The organization of a Supreme Council for the Philippines was preceded by the planting of the seeds of Scottish Rite after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Prior to the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands in 1912 there were already Scottish Rite bodies existing under the Grand Oriente Español and the Scottish Rite Lyceum organized by Illus. Bro. Judae Charles S. Lobinger, 33°, who, in 1904 was appointed Deputy in the Philippines by The Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S.A., the Mother Council of the World, then the SGIG in California under whose jurisdiction was the Philippine Islands and other territories ceded by Spain to the U.S.A. after the Spanish-American war in 1898.
Through the efforts of Brother Lobinger, Mt. Arayat Lodge of Perfection was chartered in 1910 by the Mother Supreme Council. This was followed by the organization of Manu Chapter of Rose Croix, Confucius Council of Kadosh and Gautama Consistory. These four Bodies constituted the Manila Bodies where at that time, only Americans were accepted.
Realizing the need to involve Filipino Master Masons in the Scottish Rite who shied away from joining Manila Bodies due to language difficulty, a second Bodies was authorized to be formed in Manila. Thus, on February 11, 1916, Lakandula Lodge of Perfection was chartered, followed by Burgos Chapter of Rose Croix, Malcampo Council of Kadosh in December of the same year, and Rizal Consistory in February 1917. These Bodies constituted the Philippine Bodies where Filipino and Spanish Masons labored without any difficulty in the mode of communication.
It can be mentioned here that the unification of Lodges under the Spanish Jurisdiction and Lodges under the Grand Lodge of the Philippines was effected in 1917, not only in the Blue Lodges, but also in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. Notwithstanding such endeavors for unity, there were still Filipinos who continued to join the Gran Oriente Español, an organization looked upon with disfavor by the U.S. and Europe.
Succeeding Brother Lobinger as Deputy was Illus. Frederic H. Stevens, 33°, under whose incumbency three other Scottish Rite bodies and one Lodge of Perfection were chartered by the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction. They are: Bisayas Bodies in 1921; Mindanao Lodge of Perfection in Cagayan de Oro City on October 18, 1939; Cabanatuan Bodies in 1947; and the Luzon Bodies in 1949.
After the granting of political independence to the Philippines by the United States of America on July 4, 1946, Filipino Scottish Rite Masons advocated the establishment of Sovereign Supreme Council for the Philippines. The move was initiated in 1947 by Manila, Philippine, Bisayas, Cabanatuan and Luzon Bodies, and Mindanao Lodge of Perfection. At the biennial session of the Mother Council in October 1949, the petition and prayer of the five Scottish Rite Bodies and one Lodge of Perfection for an autonomous Supreme Council for the Philippines was heeded and its charter was granted on October 21, 1949.
The Philippine Supreme Council, with the five Subordinate Bodies and one Lodge of Perfection as the nucleus, met on December 16, 1949 for purposes of organization and crown the necessary number of members in accordance with the Instruction from the Mother Council. December 30, 1949, the anniversary of the execution of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, was chosen to promulgate the advent of the new Supreme Council, to receive the vows of fealty of the members, and to announce to the world that the new Supreme Council, organized according to the ancient customs of our Craft, declared the following Manifesto:
From the East of the SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE THIRTY-THIRD AND LAST DEGREE, ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES whose See is in the Grand Orient of Manila, Republic of the Philippines, duly and lawfully constituted under the Celestial Canopy of the Zenith, which answers to 14° 34′ North Latitude and 120° 58′ East Longitude of the Greenwich Meridian.
