Masonic Facts

Freemasonry under the Grand Lodge of the Philippines is the Philippines’ largest, secular fraternal and charitable organization. It has over 30,000 members working in nearly 350 lodges throughout the Philippines, Guam, Japan and Korea.

According to the legends contained in the rituals of Freemasonry, the Masonic fraternity dates back to the construction of the Temple of King Solomon as described in the Bible - a project so vast that an organizational structure was devised to ensure that the Temple was built properly and completed on time. This led to the stone masons and architects being organized into various grades and classes, each with their own responsibilities.

Masons in the Middle Ages constructed many buildings, but particular attention has always focused on the great cathedrals of England and Europe. To build these marvels it was necessary for Masons to gather in large groups, sometimes moving from one finished castle or cathedral to the next.

To construct them, it was necessary to have considerable knowledge of geometry, arithmetic and engineering and as a result, bodies of Stone Masons - including architects - became one of the few places of learning outside of the clergy.

The term "Freemason" appears as early as 1375 in a City of London manuscript that includes regulations for the society; duties to God, church and country; and repeated references to brotherhood.

The Masons used a series of rituals and procedures to teach their trade and by the 17th Century, as their numbers and status grew, Lodges began accepting honorary members who were not actually stone workers. These same rituals and teachings were used to instruct non-working Freemasons about the craft.

From the early 18th century, Freemasonry spread from England and then to America and Latin America.

Freemasonry is not a secret society, but lodge meetings, like meetings of many other social and professional associations, are private occasions open only to members. Freemasons are encouraged to speak openly about their membership, while remembering that they undertake not to use it for their own or anyone else's advancement. As members are sometimes the subject of discrimination which may adversely affect their employment or other aspects of their lives, some Freemasons are understandably reticent about discussing their membership. In common with many other national organizations, the Grand Lodge neither maintains nor publishes a list of members and will not disclose names or member's details without their permission.

In circumstances where a conflict of interest might arise or be perceived to exist or when Freemasonry becomes an issue, a Freemason must declare an interest. The rules and aims of Freemasonry are available to the public. The meeting places and halls used by Freemasons are readily identifiable, are listed in telephone directories and in many areas are used by the local community for activities other than Freemasonry. The rituals and ceremonies used by Freemasons to pass on the principles of Freemasonry to new members were first revealed publicly in 1723. They include the traditional forms of recognition used by Freemasons essentially to prove their identity and qualifications when entering a Masonic meeting. These include handshakes which have been much written about and can scarcely be regarded as truly secret today; for medieval Freemasons, they were the equivalent of a 'pin number' restricting access only to qualified members. Many thousands of books have been written on the subject of Freemasonry and are readily available to the general public. Freemasonry offers spokesmen and briefings for the media and provides talks to interested groups on request. Freemasons are proud of their heritage and happy to share it.

Anyone seeking Membership in Freemasonry MUST ASK a Masonic Lodge to recommend him. He must sign a Petition, stating his age, occupation and place of residence. Members of the Lodge vote by secret ballot. To be accepted, the ballot must be unanimous. If the vote is affirmative, the individual receives the Entered Apprentice degree-the first degree of Freemasonry. Once a man has completed the next two degrees, he is a Master Mason and a full member of the fraternity.

Freemasonry is proud of its philosophy and practice of "making good men better." Only individuals, age 18 or older, believed to be of the finest character are favorably considered for membership. Every applicant must advocate his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being.

Charity is at the heart of most Masonic activities.
Each year, Freemasonry donates $1.4 million dollars every day to both small and large philanthropic causes.

From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been involved in charitable activities, and since its inception it has provided support for many widows and orphans of Freemasons as well as others within the community. All monies raised for charity are drawn from amongst Freemasons, their families and friends, while grants and donations are made to Masonic and non-Masonic charities alike. Freemasonry has an enviable record of providing regular and consistent financial support to individual charities over long periods while at the same time making thousands of grants to local charities, appeals and projects throughout the world each year. For the future, opportunities to obtain or provide matched funding are periodically examined with a view to enhancing the impact of the support Freemasonry can give to specific projects. The personal generosity of Freemasons and the collective fund-raising efforts of thousands of lodges, however, will continue to determine the contribution Freemasonry makes within the community.