- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 16
Mga kilalang Mason sa Pilipinas
Jose Rizal (1861 to 1896)
Jose Rizal Jose Rizal was one of the earliest Filipino Masons. A National Hero, he was a patriot, physician and man of letters whose life and literary works were an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement.
He was made a Freemason in Madrid, Spain in 1884 where he associated with men of ideas. He pressed for Philippine independence from Spanish rule and in 1892 he organized the Philippine League to promote unity, cooperation and mutual help. However, almost immediately he was arrested for subversion and exiled.
Andres Bonifacio (1863 to 1897)
Andres Bonifacio In Rizal’s absence, one of his followers, Andres Bonifacio, established the Katipunan – a society organized along Masonic lines with noble doctrines and with then necessary desire to obtain independence.
KatipunanIn 1886 Augustinian Friars learned of the Katipunan and it was confronted with the choice of breaking up or openly revolting. At a meeting of the Katipunan on August 26, 1886, Bonifacio renounced allegiance to Spain and the Philippine Revolution began.
Emillio Aguinaldo (1869-1964)
Emillio AguinaldoIn March 1887 the rebels established a revolutionary government in place of the Katipunan; the soldier Emillio Aguinaldo – who had been successful in the fighting in the province of Cavite – was elected President, while Bonifacio was selected as Minister of Interior.
Meanwhile, the USA became drawn into a war with Spain over another Spanish colony, Cuba. As a result, the Americans sided with and lent support to the Philippine rebels. On August, 13 1898 in Fort Santiago, Manila the Spanish flag was lowered after 327 years of Spanish rule, and in its place was raised the Stars and Stripes. America had become, almost by accident, a colonial power.
Independence On June 12, 1898 Emillio Aguinaldo proclaimed the independence of a new Philippine Republic. However, the American’s claimed that the Philippines was not ready for self-government. This led to a new armed conflict which lasted for another two years, after which the country more-or-less accepted American rule – under Governor Taft (an American Mason). The American democratic system and the English language began to replace the Spanish influence; and, naturally, Philippine Masonry was modeled on American Freemasonry.
Manuel Luis Quezon (1878-1944)
Manuel L Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon joined the revolutionary forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo during the revolution against Spain, he fought fearlessly by eventually was forced to surrender to the Americans and spent six months in jail. Quezon took the bar exam in 1903. In 1916 he was elected to the Philippine Senate and became its first President. He was the first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the first Grand Master of Philippine Freemasonry.
After the Japanese occupation during the Second World War and bloody fighting in the Pacific, peace returned to the Philipines and on July 4, 1946 the Philippines was finally declared a sovereign and independent republic.