To all Regular SUPREME COUNCILS OF THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY, where in the world situated:
HEALTH, STABILITY AND POWER
BE IT KNOWN AND REMEMBERED FOREVER:
THAT as early as two months after the ratification of the Treaty of Paris (December 10, 1898) when all the territories of Spain, including the Philippines, were ceded to the United States of America as a consequence of the Spanish-American War and brought under the exclusive Jurisdiction of The Supreme Council (Mother Council of the World) of the Thirty-third Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, there were organized in the Philippines Scottish Rite Bodies working under the Mother Council of the World;
THAT the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Philippines gradually grew to such an extent that there were, before the grant of political independence to the Philippines on the fourth of July, 1946, six Valleys with a total membership of nearly Two Thousand;
THAT subsequent to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Republic of the Philippines, the Scottish Rite Masons in the Orient of the Republic of the Philippines, feeling that they could afford and support a Supreme Council of their own, voted by a large majority to seek the establishment of the sovereign Supreme Council;
THAT on October 21, 1949, The Supreme Council (Mother Council of the World) of the Thirty-third and Last Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, whose See is at Charleston, South Carolina, having heard of the prayers of the Scottish Rite Masons of the Philippines, graciously granted them a Charter for a Supreme Council of the Thirty-third and Last Degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Republic of the Philippines;
THAT on December 16, 1949, Illustrious Brother Frederic H. Stevens, 33°, who had been designated as Sovereign Grand Commander, crowned as 33rd degree active Illustrious Brothers Manuel Camus, 33°, and Francisco A. Delgado, 33°, and that later, the rest of the following Brethren were elected and crowned 33rd degree active and designated members of this Supreme Council of the Thirty-third and Last Degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Republic of the Philippines.
On January 1, 1950, The Supreme Council for the Republic of the Philippines came into being. Our Supreme Council, like the other Supreme Councils, has its own Statutes. It was promulgated in 1955, revised in 1978 and in 1982. Since 1982, the Supreme Council approved the 1994 and the 2000 Editions of the Statutes. The latest 2014 Statutes was ratified during the Semi-Annual Session on September 13, 2013 and is the Statute's Sixth Edition, it defines the government of Scottish Rite Masonry, the rights and privileges of its members in this Grand Orient, addressing the challenges and demands of contemporary Masonry as it has evolved through more than a century of existence in our Grand Orient.
ALLEGIANCE
All regular Scottish Rite Bodies in the Republic of the Philippines now have Charters issued by, or endorsed and ratified by the Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Thirty‐third and Last Degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Republic of the Philippines, and acknowledge and yield allegiance to the said Supreme Council, whose See is in the Grand Orient of Manila, Republic of the Philippines, near B.B., and under the C.C. of the Zenith which answers unto 14° 34′ North Latitude and 120° 58′ East Longitude of the Greenwich Meridian.
NAME OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL
The name of the Supreme Council is: THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL OF THE THIRTY-THIRD AND LAST DEGREE, ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES.
The Supreme Council of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of the Philippines maintains a Tableau that includes titles and offices held, historical records of past officers and distinguished brethren. The Tableau is often updated annually and distributed internally to members. It is not typically available to the public. |
The first Sovereign Grand Commander of our Supreme Council was Illus. and PGM Frederic Harper Stevens, 33° G.C. who was Sovereign Grand Commander for 11 years, from 1950 to 1961. Illus. Stevens was appointed in October 1921 as Deputy of the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, USA in the Philippines to succeed Illus. Charles Lobingier, 33° . Thereafter much progress was recorded in the growth of the Rite under his leadership with the establishment in the country of the 4th Lodge of Perfection on May 25, 1923, the Cebu Lodge of Perfection.
Earlier, in 1922, Illus. Stevens instituted the Scottish Rite Luncheon Forum. At one of those gatherings, Illus. Stevens broaches the idea of organizing and maintaining a Masonic Hospital for Crippled Children. Under his leadership, the Manila Bodies acquired a 1,820 sq. meter lot on Taft Ave. and started on March 26, 1938, the construction of a beautiful concrete edifice which is now known as the Scottish Rite Temple.
The second Sovereign Grand Commander of our Supreme Council was Conrado Benitez, 33° the great statesman, eminent educator, constitutionalist, journalist, historian, civic leader and outstanding Mason. A member of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4, Illus. Benitez was elected Grand Master of Masons in 1936. In 1949, he joined others in organizing the Luzon Bodies and was elected the first Venerable Master of the Harmony Lodge of Perfection. Earlier, he founded the College of Business Administration of the University of the Philippines and became its First Dean. He was also the first editor of the Philippines Herald. He was elected a delegate to the 1934 Constitutional Assembly and was a member of the Committee of Seven Wise Men that wrote the proposed Philippine Constitution that was adopted in 1935.
