Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge UD

 

The idea of establishing a Masonic lodge in the Municipality of Llanera was conceived by VW Geronimo Pascua of Narra Masonic Lodge No. 171 and Kadanglaan Masonic Lodge No. 392, whose wife is from the said town, after a casual conversation with WB Egay Cruz at the Central Luzon Multi-District Convention held at the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija on September 2017. A few months later on January 2018 after the installation ceremonies of Kadanglaan Masonic Lodge No. 392, a group composed of VW Pascua, VW Freddie Lozano and VW Eduardo C. Vendivil of Molave Masonic Lodge No. 392, and VW Virgilio Catbagan Jr. of San Jose City Masonic Lodge No. 309 agreed to spearhead the establishment of the lodge. On March 2018 during a wake for the late VW Michael Valenzuela, the group again met with WB Gary Sinagose of Molave Masonic Lodge No. 392 and Bro. Riberto Chua Jr. of San Jose City Masonic Lodge No. 309 and decided to invite other interested brethren to join the initiative.

The first informal meeting to discuss the formation of the new lodge was held at the Ayayo Restobar in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija on May 2018 and was attended by VW Pascua, VW Lozano, WB Sinagose, WV Vincent Benjamin Agliam, Bros. Edwin Ubungin,  Randy Serrano and Francis Ian Tabares who agreed that the lodge will be located in Poblacion, Llanera, Nueva Ecija and will be known as Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge as proposed by WB Agliam. The name, and the other options of Gen. Mariano N. Llanera Masonic Lodge and Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija Masonic Lodge, bears a historical significance with the town of Llanera. The proposed rules, potential members, ways of communicating and the submission of requirements to establish a new lodge were also discussed. At the second informal meeting on June 2018 that was attended by members from lodges across Nueva Ecija, the name, location, interim officers and task assignments were finalized.   

In October 2018, the requirements for establishing a new lodge was completed, and sponsorship from Narra Masonic Lodge No. 171 and the endorsement of DDGM Fernado Cruz of Masonic District R3-Nueva Ecija North were secured. However, the promulgation of Grand Master's Circular Nos. 10 and 16 by MW Romeo Momo which suspended the conferral of degrees prevented the lodge from seeking a dispensation to form a new lodge from the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. The request for dispensation was finally submitted to MW Momo on 07 November 2018 that unfortunately was found to be deficient. Another challenge was the election of of MW Agapito S. Suan Jr. as Grand Master in the April 2019 ANCOM who fortunately advised the pioneers that is is not necessary for them to submit a new request for dispensation provided that the deficiencies were addressed. However, the imposition of Grand Master's Circular No. 18 by MW Suan on September 2019 that temporarily prohibited the conferral of degrees due to a fatal incident in a college fraternity hazing again sidelined the initiative.

Finally on 03 October 2019 after the submission of all requirements and a second sponsorship from Kadanglaan Masonic Lodge No. 392, the charter members of Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge were summoned by MW Suan who granted them his dispensation to form a new lodge until 31 March 2020. On 11 November 2019 at 10 am, Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge was finally instituted by MW Suan in a ceremony that was attended by DDGM Harry Domingo of MD R3-Nueva Ecija North and brethren from various lodges. The lodge's first meeting was then conducted afterwards.