organ izing a Lodge in the province. Lin gayen was then the capital of the province and most of the brethren in the meeting were occupying va rious important government positions there. Those who met that day were: Bros. Daniel Maramba, Nilad #12; Sotero Baluyot, Malolos #46; Clark James, Malolos #46; Raymundo Camacho, Nilad #12; Victor Tomelden, Nilad #12; Pedro Maria Sison, Nilad #12; Antonio Ramos, Nilad #12; Manuel V. Moran, Ni lad #12; Cirilo Francisco, Bagumbayan #4; Lunsford Burgess, Cos mos #8; Francisco de Leon, Biak na Balo #7; Bartolome Ramat, Biak na Bato #7; Miguel Valenzuela, Biak na Bato #7; Teodoro Basconcillo, Biak na Bato #7; and Carlin H. McClure, Manila #1. in the same meeting, the brethren in attendance elected a temporary set of officers who were expected to pursue the objectives of the group. Those elected were: Bros. Daniel Maramba, Worshipful Master; Sote ro Baluyot, Senior Warden; Clark James, Junior Warden; Raymundo O. Camacho, Treasurer; and Victor Tomelden, Secretary. The Grand Master at the time was MW Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philip pine Senate. In less than a year after the Dis pensation was granted, Pangasinan Lodge No. 56 was chartered in im pressive ceremonies attended by pro minent citizens of the town and prov ince. The original fifteen members grew in number. It was also in that year, 1919, when the Lodge was moved from Lingayen to Dagupan; this latter town having become the capital of the province. It was na tural that most of the members who had moved to Dagupan would want the Lodge to meet there. The rea son, doubtless, was not only their personal convenience; it was more likely the fact that more new mem bers would join the Craft in the new place. After the Lodge was chartered, the members were faced with the problem of owning a temple building. As late as 1930 the Lodge had been meeting in rented houses. That year, however, the Lodge was able to ac quire a piece of land and subsequent ly a temple was erected. Coincident with the building of the temple, the Ixxlge was also engaged in acquir ing new furniture and paraphernalia for the new temple that was abuildin^. Hopefully, the temple neared completion towards the end of 1941. That year, however, was an un fortunate one. On December 8, Pearl Harbor and the Philippines were bombed. The invading Japa nese forces landed in Pangasinan and by December 26, the temple was oc cupied by Japanese soldiers. Our Masonic paraphernalia, furniture and records were looted, burned, or left to the mercy of the elements and rotted. Turn Io noxl pogo DECEMBER, 1967 Early in 1945 Bro. Douglas MacArthur and his forces liberated Pan gasinan. The bombing and shelling which preceded the landing of his forces levelled to the ground most of the houses in Dagupan. The Ma sonic temple was one of them and while we were happy for the libera tion and all it meant, still we re gretted that we could not begin Ma sonic work at a time when freedom was in the air. We had no temple, no books, no paraphernalia, no fur niture. The officers of 1941 were asked to serve again in 1945. As in 1918, the Lodge met in rented houses. A Holy Bible was loaned by WB Gregorio Gaerlan, our jewels were fashioned from empty ammunition shells, our aprons were cut out of hospital linen. Nonetheless, we were happy to meet and work again in closer togetherness. Our membership increased faster and every member was imbued with loyalty and enthu siasm that never before was in us. In 1948, we again buckled our selves for greater effort to build a new temple. Our new temple build ing was built, as we might say, through the blood, sweat and tears of all of us. We donated cash, labor, lumber, hardware, etc. While we did get ?3,000.00 in war damage pay ments, the building as it now stands, which is easily worth P50.000.00, is largely our very own. One other thing that we of Pan gasinan Lodge No. 56 can be proud of is that she can rightly be called the Mother Lodge of three other Lodges in the province of Pangasi nan. In 1924 Agno Lodge No. 75 was founded in Tayug; in 1960 Da gupan City Lodge No. 158 was founded right here in Dagupan City; and in 1961, Lingayen Lodge No. 161 was founded in Lingayen, the same town where Pangasinan Lodge No. 56 was born in 1918. That from two pre-war Masonic Lodges in Pangasinan province, our Masonry here has grown to four Lodges since after the war, is a good index of Masonic enthusiasm hereabouts. The year 1967 is also a historic year for us, for this year, the four Masonic Lodges were con stituted an independent Masonic dis trict with VW Victorino C. Daroya serving as its first District Deputy Grand Master. The roll of Past Masters of Pan gasinan Lodge No. 56 is as follows: 1. Daniel Maramba* — 1919, 1920, 1921 2. Clark James* — 1922, 1923, 1927 3. Rafael Lorente* — 1924, 1928. 1929 4. Jose V. Sison — 1925 5. Jose W. Curameng — 1926 6. Vicente de Leon* — 1930 7. Emeterio delos Santos* — 1931, 1932 8. Francisco Aquino — 1933 9. Gregorio Domagas — 1934, 1935 10. Mariano Ereso — 1936 11. Gregorio Gaerlan* — 1937 12. Cenon S. Cervantes — 1938 13. Gonzalo P. Nava — 1939, 1940 14. Eusebio Abarcar — 1941, 1945 15. Mauro Rosario* — 1946 16 Proceso Domagas — 1947 17. Juan A. Benitez — 1948 18. Andres P. Torio — 1949, 1950, 1951, 1961 19. Juan Z. Saingan — 1952 20. Arturo de Guzman — 1953 21. Ramon Labo* — 1954 22. Teofilo P. Guadiz — 1955 23. Teofilo Goyena — 1956 24. Pio L. Coquia — 1957 25. Evaristo S. Quila — 1958, 1959 26. Lee Sin — 1960 27. Faustino Oviedo — 1962 28. Jose T. Parayno — 1963 29. Ernesto V. Torio — 1964 30. Aquilino M. Javier — 1965 31. Gregorio R. Bailen — 1966 A The Cabletow