Clandestine Jurisdictions - Philippines

Nature: Rito Escosis Antigo y Acceptado* (REAA) Founded: 1924 Lodges: 10 active lodges as of 2020 How: Disgruntled masons from Sinukuan Lodge No. 16 demitted in 1923, rejoined the recently 1919 revived Gran Logia Regional De Filipinas (GOE) and then again split from them in 1924 to independently and unlawfully (under generally accepted Masonic protocols) declare their own Filipino brand of Masonry under Supremo Consejo del Grado 33 Para Filipinas and consequently Gran Logia Nacional De Filipinas. Declared clandestine since 1924.

Nature: Rito Escosis Antigo y Acceptado* (REAA) Founded: 1925 Lodges: 2 active lodges in the USA. 2 lodges in the Philippines as of 2020 How: Disgruntled members of the GLP and unafilliated masons help the GOE "revive" the Regional Grand Lodge in 1919 and created new lodges. In 1925 it changed its name into The Gran Logia del Archipiélago Filipino after it was given "independence" and was chartered as “Soberana e Independiente” by the GOE. This jurisdiction went dark in 2008. Another of the same name spuriously emerged in 2020 claiming to be or have lineal descent from the original Soberanas. Declared clandestine since 1923.

Nature: York Rite Founded: 2006 Lodges: 15 active lodges as of 2020 How: Due to political disharmony in their district, 7 Cavite lodges formed their own grand lodge without the blessing of the GLP. Declared Clandestine in 2006.

Nature: York Rite, AASR etc. Founded: Unknown Lodges: 9 active lodges as of 2021 How: A Co-masonry body based in England chartered lodges in the Philippines, conferred degrees & installed their officers via Zoom. No official clandestine declaration as yet.

* Rito Escosis Antigo y Acceptado (REAA) is Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite (A&ASR) in Spanish.

Lodge No. 31, Emilio Aguinaldo ceased to attend lodge meetings. • GNLF revives Magdalo Lodge No. 79 (GLNF) - Sensing an opportunity, the Secretary of the Supremo Consejo in the City of

Manila contacted Hermano Canuto F. Encarnacion and organized the Logia Magdalo No. 79 (GLNF.) They held their works (Tenida) in Kawit, Cavite. Emilio Aguinaldo allegedly attended from time to time while tending his farm at Naik in quiet solitude. • 1950 - AASR Supreme Council 33° for the Republic of the Philippines - On

January 1, 1950, when the Philippines was already an independent country, the Supreme Council 33° for the Republic of the

Philippines came into being. • 1954 - GLPI renamed to GLP. Approved by the AnCom of 1954 in accordance with the Constitution of the Philippines. • 1955 - Aguinaldo returns to the fold. At the age of 86, Aguinaldo renewed his Masonic vows before the Grand Lodge of the

Philippines when he was invited as guest speaker in its 39th AnCom. • 1964 - Aguinaldo Dies. In the same year,

Ibarra Lodge No. 31 was renamed Agui-

naldo Memorial Lodge No. 31. • 1982 - Grand Lodge of Spain is established and is recognized as “Regular” by the UGLE. • 2001 - Gran Oriente Español fused

Regular. On March 31, 2001, the Spanish

Grand Orient (Gran Oriente Español) and the Grand Lodge of Spain (Gran Logia de España) were united, forming a single

Masonic Obedience. Thus, the history and traditions of Spanish Masonry were united in the Masonic regularity of the Grand

Lodge of Spain. History of Spanish Masonry is assumed (because it is theirs) by the Grand Lodge of Spain. • 2006: Independent Grand Lodge of the

Philippine Islands established - Seven lodges of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines through their respective resolutions, formed the Independent Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands. On September 11, 2006, The Grand Lodge of the Philippines declared the IGLPI and all its members

IRREGULAR & CLANDESTINE (via

Edict 232-A. Not all of the members of these seven lodges joined the IGLPI thus those who opt-

ed to stay continued on with their lodges resulting in duplicate lodges in Cavite with different numbers. Not to be confused with GLPI.) • 2008 - Grand Lodge of Spain sought regu-

