GLP has 19 New Lodges by the end of 2021

MW Rolen C Paulino (L), Grand Master and RW Ariel T. Cayanan (R), Junior Grand Warden, perform the rituals in the Constitution of Francisco Isabelo Ortega Masonic Lodge no. 452.

by WB Victorio Lenin G. Vizcocho IV, PM San Felipe Masonic Lodge no. 384

NINETEEN (19) new Masonic Lodges have been constituted in the first half of the current Masonic Year, end of December 2021, twelve (12) of which were within the first five (5) weeks of the Administration of Most Worshipful (MW) Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master of Masons in the Republic of the Philippines.

According to MW Paulino, “the constitution of new Masonic Lodges despite the current Pandemic manifests the resiliency of the craft and the firm resolve of the brethren to help make good men better through Masonry.”

In the afternoon of May 10, 2021, Santiago City Masonic Lodge no. 457 was constituted following the constitution of MW Leon Angel P. Bañez Masonic Lodge no. 458 earlier in the morning.

The next day on May 11, 2021, Commonwealth Masonic Lodge no. 460 was constituted, while on May 12, two (2) Masonic Lodges had their respective turn, namely, Katarungan Masonic Lodge no. 450 and Cavite La Progresus Masonic Lodge no. 467.

Green City Masonic Lodge no. 459 was constituted on May 17, 2021 while May 18 was the constitution day of the MW Jolly R. Bugarin Masonic Lodge no. 468, followed by Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Masonic Lodge no. 469 on May 21, with both Morong Masonic Lodge no. 455 and WB Gil Fernando Masonic Lodge no. 454 being constituted on May 25, 2021.

May 26, 2021 was the constitution day of Filipinas Bondoc Masonic Lodge no. 465 with Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge no. 463 rounding up the month’s Lodge constitutions on May 29. The constitution of Valenzuela City Masonic Lodge no. 466 was on June 7 followed by South Palawan Masonic Lodge no. 464 on June 8, 2021.

Five (5) Masonic lodges had their constitution in the month of July, namely, Allium Cepa Masonic Lodge no. 453 and Master Builder Masonic Lodge no. 461, both on July 5, Francisco Isabelo Ortega Masonic Lodge no. 452 on July 8, and both Masaraga Masonic Lodge no. 462 and Carmona Sorteo Masonic Lodge no. 451 on July 19, 2021.

Save for a couple or two, the constitution of the 19 new Masonic lodges were all accomplished at the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila. (WB Victorio

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of the newly constituted Santiago City Masonic Lodge no. 457.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of Cavite La Progresus 467 after the constitution of the new Masonic Lodge.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers of MW Leon Angel P. Bañez Masonic Lodge no. 458 proudly displaying their Charter as a newly constituted Masonic Lodge.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master and the officers of the Commonwealth Masonic Lodge no. 460 with the Charter of the newly constituted Masonic Lodge.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, displays the Charter of Green City Masonic Lodge no. 459 with the officers of the newly constituted Masonic Lodge.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers of Jolly Bugarin Masonic Lodge 468 proudly displaying their new Charter.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of the newly constituted Morong Masonic Lodge no. 455.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Masonic Lodge 469 after the new Lodge’s constitution.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of WB Gil Fernando Masonic Lodge no. 454, one of the newly constituted Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines (GLP).

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of the newly constituted Filipinas Bondoc Peninsula Masonic Lodge no. 465.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, and RW Ariel T. Cayanan, Junior Grand Warden, with the officers and members of the newly constituted Allium Cepa Masonic Lodge no. 453 after the new Lodge’s constitution. MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, displays the Charter of Ang Bagong Bayan Masonic Lodge no. 463 with the officers and members of the newly constituted Lodge.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, during the Constitution of Katarungan Masonic Lodge 450 at the Grand Lodge of the Philippines (GLP)

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, is received with honors for the Constitution of Masaraga Masonic Lodge no. 462 as the officers & members of the lodge look on.

MW Rolen C. Paulino, Grand Master, and RW Ariel T. Cayanan, Junior Grand Warden, with the officers and members of the newly constituted Master Builder Masonic Lodge no. 461.

MW Rolen C Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers and members of the newly constituted South Palawan Masonic Lodge No. 464.

MW Rolen C Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers of the newly constituted Valenzuela City Masonic Lodge no. 466.

MW Rolen C Paulino, Grand Master, with the officers of the newly constituted Carmona Sorteo Masonic Lodge no. 451.

In the current time, the surge of COVID-19 cases has been observed to rise in numbers despite its evident decrease since the instigation of vaccinations against COVID-19. Alongside the recent increase of reported cases, a new variant of COVID-19 has been publicized and disseminated within the public. However, this is not the first variant of the original COVID-19 virus but is only a strain of several other variants. As time passes by, inevitably, the discovery of new strains of this virus may still be reported worldwide and the existence of these variants raises a question: How does these variants affect the already existing pandemic?

Different variants have emerged in England, Brazil, California and other areas. More infectious variants such as beta, which first appeared in South Africa, may have increased ability to re-infect people who have recovered from earlier versions of the coronavirus, and also be somewhat resistant to some of the coronavirus vaccines in development. As the virus continues to exist in the different parts of the globe, the change in its genes causes the mutation. All RNA viruses mutate over time however, geographic separation is one of the chief factors in the mutation that may result to genetically distinct variants. This phenomenon also explains the significance of vaccines, due to the fact that such viruses do not remain stagnant. With this in mind, it is indeed possible that we are able to encounter more variants of the corona virus as long as the virus spreads through the population, it is very much likely that the mutation will continue to happen and currently existing variants will not cease to evolve. The following are the existing variants of the COVID-19 virus:

• Also known as the strain B.1.1.7, this variant was first detected in November of 2020 from a sample taken in September in the United Kingdom, and began to spread quickly by mid-December, around the same time as infections surged. During the surge of the said variant, the Imperial

College of London investigated over a million people in England and discovered a wide range of further symptoms linked to Covid. "Chills, loss of appetite, headache and muscle aches" were most common in infected people, as well as classic symptoms.

• Also known as the strain B.1.351, this variant was first detected in a province of South Africa in October 2020. The Beta variant was observed to contain several mutations that would help them to bind more easily to human cells. In addition, this variant also has the E484K mutation which appears to help the virus partially evade antibodies. The symptoms of this variant do not differ from the existing symptoms of the other variants although such is believed to be more transmissible