Baguio Masonic Lodge No.67

Compiled by WM Henry L. Padilla Centennial Master

The lodge was named after the City where it is established which in turn, got its name from the native word "bagiw," meaning "moss," a green plant. Baguio (bagyo) is also the native word for typhoon or hurricane.

Masons were prominent among the builders of Baguio City and were wont to meet at various times for fellowship. Sometime in 1920, several American and Filipino Masons mostly military officers – U.S. Army and the Philippine Constabulary stationed at Camp John Hay and Camp Henry T. Allen, together with some officials of the city government, decided to organize into a “Square and Compass Club.”

In the same year, they agreed to transform the Club into a lodge and accordingly sent a petition to the Grand Lodge. The requested dispensation was issued on December 20, l920 and on January 25, 1921, the lodge was granted a charter.

When the 67th Lodge was constituted the following officers were installed:

• Bro. Samuel McIntosh – Charter Master • Bro. C. Bowers – Senior Warden • Bro. Saturnino David – Junior Warden • Bros. Mauricio J. Oteyza & Arthur E. Mc-

Cann, as Deacons.

Initial meetings of the lodge were held in various places such as the Senior Mess hall at Teachers Camp; PMA Hall at Camp Allen; Baden Powell Hall; Executive Bldg., Government Center (where the Baguio Convention Center is now located; District Bldg. at Engineers' Hill (the site of the existing office of the DPWHCAR Regional Director), and Whilmarsh Bldg. along Harrison Road (now Rosebow / TIongsan) and some other places.

When WB Juan Medina was Master in 1935, the Lodge purchased a two-story building from Fiscal Zandueta located at Abanao Street (formerly the Fil Oil Gas Station) which was converted into a lodge hall. In 1937, with WB Juan Resurreccion was Master and WB John Woodson was Secretary, the Lodge decided to have its own lot. The Zandueta building was sold for P20,000, paving the way for the purchase of a lot on Legarda Street near the Baguio Central School. As a strategy to augment the funds for the construction of a new Lodge Temple, the Legarda lot was mortgage to a local realtor for P18,000.00 payable at P100.00/month and an added P50.00 assessment from each brother.

Soon came the outbreak of World War II and the coming of the Japanese forces dispersed the brethren. All Masonic activities from 1942 to 1944 ceased. According to the 2nd Volume of The Brethren by MW Fajardo (page 238) –“From the concentration camps also came re-

ports of at least two meetings held under the very noses of the Japanese. The first was in Baguio Concentration Camp, with the immediate Past Master of Baguio Lodge No. 67, WB Carl Eischback, acting as Master.”

The said event held at Camp Holmes (now Camp Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet) is one of the most notable masonic activities in the Philippine jurisdiction during the Japanese Occupation.

As an upshot of the war, the Lodge Temple was burned in the liberation carpet bombing of March 15 - 17, 1945. After being in darkness for over three years, efforts headed by MW Dr. E. Stafford (GLPI’s first Grand Master) were wielded to reorganize Baguio Lodge immediately after the liberation. On October 20, 1945 in a meeting presided by Past Master Juan Resurrecion, an election was conducted with the following members elected: Primo San Pedro, WM; Jose Mandoriao, SW; Juan F. Zarate, JW; WB Juan Resurreccion, Trea; and WB John Woodson, Sec. Other Officers were Bernardino C. Catbagan, Chap; Demetrio Corpus, Mar; Rufino P. Rogel, SD; Laureano Santiago, JD; Ambrosio Garcia, Sr Stw; Chan Kim, Jr. Stw; and Tranquilino Abubo, Tyler.

Being destitute at the time entirely, the members sought donations from sister Lodges, throughout the jurisdiction for material and financial assistance. Finally, encouraging news was received that “Yampa Lodge No. 88” at Plate 1960, Craig, Colorado, U.S.A. volunteered to donate the wooden level, plumb, square, and aprons. In 1946 Corinthian Lodge No. 199 of Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. donated the handcrafted stainless steel jewels. Muñoz Lodge in Nueva Ecija, through Bro. Rufino Angeles and another member donated the gavels and ballot box.

The first lodge meeting after World War II was held in the former photo studio of Bro. Rufino Rogel. The first installation was in his house, then under construction on Laubach Road at Happy Glen. Other meetings were held in the City Lunch Hotel (now Sunshine Supermart along Abanao St.) of Bro. C. Kim; Fire Station at City Camp; in one of the buildings at Teacher’s Camp; the Bua School; a classroom of the New Baguio Central School (now Quezon Elementary School along Upper Session Road); also, in a room in the Lam Ping Building; Library of Baguio Colleges, Lopez Building, Session Road. Meetings were also held in the YWCA building and in the basement of the United Church of Christ along Chanum Street. Finally, the Lodge settled in Snyder Hall at John Hay Air Base.

planned, Lodge Secretary Laurence L. Wilson in 1952 made an application for a lot on Legarda Street (now Yandoc St.) facing the Baguio City Hall which was eventually approved in 1957 through the painstaking effort of WB Pacifico Marin. By 1958, during the term of WB Anastacio Querimit an attractive temple costing P50,000.00 was constructed. The successful enterprise made possible thru the collective effort of the brethren. The social hall was named after Bro. John W. Haussermann, the most generous benefactor who contributed a hefty 10,000.00 pesos. He was also instrumental in the donation of one of the Belgian bells of the Baguio Cathedral in 1932.

