Centennial Lectures: The Philippine Masons in the In this Issue... Eyes of the Spanish Friars By Rev. Fr. Emilio Edgardo A. Quilatan, OAR 29 Other Recent Events, Developments Here and Overseas 38 41 Bro. Capulong Drops Tools at 77 Editorial Comments: Celebrating the By WB Edmund Coronel, PM 179th Anniversary of One Mason Hero’s Birth, Commemorating the Bubbles of Gratitude and Hope 43 116th Anniversary of Another’s Death By Sis. Alicia Borja-Espejon 2 By VW Samuel P. Fernandez, PGH & VW J. Flor R. Nicolas, PSGL “Open Letter” to Members of Celebrating Two Birth Anniversaries Masonic Youth Organizations 44 Meaningfully, Fruitfully By MW Santiago T. Gabionza, Jr., Centennial Grand Master 4 By MW Santiago T. Gabionza, Jr., Centennial Grand Master Supreme Assembly Cornerstone in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA 8 By VW Teodoro Alejandro Y. Kalaw IV, Centennial SGL By Rogeanne Maica L. Ilagan 47 Carnicero, Borromeo, Sitges, and Out of the Humdrum 48 10 By VW Robert O. Asuncion, PSGL Their Relationship with Rizal By VW J. Flor R. Nicolas, PSGL Rough and Rugged Road Co-Masonry, Lodges of Adoption and 11 By VW Victor A. Yu, PSGL Orders of Women Allied to the Craft By VW J. Flor R. Nicolas, PSGL 52 In Due Form 13 By Bro. Jonathan Amoroso Dr. Rizal and Globalization By VW Samuel P. Fernandez, PGH 55 Our Centennial Grand Master’s 14 Busy September, October Schedule The Three Missions of Freemasonry By VW Vicente P. Hao Chin, Jr., PGC 59 15 Edicts & Circulars Freemasonry: More Than Just a 17 Multi-District Conventions Fraternity; The Ties That Bind Masons By Bro. Benny Arce 62 Centennial Lectures: The GLP Museum 21 Relics and Milestones By Lino L. Dizon, Ph.D. By WB Armando G. Cazzola, PM 68 THE CABLETOW is a bimonthly publication of the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines. Main Office: Plaridel Masonic Temple, San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila, D 2801, Philippines. Members of Blue Lodges in this grand jurisdiction are regular subscribers thereto. Brethren in other grand jurisdictions are invited to subscribe to it at US $20 a year. Send check payable to the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines, with complete mailing address, to THE CABLETOW at the address given above. Subscribers are advised to notify THE CABLETOW of address changes. Original articles are subjected to editing and, when published, become Cabletow property. Any article in THE CABLETOW may be reprinted in full, or excerpts thereof reproduced, provided proper attribution to the author is made, the source is given due credits, and the Cabletow office is furnished with a courtesy copy of the reprinted material. Paid advertisements are accepted for printing in THE CABLETOW. By VW Samuel P. Fernandez, PGH & VW J. Flor R. Nicolas, PSGL The Cabletow Centennial Team Editorial Comments VW JESUS FLOR R. NICOLAS Editor-in-Chief WB EDMUND U. CORONEL Associate Editor th Celebrating the 179 VW PERCIVAL T. SALAZAR Anniversary of One Managing Editor VW EMMANUEL J. DIESTA Mason Hero’s Birth, Circulation Manager Commemorating the BRO JOSE EUGENIO B. ILLENBERGER 116th Anniversary of Art Director MW REYNATO S. PUNO, PGM, GMH another’s death Consultant JENNIFER C. MAGALLANES ON THE 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER Secretary this year, we celebrate the 179th anniversa- ry of the birth of Bro. Andres “Sinukuan” Bonifacio, and on the 30th day of Decem- affiliated themselves with the Liga. But ber, we commemorate the 116th anniver- when, on instigation of the Spanish friars, sary of the unjust execution of Bro. Jose Governor-General Eulogio Despujol or- “Dimasalang” Rizal on Bagumbayan field dered the exile or deportation of Bro. Jose (now Rizal Park or Luneta). Rizal to Dapitan in Zamboanga, Bro. An- dres Bonifacio, together with other patriot- At first, Bro. Andres Bonifacio joined La ic Masons like Deodato Arellano (a broth- Liga Filipina (The Philippine League), the er-in-law of Marcelo “Plaridel” del Pilar), organization established by Bro. Jose Rizal Jose Dizon, Valentin Diaz, Teodoro Plata, as the foundation of the Filipino nation and Ladislao Diwa, founded the Katipunan, which he envisioned to emerge in the not believing as they did that an armed strug- too distant future. Bro. Rizal articulated gle against Spain was justified because the his vision of the emergent Filipino nation Filipino patriots had exhausted all peaceful in the metaphor “perla del mar del Oriente” means for bringing about peace, progress, (pearl of the sea of the Orient). By this and prosperity in the Philippines. As Su- metaphor he meant that, as may be gleaned premo of the Katipunan, Bro. Andres Bon- from the objectives of La Liga Filipina, he ifacio led the first phase of the Philippine envisioned the emergent Filipino nation revolution against Spain, while WB Emilio to become a precious, enviable democratic Aguinaldo led the second phase. Although