Although elected as SGIG on December 16, 1949 and elected the first Grand Treasurer General of the Supreme Council, it was not until January 15, 1950 that he was crowned Active Member. After Illus. Stevens stepped down as Sovereign Grand Commander in 1961, Illus. Conrado Benitez was elected the second SGC, a position he held for 10 years until his death in 1971.
Our third Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Camilo Osias, 33° who served in office for two (2) years. He was a member of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4 and was elected Grand Master of Masons in 1955. He authored the clarion call: More Masonry Among Masons, More Men in Masonry.
In January 1952, the Supreme Council elected and crowned him Active Member and SGIG. He served in several offices of the Supreme Council for almost two decades. When the second SGC, Illus. Conrado Benitez, 33° died on January 4, 1971 a special meeting of the Supreme Council was held on January 28, 1971 and Illus. Camilo Osias was elected Sovereign Grand Commander to serve the expired term of Illus. Benitez. In 1973, Illus. Osias was elected to his own 3-year term as Sovereign Grand Commander but a lingering illness forced him to tender his resignation a few months after his election. He passed away on May 20, 1976 and his death was mourned by the entire nation.
Our fourth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Macario M. Ofilada, 33° . A member of Nilad Lodge No. 12, he was elected Grand Master of Masons in 1959. Illus. Ofilada was a member of the Philippine Bodies where he was elected and served as first officer of its four (4) coordinate Bodies between 1949 and 1954.
He was coroneted 33rd degree IGH in 1952 and on February 16, 1957 he was crowned as SGIG and Active Member of the Supreme Council. He served in various positions in the Supreme Council, including that of Venerable Lt. Grand Commander in 1970. In December 1973, he was elected Sovereign Grand Commander after the resignation of Illus. Camilo Osias as Sovereign Grand Commander.
Our fifth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Raymond Everett Wilmarth, 33° G.C. who was elected Sovereign Grand Commander by the Supreme Council in its Session of February 1977 to succeed Illus. Macario M. Ofilada, 33° after the latter’s illness turned for the worse after undergoing a serious and delicate brain surgery.
Illus. Wilmarth served in office for 11 years up to 1988, matching the record 11 years of service of the 1st Sovereign Grand Commander.
Our sixth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Damaso C. Tria, 33° G.C. who occupied the position for four (4) years from 1988 to 1991. A member of Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4 where he was raised on November 29, 1949 he was elected and served as Worshipful Master of his lodge in 1957. He also served as WM of two other Lodges: Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147 in Quezon City and Lodge Perla del Oriente No. 1034 of the Scottish Constitution. He served as Junior Grand Lecturer in 1966 of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines and was elected Grand Master of Mason in 1971.
Illus. Tria took his Scottish Rite degrees in November 1952 in the Luzon Bodies. He was invested with the Rank and Decoration of KCCH in February 1957 and was coroneted 33° IGH in February 1961. He was crowned SGIG on January 25, 1966 and thereafter served the Supreme Council in various positions such as Grand Treasurer, Grand Prior, and Venerable Lt. Grand Commander.
In the 1988 Annual Session of the Supreme Council, Illus. Tria was elected the 6th Sovereign Grand Commander to succeed Illus. Raymond E. Wilmarth, 33° G.C.
Our seventh Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Reynato S. Puno, 33° G.C. who served as Sovereign Grand Commander for 3 years from 1991 to 1994. Illus. Puno carries impressive academic as well as Masonic credentials. His academic credentials include the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence from the University of the Philippines; Master of Comparative Law from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas; Master of Laws from the University of California, Berkeley, California; and Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Illinois, USA. He was awarded the Degree of Humanities, honoris causa, by the Wesleyan University; Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by both the Angeles University Foundation, and also by the Bulacan State University; and the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law, honoris causa, by the Hannam University of South Korea.
