History of Philippine DeMolay

The first Chapter in the Philippines, and for that matter the whole of Far East is Jose Abad Santos Chapter, sponsored by the Philippine Bodies, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite.

The first known exemplification of the DeMolay Ritual  and DeMolay Initiation was by the US Asiatic Fleet Chapter at the Plaridel Masonic Temple on February 15, 1930. The first Philippine DeMolay Initated on that occasion was Bro Anthony Vincent Peck.

However it was not until February 1946 on the Stated Meeting of the Philippine Bodies, A&ASR agreed to sponsor the first Chapter of DeMolay to be named Jose Abad Santos Chapter, in honor and in memory of the second world war martyr, Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines.

The Acting Deputy of DeMolay in the Philippine Jurisdiction was Dad Michael Goldenberg, 33rd Degree; while Dad Andrew Gruber, 32nd Degree, was made in-charge of the work.

The first Chapter member class was Initiated on March 23, 1946 at the then Grand Lodge Hall located at the corner of Arleqgui and [138] Gunao Streets, Quiapo, Manila. responding to the call were 23 young men, most of whom were sons of Masons. At the first stated meeting of the new Chapter they elected and installed Bro Jesus S Vergara as Master Councilor and Dad Teofilo Ragodon, 32nd Degree, was appointed Chapter Advisor.

Some of the first and oldest Philippine DeMolay Chapters are:

Jose Abad Santos Chapter - 1946 Manila
Catalino G. Aurelio Chapter - 1947 Bacolod City
Emmanuel Baja Chapter - 1947 Cavite City
Loyalty Chapter - 1949 Manila

Whilst Teodoro R Yangco Chapter, in Olongapo City has its first Master Councilor in 1953, it was formally instituted on April 25, 1962 and is one of the longest continuous Chapter in the Philippines.

As part of the International Order of DeMolay, Dad Jolly R Bugarin, Dad Manuel C Inigo [JASC PMC], Dad Artemio B Bayas [JASC Past Master Councilor] and Dad Macario 'Mac' Ramos, among others were some of it's ardent supporters and served as Excutive Officers.

In the early days, the Philippines was one jurisdiction and later on, in the mid 1970's when DeMolay became so widely popular across the archipelago it was subdivided into three regional jurisdictions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with its own Executive Officers and Jurisdictional Master Councilors.

In November 1976, at the Luzon Conclave held at the Union Theological Seminary in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Bro Mario C. Baylon, Jr (RD, PMC-MSA, Chev) was elected as the first Luzon Jurisdictional Master Councilor, with sister Rainbow Mitzi Pickard as the Jurisdictional Sweetheart. In April 17-19, 1977, Bro Baylon's term culminated in his attendance in the 57th International DeMolay Congress held at Dearborn, Michigan USA, representing the Luzon Jurisdiction for the first time.

In the early 1980's, DeMolay Philippines created the Philippine Supreme Council independent from the International Supreme Council. In 1984, Bro. Dag B. Bawagan was elected as the First National Master Councilor of the Philippines during the first National DeMolay Congress held at Tropical Palace Resorts in BF, Paranaque.

March 2019, in recent history is the centenary and 100th Anniversary of the Order.