On December 11, 1971, the lodge’s 50th Year, a three-in-one affair was held. The District Convention of Masonic District No. 5 was hosted in the morning, followed by the public installation of officers in the afternoon with WB Abelardo Resurrecion as Worshipful Master. Presiding as Installing Officer and Master of Ceremonies were MW Damaso C. Tria and VW Hermogenes P. Oliveros, SGL, respectively. In the evening, the Lodge celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a dinner at the Baguio Country Club. Another milestone for Baguio Lodge was the hosting of the 73rd Annual Communication on April 27-29, 1989. MW Juan C. Nabong was installed Grand Master and took his vow to serve the brethren “The Brotherly Way.”

From 1958 to 1989 the Masonic Temple stood proudly in the midst of the City until the July 16, 1990 killer earthquake struck which severely damaged the edifice rendering it uninhabitable. Once again, the collective effort of the brethren was tested and fund raising campaigns were made, closing ranks and pooling resources. Aside from the insurance fund received, the brethren were assessed P500.00 each, together with various donations in cash and in kind and technical support that came from Lodge members, and brethren from other Lodges. The bulk of the funds which were solicited and used for the repair of the building came from Bro. Van D. Luspo, who was the Junior Warden in 1991 and eventually became the Worshipful Master in 1993. Unforgettable assistance was also received from Bro. Engr. Samuel Bernal and WB Carlos Valencerina of Bontoc Lodge No.140 who provided the technical and structural services. While the Lodge Temple was under major repair, Bro. Ambrosio Divina, of Laoag Lodge No.71 and Director of NBI at that time offered the facilities of the National Bureau of Investigation for the monthly stated meetings and degree conferrals. When the repair of the Temple was completed, the first stated meeting was held on August 6, 1991. WB Fernando A. Albino PM, the incumbent Worshipful Master expressed his thanks and gratitude to all the brethren who made possible the gargantuan task of repairing the heavily damaged Temple. In 1993, during the term of WB Van Cornelius D. Luspo, he shouldered the cost of the construction of the Secretary’s Office and that of the Job’s Daughters Office aside from his donating a complete set of Masonic Paraphernalia, i.e., aprons, jewels, and working tools all made in the U.S.A. It was also during his term that the Masonic Charities for Crippled Children, Inc., Baguio Regional Center were established.

The center’s first officers were VW Rodolfo Juvenal, DDGM & Regional Representative, Dr. and Bro. James C. Paggao as the Medical Officer, Dr. and Bro. Antonio T. Tactay, Asst. Medical Officer, Dr. & Bro. Robert G. Capuyan, Anesthesiologist, and Bro. Fernando M. Lacsamana as Administrative Officer.

The total cost of rehabilitating the temple stood at over P1 Million. Master Masons from other Lodges who figured prominently in the rehabilitation of the temple were conferred ‘Honorary membership’ to the Lodge. They are Virgilio Cadawan, Ambrosio Divina, Mariano Roxas, Ramon Labo III, Flor Tejada, Clement Trinidad, Carlos Valencerina and Charles Valencerina. In 1998, the Baguio Masonic Temple during the term of WB Nicanor Julius A. Abad was renamed Baguio Masonic Center.

On August 11, 2001, Grand Master Napoleon Soriano constituted the La Trinidad Lodge No. 344 a bonafide offspring of Baguio Lodge No. 67. Masonic years 2001 and 2019, Baguio No. 67 established Twinning Agreements with Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147 under GLP and Sun Lodge No. 6 under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of China (Taiwan). The Lodge is the proud sponsor of Baguio Chapter of the Order of DeMolay International No. 9 and Bethel No. 25, International Order of Jobs' Daughters, Baguio Chapter.

A product of the unity in purpose of its members and of Freemasonry in general, Baguio Masonic Lodge No. 67 withstood natural and man-made calamities. Its Temples having been built and rebuilt time and again has become a monument of its Masonic struggle. The current Temple is the epitome of the love, unity, and perseverance of the members for the last 100 years. Compiled by Centennial Master Henry L. Padilla (67) from the book, Philippine Lodges, A Compilation of the history of the different Philippine Masonic Lodges, by MW Reynaldo S. Fajardo; Cable Tow (1923-2010); Write up by VW Fernando A. Albino (67), PDDGM and Lecture delivered by VW Fernando M. Lacsamana (67), PDGL.