Masonry is a Way of Life by MWBro Pacifico B. Aniag

By MWBro Pacifico B. Aniag, Grand Master of Masons, MW Grand Lodge of the Philippines

(Delivered during the Grand Lodge of the Philippines Independence Day Program on June 12, 2008)

From accounts of several Filipino historians, we learn that it was on June 5, 1898 when Bro. Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree setting aside June 12 as the day for the proclamation of Philippine Independence. At the same time, he commissioned Julian Felipe to prepare a composition which would be adopted as the official march of the Philippines during the independence ceremonies in Kawit, Cavite. On June 12, 1898 the Marcha Nacional Filipina was played for the first time. Doing the honors was the band of San Francisco de Malabon.

For more than a year, that anthem, or march, remained without words. Towards the end of August 1899, a young poet-soldier from Bayambang, Pangasinan, named Jose Palma (younger brother of MW Rafael Palma, PGM) wrote a Spanish poem entitled Filipinas. This poem expressed in elegant verses the ardent patriotism and fighting spirit of the Filipino people. It was unanimously acclaimed as the fitting lyrics for that Marcha Nacional Filipina.

In the 1920s, it became necessary to translate those Spanish lyrics to English and the American colonial government commissioned a Filipino writer, Camilo Osias (who would eventually become Grand Master of Masons), and an American, A.L. Lane to do the translation. There are still some of us here who belong to that generation of Filipinos who thus grew up singing the National Anthem in English.

During the term of Pres. Ramon Magsaysay, the National Anthem was translated by Bro Julian Cruz Balmaceda and Ildefonso Santos into Tagalog, and finally, on May 26, 1956, the Lupang Hinirang was sung with the unfurling of the Filipino flag.

The series of direct translations ensured the consistency of its content. While Jose Palma wrote, "Los invasores no te hallaran jamas" this was translated by Osias to "Ne'er shall invaders trample thy sacred shore" and further translated by Balmaceda & Santos to "Sa manlulupig 'di ka pasisiil." These words were not empty boasts. From the start, or even when the Anthem was written in Spanish, the most blood was shed for the Filipino flag.

And we will recall with great pride and honor that at around that time too, a good number of our brethren gave their lives to the cause of freedom and the struggle for independence. They breathed life into the words: "ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo." As we commemorate our independence today, we pay tribute not only to the flag, nor the lyrics of our national anthem Lupang Hinirang, but more importantly to the memory of those heroes and martyrs who shed their most precious blood, that they will not have died in vain.

So many of them were Masons that Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo had to declare that the 1898 revolution was masonically inspired, masonically led, and masonically executed.

And this might lead us to thinking why we have not been paying homage to the heroes who were also Masons, in the grand tradition that Masonry is known for; until it occurs to us that perhaps we'd rather not. They belonged to Masonic lodges which would be considered "irregular" under the current dispensation. There still exist irritants in our Masonic relationship that need to be resolved before we can truly call our heroes and martyrs as "our very own."

As we can gather from these historical accounts, it was that while the National Anthem was yet being sung in the Spanish version when most lodges of the Gran Consejo Regional de Filipinas, under the Grande Oriente Espanol, affiliated with the American-sponsored Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands. Truly, a supreme irony, if there ever was one.

Inevitably, this led to the formation of the Gran Logia Regional del Archipelago Filipino. And by 1924, further rift within their ranks had caused another split. The Gran Logia Nacional de Filipinas was formed. This move was countered by the Grande Oriente Espanol when, in 1925, it chartered a "sovereign and independent" Gran Logia del Archipelago Filipino, or what we now colloquially call the "soberana lodges."

And so it could be that there are some who must be wondering why our heroes whom we proudly claim to be masons seemed to have no affinity with us insofar as Masonic relationships are concerned; that they seem to have learned their lessons of masonry from Lodges not even recognized by our jurisdiction.

In order for us to fully understand, perhaps it should come to our mind that Masonry must be viewed upon: 1) as a way of life; and 2) as an organization of men bound by rules, practices and tradition.

