Filipino-American Freemasonry in this jurisdiction (mostly in 4th Manhattan District) started in the 70s with the affiliation of R:. W:.  Manuel Obligacion to Park Lodge No. 516. With R:. W:. Obligacion was the beginning of the spread of Filipino Masonry in the New York City area, most are members of lodges in the 4th Manhattan District of the Grand Lodge of New York. Just about all Masons from the Philippines who immigrated to the New York City area, affiliated with Park Lodge No. 516. Almost all of the Filipino-American Masons of the time were raised in this lodge.

When another lodge, Pyramid Lodge No. 490, needed membership to be revitalized. Brothers from Gramercy led by RW Nimuel Ornillo, W.’. Billy Inocencio and W.’. Manny Chan heeded the call. Years later, Pyramid Lodge No. 490 is now among the strongest lodges in the district.

And then from Gramercy, Pyramid and Jose Rizal, Manahatta Lodge No. 449 was also revived under the leadership of R:. W:.  Alfred Dais and V:. W:.  Danilo Faraon. And now Filipino brothers from the stronger predominantly Filipino lodges are in the process of rejuvenating Colombian Lodge No. 484. From one lodge in the early 1980s, to six predominantly Filipino lodges today. Currently, a new lodge, Jacques DeMolay Lodge No. 1196 recently constituted whose membership are either Senior Demolays, Demolay Advisors or supporters have a distinct number of Masons with Filipino heritage as well.

Filipino-American Masons in this district through the years have held positions of leadership in the Grand Lodge. Foremost of which was RW Alfred Dais who was elected to two terms as Trustee of the Masonic Hall and Home. He was also appointed Senior Grand Deacon. Two Filipino-American brothers are currently serving in the Board of Directors of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica. A third served in the same board until his death. Six brothers were appointed District Deputy Grand Masters of the 4th Manhattan District. Still a number served as Staff Officers, the Masonic Education Officer of the district, Assistant Grand Lecturers, Ritual Officers of the district and Grand Representatives.

There are also Masons of Filipino ancestry in other districts within this grand jurisdiction, some with a good number of Filipino-American members as well, like Knickerbocker Lodge No. 182 of the 9th Manhattan and to a certain extent, Mount Moriah Lodge No. 20 of the First Manhattan, but to my knowledge, none flourished as much as it has in the Fourth Masonic District of Manhattan.

Filipino-American Masonry has flourished in the past almost five decades of its existence in this grand jurisdiction, and is well poised to continue in the future.

Filipino-American Masonic Lodges