111 years ago today on the 30th of December 1896, Filipino national hero Bro. Jose P. Rizal was executed at what is now the Luneta by a firing squad of native Filipino colonial troops after being tried by a Spanish military court for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy.
Masonic District RIII-D led by Bro. District Deputy Grandmaster Emmanuel Antonio Umali who is a Model Lodge charter member commemorated this watershed event in simple rites at the grounds of the Cabanatuan City Hall. Bro. District Grand Lecturer Froilan Valino, another Model Lodge charter member, delivered the valedictory address in behalf of Bro. Vice-Mayor Jolly Garcia of Cabanatuan City.
The event was attended by representatives all Masonic lodges under the jurisdiction of Masonic District RIII-D with Model Lodge having the biggest delegation. Representatives from the Order of the Amaranth, Job’s Daughters International, and the Knights of Columbus also attended the commemoration rites.
Milestones in Bro. Jose Rizal’s Masonic Life
1861 (June 19): Bro. Jose was born in Calamba, Laguna.
1872-1882: Bro. Jose’s student days at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (1872-1877) and the University of Sto. Tomas (1878-1882) where at some time he stayed in the house of his uncle Jose Alberto Alonzo who is a Freemason and who perhaps introduced Bro. Jose to the ideals of Freemasonry.
1882-1884: Bro. Jose visited Naples in Italy while studying medicine at Spain’s Universidad Central de Madrid and was impressed by the public adoration shown at the death of Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi who is a Freemason. It was probably at this period when Bro. Jose encountered the ideals of Bros. Miguel Morayta and Francisco Pi y Margal which led him to petition for membership at their Masonic lodge, the Acacia Lodge No. 9 of the Gran Oriente de Espana in 1884, and adopted Dimasalang as his Masonic name.
1885-1887: Bro. Jose left for France and Germany to pursue further studies at the University of Paris and later at the University of Heidelberg where he became a member of the Berlin Ethnological and Anthropological Societies through the intercessions of Bros. Dr. Rudolf Virchow and Dr. Feodor Jagor. It was also while in Germany that Bro. Jose acquired additional degrees in Freemasonry which might have included The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. It was during this period when Bro. Jose wrote his first novel, the “Noli Me Tangere”.
1887 (August 6): Bro. Jose came home to the Philippines and immediately faced charges from the Spanish friars on the alleged subversion of his novel, the “Noli Me Tangere”. Bro. Governor-General Emilio Terrero y Perinat found nothing wrong in the novel and shielded Bro. Jose as far as he can do so, even assigning him a personal bodyguard. But when he thought he can no longer protect Bro. Jose, he advised him to leave the Philippines once again.
1888-1889: Bro. Jose arrived in Paris after travelling via Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, and England. He then moved in Belgium where he started writing his second novel “El Filibusterismo”.
1890 (November 15): During a visit to Spain, Bro. Jose affiliated with the Solidaridad Lodge No. 53 of the Grand Orient of France, an all Filipino Masonic Lodge, where he was elected as Supervising Architect. It was probably in the same year that Bro. Jose was also designated by the Gran Oriente Espanol as its Grand Representative in France and Germany.
1891-1892: Bro. Jose left Europe for Hong Kong where he stayed for 7 months. While in Hong Kong, Bro. Jose was elected in absentia as the Honorable Venerable Master of what was then the Nilad Lodge No. 144 in Manila. The formation of Nilad Lodge inspired the growth of Freemasonry in the Philippines.
1892-1896: Bro. Jose finally returned to the Philippines in 1892 and was soon exiled in Dapitan until July 31, 1896. As soon as Bro. Jose was sent to Dapitan, the Spanish colonial government also closed Masonic lodges and deported active Masons.
1896: Bro. Jose left for Spain to serve in Cuba as a military doctor in the Spanish Colonial army during the Cuban Revolution. He was however arrested upon reaching Spain and sent back to the Philippines to stand trial for treason. On December 30, Bro. Jose was executed by firing squad at what was then Bagumbayan and ignited the Philippine War for Independence under the leadership of two Freemasons --- Bros. Andres Bonifacio and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
Masonic District RIII-D led by Bro. District Deputy Grandmaster Emmanuel Antonio Umali who is a Model Lodge charter member commemorated this watershed event in simple rites at the grounds of the Cabanatuan City Hall. Bro. District Grand Lecturer Froilan Valino, another Model Lodge charter member, delivered the valedictory address in behalf of Bro. Vice-Mayor Jolly Garcia of Cabanatuan City.