Marahil ay nararapat na unawain natin na sa isang banda, ang Masonerya ay isang samahan na may mga batas at panuntunan na dapat pairalin sapagka¢t ito ang nakapagbibigay ng kaayusan, disiplina, at mabuting pamamahala para sa katatagan ng isang samahan. Lalo pa't tayo ay kumikilala sa isang uri ng Masonerya na may sinusunod na mga matatanda at taga-sa-panahong mga tradisyon at kaugalian na ating sinumpaang hindi kailan man maaaring baguhin at pawalan ng kabuluhan. Ito ang mga kadahilanan kung bakit hindi maaari at basta na lamang tayo ay makikipag relasyon sa sinumang pangkat o organisasyon ng mga mason hangga't hindi natitiyak na ang mga batas, tradisyon, at mga kaugalian ay sumasang-ayon sa itinadhana ng kalipunan ng kinikilalang tagapagtaguyod ng gayong uri ng Masonerya sa buong daigdig.

The "soberana" lodges have been quietly going about their masonic business since 1925, in a rather "irregular" manner by our Grand Lodge standards, until the mid-1980s when the Grande Oriente Espanol merged with the Grand Lodge of Spain. The merger was survived by the Grand Lodge of Spain. It so happens that today, the Grand Lodge of the Philippines maintains harmonious and warm fraternal ties with the Grand Lodge of Spain.

And so, the Gran Oriente Espanol, with which the GLP ceased to have formal protocol since 1912, is no longer in existence; and the Grand Lodge of Spain has now initiated diplomatic moves to bring us to the negotiation table for a resolution on the status of the "soberana" lodges in the Philippines. I have now received a formal letter from the Grand Lodge of Spain and I have referred this matter to the Committee on Foreign Relations for evaluation.

But on the other hand, and I believe is a more important aspect of Masonry is that it should, more than anything else, be viewed upon as a way of life. Ang Masoneya ay kinakailangang kilalanin natin na isang pamamaraan ng buhay. Hindi ang Masonerya bilang isang samahan kundi ang Mason bilang isang tao ang may tunay na impluwensya at kabuluhan sa isang lipunan. Ang ating dapat na maging pananaw sa Masonerya ay ito'y isang pansariling paglalakbay na tumutuklas ng mga kaalaman upang mapabuti at mapaunlad ang ating mga sarili. Ating unawain na ang bawa¢t isang Mason, dahilan sa kanyang natutunan sa Masonerya, ay dapat yumakap sa isang paniniwala na ang buhay ay may kabuluhan lamang kung ito¢y gagamitin para sa kapakanan at kabutihan ng lipunan at kagalingan ng para sa lahat. Ako'y naniniwalang ganyan ang umiral sa kaisipan ng mga bayaning mga mason na nagbuwis ng hirap at buhay alang-alang sa pagkamit ng kalayaan ng ating bansa. Gayon din marahil ang dahilan kung bakit hinahanap ngayon at ipinagtatanong kung nasaan ang mga Mason sa gitna ng kasalukuyang nagaganap na suliranin ng ating bansa at lipunan. Kapag ang isang Mason na hinubog at tinuruan sa mabubuting aral ng Masonerya ay hindi kumikilos para sa kabutihan ng lipunan, saka pa lamang masasabing naging bigo ang Masonerya sa kanyang hangarin at layunin.

I believe that it is in this sense that the universality of masonry must be looked upon. Masons from whatever jurisdiction are Masons who have also been imbibed with the noble tenets of brotherly love, relief, and truth. There had been many accounts of American masons helping and working with, and even collaborating with Spanish and Filipino Masons during the early years of independence knowing fully well that they belonged to jurisdictions that had no fraternal relations; but they worked together for the sake of what is good for our country then.

Ako'y naniniwalang ang Masonerya bilang isang organisasyon o samahan ay may mga limitasyon at pansariling paniniwala para sa pagtataguyod ng kanyang katatagan. Subali't ito'y pinapangibabawan ng isang mas makabuluhang pananaw -- na ang Masonerya ay isang pamamaraan ng buhay na nagpapataas ng antas ng kaalaman upang ang isang tinaguriang tunay na Mason ay maging positibong impluwensya sa buhay at galaw ng lipunan.

Nawa'y maging mabiyaya at maligaya para sa ating mga Mason ang pagdiriwang na ito ng Araw ng Kalayaan sa ating bansa. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas; Mabuhay ang Masonerya!