country, where would reign once more the the weaponry of the Filipino revolution- traditional ideals or principles by which the aries and their know-how about warfare ancient Filipinos lived, namely, pagkakaisa, were vastly inferior to those of the Span- pakikisama, pagkabayani, pagsasarili, and ish soldiers, they courageously labored and pakikipagkapwa-tao. These are also the fought against the Spanish colonial gov- ideals or principles which other freedom- ernment’s tyrannical and oppressive rule, loving peoples in the world have advocated which was abetted by what the Filipino and held dear.. So, Bro. Andres Bonifacio reformists or propagandists called “frailoc- and other patriotic members of the Craft racy” or “monastic sovereignty”. Both the 2 The Cabletow | Vol. 89, No. 3, September-October 2012 Filipino reformists and their revolutionary of Madrid and the president of the His- counterparts dreamt of a republican form pano-Filipino Association based in Madrid, of government, which would enhance and which assisted the Filipino propagandists enforce the democratic ideals and princi- in campaigning for much-needed reforms. ples, such as liberty, Equality, and Frater- Bro. Andres Bonifacio manifested his zeal nity, which Dalton, Robespierre, and other and enthusiasm for the Craft by helping Mason frontrunners of the French Revo- propagate the Masonic Program and Code lution had espoused with much fervor and introduced by Nilad Lodge, the Mother of fortitude. all Filipino Lodges at that time; for he saw it as an eloquent expression of the Malay As we celebrate the 179th anniversary of Filipinos’ libertarian aspirations for their Bro. Andres “Sinukuan” Bonifacio’s birth beloved but brutalized bayan. this year and then commemorate the 116th anniversary of Bro. Jose “Dimasalang” Ri- Patriotic and nationalistic Masons, both zal’s unjust death by musketry, we must be reformists and revolutionaries, worked and highly resolved to emulate their keen sense fought hard against the Spanish colonial of patriotism and nationalism, as well as rule in the last decades of the 19th cen- their ardent passion for democratic ideals, tury, and in the first decades of the 20th principles, and values. century, brethren who came this way after them continued to work and fight hard to We should teach young Filipinos, particu- regain their “Lost Eden” from the hands of larly our children, to emulate Bro. Andres the American neo-colonial rulers and from Bonifacio’s sheer determination to make the stranglehold of the Japanese interlop- up for his meager formal education and ers. A significant number of them happily to conquer the poverty into which he had gave up their lives, if only to launch their been born by extensively and intensively libertarian dreams into a happy reality. Be- reading books and periodicals written in cause of their supreme sacrifice, we latter- such languages as Spanish, English, and of day Filipinos now enjoy the democratic course Tagalog. By doing so, Bro. Andres way of life. Bonifacio developed himself into his high- est potential and got himself employed in We must realize, of course, that not every- some prestigious firms owned by foreign- thing in a democratic country is enjoyable; ers, thereby improving his economic status. that the republican form of government is Eventually, he developed himself into such not the cleanest government there is; and an eloquent speaker and prolific writer that in a democratic country like ours, mor- that he was admired and respected by his al evils exist. Even now, graft and corrup- contemporaries, Masons and non-Masons tion is rampant in our national government alike. As a writer, he used “Agapito Bagum- and in our local government units. Liberty bayan” (Lover of the New Country) as his and equality are not given to the greater pen-name or nom de plume. masses of our people. Slums and poor peo- ple abound in our midst. Criminals are on We, his brother Masons, should also emu- the rampage, and crimes continue unabated. late his zeal and enthusiasm for the Craft. Politicians do not fulfill the promises they He was initiated in Logia Taliba, which was make during election time; this is shown by then under the Jurisdiction of the Spanish the fact that government units continue to Grand Orient, the Grand Master of which be misgoverned by one political party after was Miguel Morayta, Bro. Jose Rizal’s his- another. Politixal dynasties still hold sway tory professor at the Central University in our country, although Bro. Apolinario CONTINUED IN PAGE 67 The Cabletow | Vol. 89, No. 3, September-October 2012 3 sonic Fraternity or Family that had not yet contributed their respective shares to our MW Grand Lodge’s continuing fund drive, which is an adjunct to the efforts of its Charity and Relief Committee; and an- nounced that the newly-created Committee on Environment and Disaster Prepared- ness, which is to be chaired by MW Jaime Y.