A TOYM Awardee in the field of Law in 1977, our 7th Sovereign Grand Commander was awarded in 1998 as the Most Outstanding Law Alumnus of U.P., and in the same year, he was the recipient of the Grand Cross which is the highest award of the Supreme Council, 33° A.&A.S.R.; the Gold Medal of Honor which is the highest award of the Grand Lodge of F.&A.M. of the Philippines; and the Grand Cross of Rizal, which is the highest award of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, which led him to quip that in the parlance of sports, he scored a rare grand slam that year. In March 1991 he was elected 7th Sovereign Grand Commander for a 3-year term, at the age of barely 51 years, the youngest to be elected Sovereign Grand Commander in the 45-year history of the Supreme Council.
Our eighth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Rudyardo V. Bunda, 33° G.C. who served as Sovereign Grand Commander for 5 years from 1994 to 1999. He was first elected Sovereign Grand Commander in 1994 for a 3-year term of office, the last to have been elected to 3-year term. Subsequently, the Statutes were amended to provide for a 2 year term of office for the Sovereign Grand Commander and in 1998, he was the first to have been elected to a 2-year term of office as Sovereign Grand Commander. He was elected in 1983 as Grand Master of Masons in the jurisdiction of the Philippines.
Our ninth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Rosendo C. Herrera, 33° G.C. who served as Sovereign Grand Commander during a three 2-year term of office, from 1999 to 2004, or a total of six (6) years. A member of Pilar No. 15 where he was raised on November 21, 1970, he eventually became a dual member of Cosmos Lodge No. 8 where he was elected WM in 1977. At the young age of 44 years, he was elected Grand Master of Masons in 1983. He holds the undisputed record of being the most traveled Grand Master of Masons, having traveled the entire jurisdiction and beyond, during his tenure as Grand Master.
In the Scottish Rite, Illus. Herrera was a member of Luzon Bodies where he attained the 32° on June 28, 1972 and was elected Venerable Master of its Lodge of Perfection. He was invested with the rank of KCCH on March 12, 1987 and coroneted 33° IGH on March 10, 1990 on March 13, 1992 he was elected SGIG and was crowned Active Member of the Supreme Council on September 12, 1992 at Iligan City and was assigned SGIG for the Orient of Cavite. In the Annual Session of the Supreme Council in April 1999, he was elected the 9th Sovereign Grand Commander for a 2-year tenure.
Our tenth Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Jainal D. Rasul, 33° G.C. was elected to a 2-year term during the Annual Session of the Supreme Council in March 2004. He has the distinction of being the first Sovereign Grand Commander to be elected who was not a Past Grand Master, the first nine Sovereign Grand Commanders all having been Past Grand Masters. He is a member of Bud Daho Lodge No. 102 where he was raised as Master Mason on June 23, 1962 and was elected WM of his Lodge in 1966. He retired in 1994 as Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals. He is a Past DDGM (3 terms) and Past Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge.
In the Scottish Rite he was conferred the 32° on December 16, 1962, invested as KCCH on February 11, 1967 and coroneted 33° IGH on December 9, 1973. He was elected and crowned SGIG on May 25, 1974 and occupied various positions in the Supreme Council for several terms as Grand Chancellor, Grand Prior, and Ven. Lt. Grand Commander. He was elected our 10th Sovereign Grand Commander in the Annual Session of the Supreme Council in March 2004.
Our eleventh Sovereign Grand Commander was Illus. Eugenio S. Labitoria, 33°, a native of Nueva Vizcaya and Former Justice of the Court of Appeals. In the Scottish Rite, he served as Sovereign Grand Commander from 2007 to 2010. He also served as the 87th Grand Master in the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Philippines.
Our twelfth Sovereign Grand Commander was born on June 24, 1942 at San Anton, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija As a Free and Accepted Mason, he was raised to the sublime Degree of Master Mason by Toril Lodge No. 208 in November 1985. He was elected dual member of Mandaluyong City Lodge No. 277 where he was elected Worshipful Master in 1992 and was awarded the Hiram Award by said Lodge in 2001.
