Magat Masonic Lodge No.68

By Magat Lodge Centennial Research Committee

The Lodge was named after the Magat River which meanders through Bayombong town in Nueva Vizcaya then flows onto the mighty Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines. Sometime in 1918, two prominent individuals - Lope K. Santos (Governor of Rizal, Governor of Nueva Vizcaya, Senator, Tagalog novelist, and the recognized Father of Filipino Grammar) and Tomas Maddela (Governor of Nueva Vizcaya) set about to organize a Masonic Lodge in the said province.

On 29 December 1920, then Grandmaster Rafael Palma issued a dispensation for the said Lodge in Bayombong and in the following month, on 26 January 1921, after it was verified that the lodge had complied with all the requirements, was granted it charter by the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands. Constituted three months later, the following officers of Magat Lodge No. 68 were duly installed: Lope K. Santos, Charter Master; Domingo Maddela, Senior Warden; and Francisco H. Danao ,Junior Warden. The 28 early members were:

Kiriko Abordo Pedro Afalla Pastor G. Aluning L.W. Bartlett Juan Cabal Alfonso Castañeda Benito Ciscar Ernesto Cuisia Frank H. Danao Daniel Galeon Bruno Garingan R.E. De Guzman Toribio Joson Hipolito Lazam Vicente Lumicao Domingo Maddela J.R. Maddela T.P. Maddela Vicente B. Oledan Evaristo Panganiban Bernardo dela Pella Julian Pinaroc Alberto Ramos Claro Samonte Lope K. Santos Pedro R. Santos Sisenando Silvestre Emilio Tolentino

From then on, Magat Lodge No. 68 registered steady growth in membership. From a roster of 14 members in 1920, the list grew to 28 members when it was chartered in 1922. More joined as years passed by.

When Bro. Alfonso Castañeda became Worshipful Master in 1924, the members decided to build a temple of their own. A suitable site for a Masonic Temple was purchased and in 1931, during the term of Worshipful Master Sisenando Silvestre, the building of the Masonic Temple was ultimately realized. Between 1950 – 1951, during the incumbency of WM Sotero Torralba, a new Lodge Temple was erected along Jose Abad Santos St. in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. In 2004, the Scottish Rites Masonic Temple was erected on a lot donated by spouses MW Eugenio Labitoria, PGM and Grand Royal Matron Juliet Falguera Labitoria along the Bayombong

National Highway. This larger edifice served as a venue for the conduct of regular stated meetings and important events of Magat Lodge No. 68, whose membership continue to grow. Other Temple users including Cagayan Valley Bodies (Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite), Guillermo E. Bongolan Masonic Lodge No. 330, and other appendant bodies of the Grand Lodge instituted in the municipality of Bayombong such as the Sierra Madre Court No. 43 (order of the Amaranth), Villaverde Chapter (order of the Jacques DeMolay), and Bethel No. 9 (Order of the Job’s Daughter).

Many brethren of yore and now have given honor to the esteemed name of Magat Lodge No. 68 by achieving greater heights in their own fields of endeavor. Notable among them were:

• Bro. Demetrio Quirino, Sr. -

Governor of Nueva

Vizcaya and delegate to the 1935

Constitu tional Convention. • Bro. Cicero

Calderon - who earned his Baccalaureate Degree from the Vanderbilt University as a Methodist Church scholar and later Masters of Law and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees from the law school of Yale University. He became the second Filipino president of Silliman

University in Dumaguete City. A Delegate for the Constitutional Convention in 1971, serving as Chairman of the Committee on

Labor; regional adviser on Labor Relations for Asia and the South Pacific in 1973 until his retirement in 1982. • Brigadier General Aberto Ramos was a PC

Provincial Commander of Nueva Vizcaya and later became Chief of the Philippine

Constabulary.

Other members of Magat Lodge No. 68 became prominent in the public and private sectors as follows, to name a few:

A. National Government Agencies, Institutes, and Universities

• Eugenio S. Labitoria - Associate Justice, Court of Appeals • Edilberto P. Carabbacan - CAR Regional Director, DPWH • Tomas Reginaldo - RO2 Regional Director, DPWH • Purisimo L. Tiam - Director, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority • Dioniso Gat. Ducusin - President, Nueva Vizcaya State University (1993-1999). - President, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State Univ (1999-2001)

B. Congressman • Evaristo Panganiban (1919 - 1922) • Domingo Maddela (1931 - 1934) • Guillermo Bongolan (1938 - 1941)

C. Governor • Lope K Santos (Apr 1918 – Sept 1920) • Domingo Maddela (Oct 1920 – June 1925) • Alfonso Castañeda (June 1925 – June 1928 • Demetrio Quirino, Sr. (Jan 1940 – 1945)

D. Deputy Governor • Jose T. Lasam

E. Provincial Board Member (Lone District) • Kiriko Abordo • Guillermo Bongolan • Cicero Ciscar Bautista (Appointed: 19861988; Elected in 1988 – 1992) • Victor B. Gines, Jr. (Ex-Officio)

F. Municipal Mayors • Benito Ciscar (Charter Member) - Mayor,

Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya • Daniel Galleon (Charter Member) - Mayor, Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya (1912-1913) • Kiriko Abordo (Charter Mamber) - Mayor,

Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya • Benjamin Cuaresma - Mayor, Bambang,

Nueva Vizcaya

G. Private Sector • Roy D. Bennett - Vice-President, Philippine Education Company • Junifen F. Gauuan - President, Aldersgate

College; OIC-President, Philippine Wesleyan University; President, Philippine

Christian University

There are also prominent members of Magat Lodge Number 68 who displayed exemplary in their works and gained trust and they are:

• MW Eugenio S. Labitoria, PGM - who became Grand Master of Masons in the

Jurisdiction of the Philippines (2002), Past

Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the 33rd and last degree

A. & A.S.R. and Past Grand Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth. • Illustrious Edilberto P. Carabbacan, an honorary member of Magat Lodge, also became the Past Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish rite, Past Grand

Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth. • Francisco Galam, a Past Grand Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth, and • Gideon Andres also a Past Grand Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth.

The Lodge has made numerous contributions to society thru various worthy social and civic causes. The brethren enjoy and keep in their hearts the sense of self-fulfillment as they have a glimpse of the happy smiles gleaned from the delighted and contented appearances of thankful recipients of the usual Masonic generosity they continuously extend.

As the mother of all lodges in Nueva Vizcaya (NV), Magat Masonic Lodge No. 68 have extended its roots by chartering the following Masonic Lodges: Nueva Vizcaya No.144 (Solano, NV – 1955); Cordillera No.178 (Bagabag, NV); Villaverde No.206 (Villaverde, NV); Ifugao No.218 (Lamut Ifugao); Ari-Tau No.279 (Aritao, NV); Mt. Palali No.420 (Quezon, NV); Salinas No.176 (Bambang, NV – 1965); Saranay No.193 (Diffun, Quirino - 1970, and Guillermo E. Bongolan No.330 (Bayombong, NV – 1999).

The 68th Lodge in the jurisdiction, shall not indeed conclude its 100 years of existence with a culminating activity; but instead, will strive furthermore, burning with zeal to instill a sense of Love and loyalty of God and Country and to impart with greater fervor the noble Masonic principle to continuously “Build Character and Make Good Men Better”.