The event was attended by representatives all Masonic lodges under the jurisdiction of Masonic District RIII-D with Model Lodge having the biggest delegation. Representatives from the Order of the Amaranth, Job’s Daughters International, and the Knights of Columbus also attended the commemoration rites.
Milestones in Bro. Jose Rizal’s Masonic Life
1861 (June 19): Bro. Jose was born in Calamba, Laguna.
1872-1882: Bro. Jose’s student days at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila (1872-1877) and the University of Sto. Tomas (1878-1882) where at some time he stayed in the house of his uncle Jose Alberto Alonzo who is a Freemason and who perhaps introduced Bro. Jose to the ideals of Freemasonry.
1882-1884: Bro. Jose visited Naples in Italy while studying medicine at Spain’s Universidad Central de Madrid and was impressed by the public adoration shown at the death of Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi who is a Freemason. It was probably at this period when Bro. Jose encountered the ideals of Bros. Miguel Morayta and Francisco Pi y Margal which led him to petition for membership at their Masonic lodge, the Acacia Lodge No. 9 of the Gran Oriente de Espana in 1884, and adopted Dimasalang as his Masonic name.
1885-1887: Bro. Jose left for France and Germany to pursue further studies at the University of Paris and later at the University of Heidelberg where he became a member of the Berlin Ethnological and Anthropological Societies through the intercessions of Bros. Dr. Rudolf Virchow and Dr. Feodor Jagor. It was also while in Germany that Bro. Jose acquired additional degrees in Freemasonry which might have included The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. It was during this period when Bro. Jose wrote his first novel, the “Noli Me Tangere”.
1887 (August 6): Bro. Jose came home to the Philippines and immediately faced charges from the Spanish friars on the alleged subversion of his novel, the “Noli Me Tangere”. Bro. Governor-General Emilio Terrero y Perinat found nothing wrong in the novel and shielded Bro. Jose as far as he can do so, even assigning him a personal bodyguard. But when he thought he can no longer protect Bro. Jose, he advised him to leave the Philippines once again.
1888-1889: Bro. Jose arrived in Paris after travelling via Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, and England. He then moved in Belgium where he started writing his second novel “El Filibusterismo”.
1890 (November 15): During a visit to Spain, Bro. Jose affiliated with the Solidaridad Lodge No. 53 of the Grand Orient of France, an all Filipino Masonic Lodge, where he was elected as Supervising Architect. It was probably in the same year that Bro. Jose was also designated by the Gran Oriente Espanol as its Grand Representative in France and Germany.
1891-1892: Bro. Jose left Europe for Hong Kong where he stayed for 7 months. While in Hong Kong, Bro. Jose was elected in absentia as the Honorable Venerable Master of what was then the Nilad Lodge No. 144 in Manila. The formation of Nilad Lodge inspired the growth of Freemasonry in the Philippines.
1892-1896: Bro. Jose finally returned to the Philippines in 1892 and was soon exiled in Dapitan until July 31, 1896. As soon as Bro. Jose was sent to Dapitan, the Spanish colonial government also closed Masonic lodges and deported active Masons.
1896: Bro. Jose left for Spain to serve in Cuba as a military doctor in the Spanish Colonial army during the Cuban Revolution. He was however arrested upon reaching Spain and sent back to the Philippines to stand trial for treason. On December 30, Bro. Jose was executed by firing squad at what was then Bagumbayan and ignited the Philippine War for Independence under the leadership of two Freemasons --- Bros. Andres Bonifacio and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
FOOTNOTES: Top photo shows Bro. District Grand Lecturer Froilan Valino delivering the valedictory address while the bottom photo shows the Model Lodge delegation to the 111th commemoration of Bro. Jose Rizal's death that was held at the grounds of the Cabanatuan City Hall. An article attributed to Bro. Fred Lamar Pearson, Jrs. for the book "Dimasalang: The Masonic Life of Dr. Jose Rizal" is the primary source of this article. This article was also published in the February-March 2010 issue of "The Craftsman".
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