THE TRESTLEBOARD

On his first visit to his Mother Lodge as the District Deputy Grand Master of Nueva Ecija East and Aurora, DDGM Rommel pledged to WM Jonell Torregosa and the brethren of Kasiguruhan Masonic Lodge No. 423 his support in building their Masonic Temple in honor of his father, the late Bro. Joselito Angara who served as municipal mayor of Baler from 1978 until 1988 and the frst son of Manuel L. Quezon Masonic Lodge No. 262, before his incumbency ends next year. DDGM Rommel served as Master of Kasigurahan Lodge No. 423 in 2018 when he donated a 1,000 square meter beach front property in Casiguran, Aurora where the Lodge's temple will be erected with a budget of 6 million pesos.

On the occassion of their 36th founding year, the brethren of Talavera Masonic Lodge No. 273  hosted DDGM Rommel Angara's third official Lodge visit after assuming the leadership of Masonic District Nueva Ecija East and Aurora. He and DDGM Edwin Ubungin of Masonic District Nueva Ecija North were warmly received by WB Steve Domingo who also received a donation of P25,000 from DDGM Rommel in support of the Lodge's projects. After his Lodge visit, DDGM Rommel graced the celebration of the Lodge's 36th founding anniversary that was also attended by PDDGM Hossain Shamsoddin Vostakalaei and Grand Junior Warden Raul Canon Jr. 

We were taught in the First Degree to erect a spiritual temple in our hearts upon the solid foundation of the northeast corner where we were then seated to continue learning and appreciating "the necessity of integrity, stability of conduct, of truthfulness and uprightness of character, and of purity and holiness of life". Likewise, Masonic Lodges are expected to build their temples where they will pursue their labors with this endeavor commencing in a Cornerstone Laying Ceremony where a time capsule is deposited in the northeast corner of the edifice to be built. On this day, Grand Master Johnny Pimentel with DDGM Rommel Angara acting as Deputy Grand Master presided over this ceremony with the brethren of Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge No. 463 in a 1,000 square meter lot in Brgy. San Nicolas, Llanera, Nueva Ecija where their Masonic Temple will be erected through an initial budget of 5 million pesos. The Cornerstone Laying Ceremony is attributed to Bro. Benjamin Franklin who

MD Nueva Ecija East and Aurora under the leadership of DDGM Rommel Angara joins the national commemoration of the 124th anniversary of Bro. Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration of Philippine independence from the balcony of his home in Kawit, Cavite. Initially, Philippine independence day was being commemorated every 4th of July, the day when the Philippines was granted complete independence in 1946 by the United States of America, and this was the case until 1962 when Pres. Diosdado Macapagal moved the date to June 12 in favor of Brother Emilio's 1898 proclamation. 

For this year, Pantabangan-Bonari Masonic Lodge No. 203 will have the distinction of being the first Lodge to be visited by DGGM Rommel Angara and rightly so being the oldest Lodge under the jurisdiction of MD Nueva Ecija East and Aurora. DDGM Rommel was warmly received by WM William Eder and the brethren of the Lodge, and was feted to a traditional post-meeting fellowship where he handed over P25,000 to the Three Lights of the Lodge in support to their projects. "Masonic labor is purely a labor of love. He who seeks to draw Masonic wages in gold and silver will be disappointed. The wages of a Mason are in the dealings with one another; sympathy begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a Mason." --- BRO. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN