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HISTORY
OF CAPITOL CITY LODGE NO. 174
At
the close of 1963, there were already two (2) Lodge existing in Quezon
City. Nevertheless, the Brethren residing in this City, who are members
of the Manila Lodges believed that for a rapidly growing city, two Lodges
were inadequate to bridge the gap for closer relationship among the
residents. To attain this purpose, they conceived of a new Lodge in
order that civic projects, socio-economic and public welfare activities
of the fraternity could be more systematically planned and effectively
implemented.
The first organizational caucus was held on December 13, 1963 in Quezon
City. This caucus was attended by WB Pedro A. Aloot, P.M., Brothers
Saturnino Magturo, Cosme S. Quinto, Mariano G. Plan, Tiburcio Morales,
Ernesto Sia-Cunco, Silverio S.J. Cruz, Jose L. Teodoro, Jaime Romano,
all of Island Luz-Minerva Lodge No.5 (Manila) and WB Leonardo G. Padilla,
P.M. of Quezon City Lodge No. 122. Worshipful Brothers Pedro A. Aloot
and Leonardo G. Padilla were chosen Chairman and Secretary, respectively,
of the organization committee. The Chairman informed the Brethren present
that he had previous dialogue regarding the matter with Brothers Norberto
S. Amoranto, Mayor of Quezon City and Generoso del Rosario, Assistant
Superintendent of Public Schools of Quezon City and both were very enthusiastic
about the idea. Among the names suggested for the Lodge, CAPITOL CITY
LODGE was popularly chosen by the organizers, it being that Quezon City
is the Capital City of the Philippines.
The petition for dispensation was then drafted by WB Leonardo G. Padilla
and signed on January 11, 1964 by forty-six (46) petitioners.
The petition for dispensation was recommended to the Grand Lodge by
Quezon City Lodge No. 122 and was granted on February 20, 1964 by Most
Worshipful Grand Master Pedro M. Gimenez and Right Worshipful Grand
Secretary Esteban Munariz, PGM. The schedule meeting of the Lodge was
Last Saturday of every month at 5:30 P.M. in the Theosophical Society
Building, corner of Iba and P. Florentino Streets of MAyon Street near
España Rotonda, Quezon City. The first stated meeting of the
Lodge under dispensation was held on February 29, 1964 and was attended
by twenty-seven (27) brethren. The first candidate, Mr. Jose L. Llanes,
was initiated in the 2nd stated meeting in the same place. Before the
Charter was granted, there were four (4) special meetings held wherein
the three (3) candidates, Messrs. Mariano G. Padilla, Jr., Ponciano
Millan and Alfonso S. Cruz were initiated together with the passing
and raising of Bro. Jose L. Lllanes. In the stated meeting of the Lodge
(UD) in March 28, 1964, Worshipful Brothers Pedro A. Aloot, Leonardo
G. Padilla, Teofilo C. Leonidas, Dominador Vicente and Manuel T. Paz
were chosen delegates to represent the Capitol City Lodge (UD) to the
Grand Lodge Annual Communication on April 28, 1964. The Charter of the
Capitol City Lodge was granted and signed on April 28, 1964 by Most
Worshipful Grand Master Charles Mosebrook and Right Worshipful Grand
Secretary Esteban Munarriz, PGM., assigning number 174 to it, thus becoming
Capitol City Lodge No. 174. Worshipful Brother Norberto S. Amoranto
was named as its Worshipful Master, Brothers Placido M. Pilar and Pedro
N. Ylagan was Senior and Junior Wardens, respectively. The Lodge was
constituted on September 26, 1964. During its stated meeting on December
26, 1964, the first election of officers under the new charter was held
and the officers were elected for the Masonis Year 1965. Before the
end of 1965, the Lodge were notified by the caretaker of the Theosophical
Society Building that the meeting of the Lodge may not anymore be held
in the same building after June, 1965. Fortunately, the Lodge at that
time has already gained six (6) Chinese members who were then officers
and members of the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Philippine
Institute in Quezon City. With the offer of Brothers Dy Piak Liong and
Go Thian Tek to accommodate the Lodge for free in the hall of their
building at 62 Kitanlad Street, Quezon City, the problem to locate a
place where the Lodge could be housed was immediately solved. From June
25, 1966, the Lodge continued to meet at this new location until June
27, 1970. In the election of November 25, 1967, WB Saturnino V. Bermudez
was elected Secretary for Masonic Year 1968, succeeding WB Leonardo