- Bro. Ramon Vinals, representing the Grand

Lodge of Spain (GLS/GOE) visited the

Grand Lodge of the Philippines, bringing a formal letter from their Grand Lodge, seeking to regularize the status of the remaining

“Soberana” lodges in the Philippines. MW

Pacifico B. Aniag referred their request to the

Committee on Foreign relations for evaluation. However in 2008, there was no longer any

“Soberana” lodges existing in the Philippines with only 3 known remaining members. • 2017 - Soberana revived in the US. Soberana was secretly revived after new members were initiated by several personalities irregularly via Zamora Lodge of Gran Oriente

Filipino (GOF was also declared clandestine in 1924) also an REAA obedience based in

Seattle, Washington. They claim that they had the blessings of Jose D. Damito, 33° one of the last remaining Soberano Iniciado of

Logia Jose Rizal No. 19 to revive it. However under the REAA obedience, a Supreme

Council of 33° Masons should have been first established to revive their Grand Lodge or at least three 33° masons to initiate new members. This was not so under this socalled revival. • 2020 - Soberana re-established in the

Philippines via Zoom In 2020, Ibarra

Lodge No. 43 allegedly led by a frustrated

Fellow Craft Mason of Escudo Lodge No. 371 of the GLP and several others was revived in Manila with members conferred their degrees via Zoom. These new “Soberana'' Masons were also seen posting edited/ fake GOE charters and had been seen posting on social media wearing the habiliments of GLP Masons leading the brethren to believe that even under the REAA obedience, this revival is lacking in form, illegally constituted and unauthorized. • 2020 - Grand Lodge of Mixed Master

Masons (GLMMM) - a co-masonry body based in England chartered two lodges in the Philippines via Zoom-based conferrals and Installations. Allegedly, several former petitioners of the GLP were in attendance. Modern day masons from clandestine lodges in the Philippines should take a cue from our Masonic forebears of 1917. Yes, at the start, there was no masonic recognition between Filipino and American Masons due to restrictions brought about by differing masonic obedience, masonic laws, and violations of ancient landmarks. Despite their differences, each lowered their pride and worked together to find a common solution wherein they both could meet on the level as brethren. The resulting Harmony solidified the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands into the only Filipino Masonic Jurisdiction to reckon with today, nearly 500 lodges and counting. Sadly, a few disgruntled Masons with political agendas and/or personal ambitions got in the way of an already resolved issue of Filipino Masonic Unity of 1917, resulting to where their progenies are today...disinfranchised, unable to travel in foreign countries, work and receive master mason wages! This issue of the Cable Tow will most probably find its way to clandestine jurisdictions. So be it. Here is my unsolicited advice to clandestine masons: if you find yourself shortchanged on your wages as a master mason, there is no other recourse and relief for you but to throw away your inferior working tools, and knock at the doors of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines. If you can lower your pride and begin again, it is not too late. Finally, to our GLP Brethren, if you find this article relevant and informative, we urge you to educate your lodge mates and push back with dignity. Enough with the disinformation...FIAT LUX!

• Masonic Law Book, 2019 Edition • Masonry is a way of life (Speech of MW Pacifico B. Aniag 2008) • Cabletow Vol. 1, Vol. 59, Vol. 62 • Arturo de Hoyos, A Brief History of Freemasonry and the Origins of the Scottish Rite • MW TM Kalaw, PGM, Philippine Masonry: Its Origins, Development and Vicissitudes up to Present Time • Albert Mackey, History of Freemasonry • MW Reynold S. Fajardo, PGM, Votaries of Honor, Full Masonic Restoration, The Brethren in the days of Empire • https://www.facebook.com/modern.mixed.masons.in.cheshire • http://sc228amd.blogspot.com • http://www.philippinemasonry.org • http://www.supremecouncil.ph • https://scottishrite.org • http://www.midnightfreemasons.org • https://www.ugle.org.uk • https://gle.org • https://glnf.ph