From Bro. Nestor's passionate dissertation of the current political condition in our country, one can hardly disagree.  However, I am not clear of exactly what he is proposing.  Given that the political and religious issue discussions are restricted in the open Lodge, I'm not sure how this issue could be highlighted especially the GLP's close relationship with the current President.

Freemasonry is not about community building organizations such as Rotary, Lions Club, it is not about local business networking such as Chamber of Commerce nor a religious support group like KofC.  While those endevours are noble and certainly worth of time, they are not the focus of the Craft.  Those projects are the result of individual understanding of the Lessons or Mysteries of Freemansonry.  WB Emilio Aguinaldo application of his knowledge of the Craft was well recorded in our history.

The text below was taken from the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and
Yukon website.  The subject was about the Masonic influence in the design of the Flag of the Philippines and was written by MW Reynold S. Fajardo, PGM on 15Nov04.

"Time and again it has been asserted that masonry played an important role in the design of the Philippine flag and that some of its symbols were meant to memorialize the Craft. These assertions are essentially plausible, for the man principally responsible for its design — President Emilio Aguinaldo — was a zealous masonic partisan. In one of his speeches delivered after the Revolution, Aguinaldo said; "The successful Revolution of 1986 was masonically inspired, masonically led, and masonically executed. And I venture to say that the first Philippine Republic of which I was its humble president, was an achievement we owe, largely, to masonry and the freemasons." Speaking of the revolutionists, he added; "With God to illumine them, and masonry to inspire them, they fought the battle of emancipation and won." During the Revolution, Aguinaldo frequently displayed a marked bias in favor of freemasons and masonry. He made membership in the masonic fraternity an important qualification for appointments to government positions. His nepotism was so pronounced, a critic of masonry denounced it as one of the "evils" of the Revolution."


Are we witnessing the reincarnation of a great leader and brother or maybe a wisp of neo-Masonic organization known as Katipunan?  'just wondering...


Fraternally,

Rudy Olano
Linclon Lodge No. 34
28Feb05


--- In glphils@yahoogroups.com, "Rey Algas" <rmalgas@l...> wrote:
>
> THE NATION, INTELLECT & FREEDOM
>
> By: Bro. Nestor Reynaldo M. Algas
>

>
> Brethren, our Nation's political leaders were being elected and installed in the highest offices of our government without the people necessarily evaluating and considering their capabilities to intellectually govern. They were placed in those positions not because they were intellectually capable but because they were popular. And we are living witnesses to the failures of their governance and the debasement of our once great political system. Our people are still restrained by the chains of poverty and our country is still under political & economic bondage to aiding countries.
>
> 
>
> Our country is now popularly called the SICKMAN OF ASIA. To cure the malady, I believe that our people's values must be transformed and the key is education. For only when our people have gained knowledge will they better appreciate the truth, value more their rights and subsequently will learn to love and sustain their newfound freedom. In consequence, our people will be intellectually fit to choose better leaders who possesses not only good intellect but are also proven for their honesty, integrity and love for humanity; leaders who may lead us to a better life, subservient to our needs and vigilant in protecting our freedom. As the following
sayings implies, "Education and science makes a man wise", "Wisdom is Power" and "Power is Freedom."
>

>
> Thus, My Brethren: To develop our FREE STATE from the rough ashlar, I believe that the EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE is the GREAT LABOR in which FREEMASONRY should lend a helping hand.