THE TRESTLEBOARD

The ritual of the "Padugo" is an enduring tradition in the Philippines where blood is spilled in the foundation of a structure to be built to drive away evil spirits and ensure its sturdiness. As an appreciation of this cultural practice, the blood of a wild boar was offered to appease the spirits on the eve of the cornerstone laying ceremony for Kasiguruhan Masonic Lodge No. 423's Masonic Temple.    In Freemasonry, the first stone to be set in building a Masonic edifice is the cornerstone that will determine the position of entire structure and laying the cornerstone is a significant Masonic ceremony both from the operative and speculative points of view. Grand Master Johnny Pimentel of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Philippines himself presided over the cornerstone laying ceremony of Kasigurahan 423 upon the invitation of DDGM Rommel Angara who warmly received him and his entourage upon their arrival in the remote town of Casiguran, Aurora which is 358 kilometer...

As Jose Mari Chan's carol filled the air waves to usher the distinct 4-month Christmas celebration in the Philippines, the subordinate Lodges of Nueva Ecija East and Aurora were convened by DDGM Rommel Angara in Baler, Aurora for their 3rd Annual District Convention that was hosted by WB Leo Avellano and the brethren of Mnuel L. Quezon Masonic Lodge No. 262.    During the Convention, a resolution providing that dispensation fees paid to the District for the conferral od degrees, requests for dispensation and reballoting of candidates will only be allocated for the develoment or lease of a District office was unanimously adopted. DDGM VW Ramon Mañalac of MD Bulacan East also personally conveyed the host district's invitation for this year's Multi-district Convention in San Rafael, Bulacan while  VW Randy Macadangdang, Junior Grand Lecturer for Central Luzon A, delivered the Masonic Education.   The highlight of the Convention is the unanimous nomination of VW Hos...

It was a poignant image: two of the province of Aurora's outstanding sons, DDGM and Cong. Rommel Angara of MD Nueva Ecija East and Aurora with Worshipful Brother and Sen. Sonny Angara of Pangarap Masonic Lodge No. 448 waiting to be received by WB Leo Avellano and the brethren of the Manuel L. Quezon Masonic Lodge No. 262, DDGM Rommel for his official visit to the Lodge and WB Sonny and his party for their Lodge visitation. After their reception and messages, WB Sonny who presently is Baler's most reknowned son was bestowed with a token by WB Leo in behalf of the brethren of MLQ 262, and a plaque of appreciation for the visiting brethren of Pangarap 448.  Likewise, WB Leo and DDGM Rommel also presented a plaque of appreciation to the RW Grand Junior Warden Raul Canon Jr. who was also visiting at that time.  DDGM Rommel also pledged to donate a heavy duty split type aircon to MLQ 262 while another P100,000 donation for the continuing work on the Lodge was handed by WB Sonny to W...

The sleepy town of Bongabon at the foothills of the mighty Sierra Madres has its own chapter of Philippine history during the Philippine Revolution against colonial Spain and the Philippine-American War. And Masonry has always been intertwined with history since the Craft took hold in the Philippines but it was only recently that a Lodge was established in Bongabon with the constitution of Allium Cepa Masonic Lodge No. 453 on July 5, 2021. Today, Grand Master Johnny Pimentel laid the cornerstone where the Lodge will pursue its labors in Barangay Tugatog, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija in a 1,000-square meter lot that the brethren of Allium Cepa 453 bought for P1.2 million.      DDGM Rommel Angara himself applied the square to the corners of the stone and reported to the Grand Master that the Craftsmen of Allium Cepa 453 have done their duty before pouring the corn of nourishment that will symbolically strengthen and sustain the Craftsmen who will build King Solomon's Temple in tha...

Bro. Manuel Luis Quezon was born on 19 August 1878 in the sleepy coastal town of Baler in what is now the province of Aurora. He fought for independence during the Filipino-American War where he reached the rank of a major. During the American colonial era, he was elected to the Philippine National Assembly and then to the senate where in 1916 he became the Philippines' first Senate President. In 1935, he won the Philippines’ first presidential election which he contested with two other equally worthy brother Masons: Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Bishop Gregorio Aglipay. He died of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, New York while in exile in the United States during World War II and was later interred at the Quezon Memorial in the city named after him. Kuya Manuel was made a Master Mason on 17 March 1908 in Manila’s Sinukuan Lodge No. 16 and  is acknowledged as the First Filipino Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines which he helped establish in 1917 after spearheading the unif...

Finally, DDGM Rommel Angara concluded his official tour of the 8 subordinate Lodges within Masonic District Nueva Ecija East and Aurora when he graced the regular meeting of Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge No. 463 with his entourage. But it will not be his last official visit to the Lodge since he will be coming back in behalf of Grand Master Johnny Pimentel for his farewell tour during the 2023 installation rites season.  DDGM Rommel was warmly received by WM Edwin Ubungin, also the District Deputy Grand Master of Nueva Ecija North, who received in behalf of the brethren of Bagong Bayan 463 a P25,000 donatin to support their Lodge's projects.

After being postponed due to surging COVID-19 cases, the subordinate Lodges of Masonic District Nueva Ecija East and Aurora was finally convened by DDGM Rommel Angara for their first quarterly District Council Meeting that was hosted by WB Steve Domingo and the brethren of Talavera Masonic Lodge No. 273.  During the meeting, DDGM Rommel informed the District Council members that the Annual District Convention will be hosted by Manuel L. Quezon Masonic Lodge No. 262 on September 16 in Baler, Nueva Ecija where the District will nominate its Junior Grand Warden candidate . It was also agreed that the District Christmas party will be held in the first week of December 2022. The District Council Meeting was graced by the presence of DDGM Ramon Manalac of Masonic District Bulacan East who personally conveyed his invitation to the Central Luzon Multi-District Covention that his District will host in San Rafael, Bulacan on November 18-19.