In the Scottish Rite, he was originally a member of the Davao Bodies, A.&A.S.R. where he was conferred the 32° MRS in 1986. In 1993, he demitted from Davao Bodies, A.&A.S.R. and affiliated with the Quezon City Bodies, A.&A.S.R. In 1994, he was the Wise Master of Kamuning Chapter of the Rose Croix, and subsequently elected to and presided over, the Pugad Lawin Council of Kadosh and Diliman Consistory, MRS, all Coordinate Bodies of Quezon City Bodies, A.&A.S.R.
He was invested with the Rank and Decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor (KCCH) in 1994 and coroneted with the Rank and Dignity of 33rd Inspector General Honorary (IGH) in 1997. In 1998, he was elected Venerable Master of Balintawak Lodge of Perfection, Quezon City Bodies, A.&A.S.R.
Having served as Bodies Supervisor in 2000 and in 2001-2004 appointed Valley Deputy in the Orient of Quezon City and Rizal. He was elected and crowned SGIG, 33° Active Member of the Supreme Council, 33° in 2005 and was assigned to the Orient of Quezon City and Rizal as its SGIG In 2007, he was elected Grand Almoner of the Supreme Council and later on appointed as Assistant Grand Secretary General. He was elected Grand Secretary General, H.E. in 2008. In March 2011, he was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, 33° . His election as Sovereign Grand Commander anticipated his election in the succeeding month of April 2011 as the Grand Master of Masons in the jurisdiction of the Philippines.
Our thirteenth Sovereign Grand Commander was born on December 31, 1948 in Cebu City. He received his elementary and high school education at Sacred Heart School for Boys, a Jesuit run school. In 1964, he entered at the University of San Carlos also in Cebu City and graduated in 1969 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Magna cum Laude. He is married and the family is blessed with four sons and a daughter.
He first saw the light in Masonry when he joined Dadiangas Lodge No. 225, when he was initiated on Sept. 16, 1981, passed on Nov. 20, and then raised to the Sublime degree of Master Mason on Dec. 12, 1981. He became Worshipful Master in 1988, and was appointed as District Deputy Grand Master of District No. 37 in 1990 by MW John L. Choa. He was also appointed Grand Tyler by MW Romeo A. Yu in 2006. He is an honorary member of Mt. Matutum Lodge No. 156, Koronadal Lodge No. 209 and Kaduh Lodge No. 278. He is a Hiram Key awardee, and was adjudged as one of the ten outstanding DDGMs during the Ancom of 1991. In 1988, he joined the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In 2009, he was conferred the Rosy Cross degree and accepted into the Royal Order of Scotland in the Philippines.
He joined the Scottish Rite and became MRS on Dec. 8, 1984, invested KCCH on March 16, 1991, coroneted IGH on March 12, 1999, and finally crowned SGIG on Sept. 23, 2005. He was then appointed SGIG of the Orient of SOCSKSARGEN. On March 10, 2011, he was elected Grand Almoner and, on March 14, 2013 at the Annual Session of the Supreme Council, he was elected as Sovereign Grand Commander.
