OUR HISTORY

 

The lodge was named after the poet  ISAGANI, a character in Jose P. Rizal’s novel, “El Filibusterismo”. The name initially chosen for the lodge by the organizers was “Central Luzon”, it being located in Tarlac which is a part of Central Luzon, however, due to unknown reason, they finally settled to name it “ISAGANI”.

During the American era, there were two Grand Lodges with 29 smaller lodgers organized all over the country including La Regeneracion No. 386 in Tarlac with its founders, General Servillano Aquino as Worshipful Master. It was admitted into the Federation of the Grand Lodge Espanol as Lodge No. 386 on December 20, 1916. However, La Regeneracion was transferred to the Grand Lodge of the Philippines in February 1917 and was given a new number 36.

On May 21, 1925, due to dwindling number of active members, La Regeneracion was constrained by existing conditions to close its doors and return its Charter to the Grand Lodge. With La Regeneracion Lodge close down, nine Spanish speaking former members organized and founded Isagani Lodge in Paniqui, Tarlac. The lodge then was called “Central Luzon”, it being located in the province of Tarlac, and on January 2, 1925, after having complied with all the requirements of the Grand Lodge, it received its Charter and was numbered 96. It should be noted that prior to La Regeneracion Lodge closing, Isagani Lodge has already been formed and that it’s Dispensation to assemble was already granted to them on May 27, 1924. This was a year before the former lodge had to close its doors.

The formal Charter presentation or Constitution of Isagani Lodge No. 96 was held in Paniqui, Tarlac on April 18, 1925. The Constitution team was headed by then Most Worshipful Grand Master Christian C. Rosentock, together with 14 Master Masons led by Sisenando Palarca, Roman Domantay, Procorpio Espiritu and Francisco Urutia.

Noted Tarlaquenos served the Lodge during its formative years. Foremost among them are Luis Morales, a politician-lawyer and former congressman/governor of Tarlac, Clemente Terso, former municipal mayor of Moncada, Arcadio Evangelista, a former mayor of  Paniqui, and Eliseo Marquez, a former judge of Paniqui.

In January 1926, the meeting place of Isagani Lodge was transferred from Paniqui to Moncada, Tarlac. A suitable building near the railroad station was secured for this purpose. In the middle of 1937, Isagani Lodge transferred its stated meetings to Tarlac, Tarlac. It was also during this year under Worshipful Master Francisco M. Alejo, that the Isagani Masonic Temple was constructed to its present site. The lot was donated by the late General Servillano Aquino of the defunct La Regeneracion.

When the Second World War broke out in 1941, Isagani Lodge, like all other lodges in the Philippines, went into darkness. After recuperating from the ruins brought about by the war, it immediately resumed its labors, and the first public installation of the lodge after liberation was held at the Tarlac “Glorietta” Public Square on January 14, 1948, with Bro. Liberato Littawa as Worshipful Master. This was the biggest Masonic activity witnessed by the townspeople of Tarlac.

In 1974, the members had to tear down their dilapidated Temple and construct a new one. Construction started under the term of Worhsipful Master Miguel Fontanilla, with the concerted efforts of the lodge members notably the so-called “Magnificent 11”, composed of brothers Cosmo Antonio, Jose Chua, Benjamin Chua, Benigno Chua, Co Ting Chu, Juan Chia, Benito Chua, Po Kim Hong, Que Teng, Que Kang, and Chua Giok. The new Temple was consecrated on April 5, 1975, it was also during this year that the Lodge organized the Tarlac Chapter of the Order of De Molay.  For more than 3 decades, it was only in the early years of the new millennium that Isagani Temple was rehabilitated. At present, the temple still undergoes major improvements for the temple’s facilities to become an icon for a Masonic charity center of the region. 

At the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge held on April 24, 1975, Isagani Lodge received the most coveted Grand Master’s Trophy Award as Most Outstanding Lodge. The year 1975 also saw the lodge hosting the 4th Annual District Convention of then Masonic District No. 29. This event coincided with Isagani Lodge celebration of its Golden Jubilee. And in 2007, Isagani Lodge once again was placed in the limelight where it served as the lead lodge of today’s Masonic District RIII – G and Leonard Wood Lodge as lead lodge for Masonic District R III – A  as host districts for the 91st Annual Communications held at Clark Expo inside the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga. 

Through the years, Isagani Lodge has been engaged in charitable and benevolent activities. In 1986, it started its Scholarship Program, and in 1995, it launched its annual medical and dental outreach program for the depressed communities of Tarlac Province and other towns of neighboring provinces. Coincidentally, it was also during the same year that the lodge conferred unto VW Cosmo P. Antonio, the “Hiram Award”, which is the highest award a Blue Lodge can confer to anyone.  Isagani Lodge never fails to extend a helping hand to victims of calamities, like the great floods that swept Central Luzon in 1972, and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.  During the typhoon season of 2009, our country experienced two unusual weather disturbances namely Typhoon Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng whereby putting the entire nation under a state of calamity which caused millions of Filipinos to lose their homes and livelihood due to heavy rains and flooding.  Province of Tarlac was spared with these two destructive typhoons which called the members of Isagani Lodge to carry out numerous relief operations for the province of Tarlac and for the more severely affected provinces of Pampanga, Pangasinan and Rizal.

Isagani Lodge main existence relies on the support of its members and wisdom of its senior members of the lodge.  As Isagani Lodge No. 96 continuously makes good men better in our region obligated with our foundation of values of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth and ever remembering that there should always be Faith, Hope and Charity in all our endeavors, the members are joined together in serving our community for a more progressive and developed nation towards the next century.