G. Padilla, who served the Lodge as such for four years. On November
23, 1968, when the Master was WB Bienvenido G. Ongkiko, the Lodge has
its turnto host the convention of Masonic District No. 9, consisting
of nine (9) Lodges in Rizal Province and Quezon City. The five (5) Lodges
in Rizal are: Silangan Lodge No. 19, Muog Lodge No. 89, Marikina Lodge
No. 119, Teodoro M. Kalaw Lodge No. 136, and Juan Sumulong Memorial
Lodge No. 169. The four (4) Lodges in Quezon City are: Quezon City Lodge
No. 122, Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147, Loan Laan Lodge No. 185 and Capitol
City Lodge No. 174. In the election of the officers of the Lodge on
November 30, 1968, WB Bienvenido G. Ongkiko was elected Secretary to
succeed WB Saturnino V. Bermudez. At midnight of July 11, 1970, a brief
but sad event in the history of this Lodge occurred. The Philippine
Chinese Chamber of Commerce building was burned causing the loss of
all the jewels, paraphernalias, equipments and all other properties
of the Lodge, except for 25 white aprons. Tyler’s record book
and sword and all the records of the Lodge, which at the time were in
the residence of the Secretary, who brought them home after the District
No. 9 Convention in Pasig, Rizal, on July 4, 1970. That incident wrought
havoc in the hearts of the officers and members of the Lodge. Many of
the Brethren viewed the critical situation of the Lodge with the sense
of insecurity as the Brethren were helpless without anything belonging
to the Lodge in their possession with which to continue their labors.
The Lodge being homeless, the first problem of the Brethren was to locate
another place here they could hold meetings. Again this time, the Officers
of the Lodge approached VW Domingo, who without second thought gladly
permitted the Lodge to use not only the Lodge Hall of the Teodoro M.
Kalaw Lodge No. 136 in San Juan, Rizal, but also their complete equipment
and paraphernalia necessary to conduct our meeting normally. Two meeting
were held at San Juan, Rizal and during the meeting it was visibly observed
that attendance was considerably decreased. The Officers decided to
go back to Quezon City. WB Chris Malahay, then Master of Quezon City
Lodge No. 122, offered the Chapel of the United Church of Christ in
the Philippines at 939 Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, Quezon City, for
our Lodge to hold meetings every 2nd Saturday of every month. From September
26, 1970 up to December 26, 1970, the Lodge met in the said chapel.
During the period from 1966 up to 1970, all the Lodges in Quezon City
were temporarily housed in different buildings. With this common problem,
the officers and members of the said Lodges, together with those of
the Quezon City Bodies, made strong representations with the members
of the Board of the Capitol Masonic Corporation for accommodation in
its building n Matalino Street, Quezon City, at the back of the new
Quezon City Hall. With the graciousness of the members of the board
of said corporation, these five (5) Masonic groups hold their meetings
in the aforecited building. The subsequent meetings of the 5 Masonic
groups were held in the rooms of the commercial building of the Capitol
Masonic Corporation at Matalino Street, Quezon City. Since the concrete
partition of the rooms was knocked down there was left in the middle
of the room a post which blocked the communication between the Master
and the Senior Warden. When the officers heard that the corporation
was to built another building near the side of the Quezon City Hall
but with only one floor, they approached again the members of the board
of the said corporation with the suggestion that the building to be
constructed be made into two stories so that the second floor be exclusively
for the Lodge Hall. The problem of the corporation then was funds, so
the Lodge offered to campaign for buyers of stocks to finance the construction
of the second floor. All the Lodges in Quezon City and many of its members
had become stockholders of the Masonic Corporation. The membership of
the Capitol City Lodge had been steadily growing not only in quantity
but in quality as well. Hopefully, with the guidance of Divine Providence
and with the steady support and cooperation of its members, we are looking
forward in the future of having its own “dream house” for
the Lodge – reflective of the ancient Temple of King Solomon.
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