Illus. Peter U. Lim Lo Suy, 33° was born on October 16, 1948 in Cagayan de Oro City to parents worthy of emulation, Andres Catiam Lim Lo Suy and So Tin Uy. at an early age, he learned the rudiments of the wholesale and retail trade and the importance of self-discipline as he pursued his elementary and secondary education at the Kong Hua School. He later on obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC), Major in Accounting, at Xavier University/Ateneo de Cagayan. subsequently, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is married to Sister Doris Ang Gaeid and blessed with 2 girls and a boy, Sharmaine, Lorraine, and Bryan. Supreme Council of the International Order of DeMolay; as Rainbow Dad of Anthurium Assembly No. 5, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, in 1985-1987; and as Jurisdictional Deputy Grand Master for Mindanao of the Supreme Council of DeMolay Philippines in 1991. In 1987, the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls gratefully conferred upon him the Grand Cross of Color. He has also sat as a member, Vice-Chairman, or Chairman of many Grand Lodge Committees. Most Worshipful Peter U. Lim Lo Suy was installed as 92nd Grand Master in his beloved Cagayan de Oro City on April 25, 2009 under the grandest ceremonies ever witnessed by many contemporary Masons and the first native-born Kagay-anon to be so honored. as a Grand Master, he was known to be a hands-on leader whose dexterity in management resulted to an enormous budget surplus in the Grand Lodge of the Philippines despite the many remarkable projects he had implemented such as the general renovation and modernization of the Plaridel Masonic Temple which was entirely outsourced to a tune of over Ps 6M. He had led the Grand Lodge of the Philippines according to the Masonic theme which he personally conceived: “Together Brethren, We Will Make the Difference.”
In 2014, He was elected as the Potentate of Agila Shriners of the Shriners International. He joined the Scottish Rite and was conferred Master of the Royal Secret of Mindanao Bodies in 1978 and served as the Venerable Master of the Mindanao Lodge of Perfection In 1986. He was invested as a Knight Commander Court of Honor (KCCH) in 1987 and coroneted as Inspector General Honorary (IGH) in 1990 in recognition of his exemplary service to the Scottish Rite and labored as the Valley Deputy of Mindanao Bodies, A.&A.S.R. until 1994. On March 10, 2011, he was crowned as SGIG, Orient of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon. In 2013, The Supreme Council under the leadership of MP Illus. Joven K. Chua, 33° while temporarily lacking in numbers, appointed Illus. Peter U. Lim Lo Suy, 33° as SGIG-designate, Orient of Lanao and SGIG-designate, Orient of ZamBaSulTa. In addition to these duties, he was also elected as Grand Minister of State in 2014. With the grace of God, he was finally elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Republic of the Philippines during the 65th Annual Session of March 12, 2015 in Manila.
In his message as Sovereign Grand Commander, MP Illus. Peter U. Lim Lo Suy, 33° expressed his theme, “Leveling up to the Noblest Height.” He qualified that this theme requires a steadfast commitment for all of us to live by the Truth and to serve humanity as the ultimate destiny of every living Scottish Rite Mason.
Illustrious George L. So, was born on August 9, 1948. He is the fifth child among six, consisting of three girls and three boys of Benito So Kim Seng and Gabina Lee. He is married to Sis. Bess So and both were blessed with three children and two grandchildren. Illus. George finished his elementary and high school at the St. Stephen’s High School located along Magdalena St., (now G. Masangkay St.), Sta. Cruz, Manila in 1966. After graduating from high school, he took up accounting at the Philippine School of Business Administration along R. Papa St., Sampaloc, Manila.
After passing the board exams, he took up Law at the San Beda College of Law for one semester. His studies, however, were interrupted by the proclamation of Martial Law. He stopped for one semester but went back to Law school, this time at the Ateneo College of Law, which was then located along P. Faura St., Manila – the same compound where our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, once attended classes. He graduated from Law school in 1977 and took the bar examinations the same year. In 1978 he became a full-fledged lawyer. He then went into corporate law practice and was the Corporate Secretary of numerous corporations. He occasionally handled civil and criminal cases on the side in order to gain experience.
Illustrious George L. So is a member of Jose Rizal Lodge No. 22. He was initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason on November 8, 1978; passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on November 23, 1978 and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on December 18, 1978. He was elected Worshipful Master in 1984. He was appointed as Grand Lodge Inspector to Sinukuan Lodge No. 16 in 1997; appointed District Grand Lecturer for Masonic District No. 5 (now NCR-C) in 1998; and appointed District Deputy Grand Master in 1999 by MW Franklin J. Demonteverde, PGM. He was also appointed member of the Trial Commission by MW Hermogenes C. Ebdane, PGM in 2005. He was conferred the Hiram Award in 2017 by the Brethren of Jose Rizal Lodge No. 22. Illustrious George L. So’s father was a member of Biak-Na-Bato Lodge No. 7. He eventually became a dual member of the said Lodge in 1982 and was granted life membership by longevity by the Brethren.
