Freemasonry or Masonry refers to a civic movement promoting fraternity and good works.
During that time, an intellectual movement arose throughout Europe based on rationalism, which held that only eternal truths could be attained by reason alone.
Sometime in 1869, Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz joined the Scottish Lodge based in Nagtahan, which had been founded by the British Consul-General.
On July 4, 1924 - The Filipino body, in a General assembly attended by more than 300 Master Masons from all over the country, unanimously adopted a proclamation saying that the Philippines is an exclusively Filipino Masonic Territory under the jurisdiction of Supremo Concejo del Grado 33 Para Filipinas headed by Soverano Gran Commendador Timoteo Paez and his council were Dr. Barcelona, Judge Rodas, Geronimo Santiago, Atty.
After its constitution, the existence of the Supremo Concejo del Grado 33 Para Filipinas was formally proclaimed to the four corners of the world on December 30 - Rizal Day - of the same year.
Zobel himself wrote: “Bajo estas circumstancias mis pensamientos se dirigieron—y no solamente los míos—á la única organización que podía reunir todos los elementos liberales españoles del Archipiélago y del gobierno en Manila para conseguir la conservación y el desarrollo sano de esta colonia tan importante para España.
Esta organización es la masoneria bastanda propagada en España y sus colonia y enemiga del clero católico.” (Under these circumstances my thoughts were directed — and not only mine — to the only organization that could bring together all the Spanish liberal elements of the Archipelago and the government in Manila to achieve the conservation and healthy development of this important colony for Spain.
This organization is the bastard masonry propagated in Spain and its colony and is enemy of the Catholic clergy) It was a group of young Filipino students studying in Spain who helped spread the movement rapidly in Philippine circles: Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Alejandrino, Ariston Bautista, Julio Llorente, Galicano Apacible, Antonio Luna, and his brother Juan Luna, and Jose Rizal.
Such was the influence of Freemasonry in the public that even the organization Katipunan adapted masonic secret rituals and codes.
Despite continued protests and appeals by the Katipunan and Filipino Masons to their brother American and European Freemasons to end hostilities and recognize the First Philippine Republic, the European and American Freemasons ignored the appeals and even worked against Philippine nationalism via the Philippine-American War and Treaty of Paris.
The American Grand Lodge Constitution was used as a basis, keeping in mind issues such as equality of all races and working languages for ceremonies.
To atone for their mistakes in killing Filipinos some of whom were fellow Masons, the Americans promised eventual independence to the Philippines.
Walter Bruggman and Mariano Tenorio were mandated to reorganize its symbolic lodges and revive its Scottish Rite Bodies which led to the formation of the Gran Logia Regional del Archipelago Filipino.
The Second World War and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines forced all lodges to stop activities.
Among high ranking Masons lost were Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos (PGM 1938), executed on May 7, 1942, in Malabang, Lanao; Joseph H. Alley (PGM 1937), died Feb 1, 1946 after his release from concentration camp; John McFie, incumbent Grand Master killed by artillery fire at UST concentration camp during the battle of Manila, February 1945; and his Deputy, Colonel Jose P. Guido, beheaded by the Japanese on February 7, 1945.
This was also attended by lodges of other foreign Grand Jurisdictions; Massachusetts, England, Scotland, and Ireland that did not vote and only observed.