In the Scottish Rite Freemasonry, our Illus. George was admitted in 1980 by the Brethren of Philippine Bodies, A.&A.S.R., Orient of Manila, Valley of Paco. He was elected Venerable Master of the Lakandula Lodge of Perfection in 1999; Conferred the rank and decoration of a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 1996; Coroneted the rank and dignity of an Inspector General Honorary of the 33° in 1998. Being the Wise Master of the Burgos Chapter of Rose Croix, he took the same role during the Feast of the Paschal Lamb held on April 8, 1998. He was appointed Valley Deputy for the Orient of Manila, Valley of Paco in 2005-2010. He was crowned as Sovereign Grand Inspector General, assigned to Philippine Bodies, in 2011; appointed as Assistant Grand Secretary General immediately after his crowning and elected Grand Secretary General for Biennial Years 2013-2015 and re-elected for Biennial Years 2015-2017. By the grace of Almighty God, he was elected as Sovereign Grand Commander on March 9, 2017 at the 67th Annual Session of the Supreme Council.
Illus. George is also a member of CW Rosenstock Chapter No. 6, Kalaw Commandery #3 and Oriental Council #1 of Plaridel York Rite. He is a member of Nile Shriners and Mabuhay Shriners. He was elected High Shereef of Maginoo Shrine Club (now Maginoo Club) in 1998. He was elected President of the Philippine Shrine Association, Inc. in 2001. He is also a member of the Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay of the Republic of the Philippines since 2001 and was appointed Chairman of the Legal Committee in 2009 by the Grand Master, VW Evaristo “Sonny” Leviste.
Our sixteenth sovereign grand commander is a member of Nueva Vizcaya Masonic Lodge No. 144. He was conferred the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in 1973. Thereafter, he became a Master of his Lodge for two consecutive terms from 1982 to 1983. He was appointed Grand Lodge Inspector of Magat Masonic Lodge No. 68 in 1983. He was then appointed District Grand Lecturer of Masonic District No. 3 in 1985, and then appointed three times as District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District No. 3- in 1986, 1988, and 1990, when he was recognized and awarded the Most Outstanding DDGM of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines by MW John L. Choa, GM in 1990. He was designated as Junior Grand Lecturer for Northern Luzon for six terms (2003,2006-2010), then appointed Senior Grand Lecturer in 2011, and then as the Grand Orator in 2012. He was also appointed as Department Head in Masonic Philosophy and Symbolism, Rituals, and Ceremonies from 2006 to 2009 in the Institute of Masonic Education and Studies (IMES) in the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. Illus. Carabbacan is also a Charter Member of Ari-Tau Masonic Lodge No. 179, and Frank Reed Horton Lodge No. 379. He is a Dual Member of the Intramuros Masonic Lodge No. 363, as well as Sultan Lucman Masonic Lodge No. 346. He is an Honorary Member of Baguio Lodge No. 60, La Trinidad Lodge No. 344, Salinas Lodge No. 163 and Siete Martires Lodge No.177.
In his membership in the Nueva Vizcaya Bodies, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Philippines, he became a 32° Master of the Royal Secret, a Venerable Master, a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, a 33° Inspector General Honorary, and finally a Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Orient of Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao. He was Acting SGIG, Orient of Pangasinan and Tarlac, and was appointed the Grand Chaplain, the Grand Minister of State, and the Venerable Grand Prior. He also became Chairman of the Committee on Masonic Education and Research, where he was instrumental in promoting the Revision of our Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 4 subordinate bodies, the Masonic Decorum and Protocol, the Feast of Tishri, the Feast of Kadosh, and most especially in the arrangement of the altar in the Lodge of Perfection.
Text from the article by Illus. Horacio S. Gonzalez,33° IGH
The Far Eastern Freemason 2nd Quarter, 2019
