The winds of liberalism that blew over Europe soon reached the Philippines with the opening of the Suez Canal. Thus, the Filipino elite began to demand a measure of the same rights and liberties which the Spaniards enjoyed. This was brought to a halt with the Cavite Mutiny on January 20, 1872, which led to accusations of complicity against three Filipino priests, the Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora. A reign of terror was unleashed targeting many prominent members of the Comite de Reformadores who were all both Masons and Philippine-born Spaniards. In 1889, the first overseas-educated native Filipinos or indios returned home from Europe and Japan led by Miguel Morayta, establishing local Masonic chapters. Unlike earlier Masonic lodges that had links with foreign-based counterparts, the new group promoted the membership of brown-skinned natives and love of country. One of the local chapters was called “Patria,” the Spanish word for patriotism. Luis E. Villareal, one of the thirteen martyrs who were executed on January 1, 1897, at Luneta, was a Mason from the Patria lodge. Luis was a prominent businessman in Escolta, Manila, and his photograph appears in La Ilustracion Española y Americana in 1897 revealing the features of an indio. These Ten Masonic Letters from the pre-Katipunan Era and dated from 1889 to 1892 were discovered in the 1990s. They are highly significant because there are no other letters from the same period from any other local Masonic lodges whatsoever. More importantly, the last letter proves that the Elcano site of the first Katipunan meeting on July 6, 1892, was the headquarters of the Patria lodge. Therefore, historians may now deduce that the meetings establishing the Katipunan were actually Masonic meetings at the beginning. The Patria lodge in Elcano Street was the same place where Andres Bonifacio, Deodato Arellano, Ladislaw Diwa, Pio Valenzuela, Teodoro Plata, Valentin Diaz, and Ildefonso Laurel began discussing the establishment of the Katipunan. Could this have been the foreshadowing of the founding of the great KKK? (Contributed)
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Rare and Important Masonic Letters from the Pre-Katipunan Era
Ca. (1889 - 1892)
1. Cover page of Resp. Log. Integridad Nacional No. 1 de Filipinas.Iniciacion del Prof. Pedro Vergara Breguesa
2. Letter dated Oriente y Valle de Manila 25 Junio ‘89, addressed to Don Pedro Groizqard, from El Venerable Eduardo Martin de la Camara
3. Uniface letter written in Masonic language
4. Three-page Masonic letter dated 26 de Enero 1890 from Antonio Martinez Dario gr. 20, with manuscript triangle as letterhead on the first page, and two different Masonic seals in blue on page two
5. Three-page Masonic letter dated Vall. De Manila 27 de Enero 1890 from Manuel Madrigal Ernarea gr. 13, with manuscript triangle as letterhead on the first page, and two different Masonic seals in blue on page two
6. Uniface letter written in Masonic language with manuscript triangle as letterhead
7. Uniface letter written in Masonic language
8. Letter dated March 20, 1890, from El Presidente Luz to Sor. Don Pedro Vergara
9. Two-page letter on embossed Masonic seal stationery dated Manila May 17, 1890, from Abelardo Cuesta with red Masonic seal beside the signature
10. Letter with manuscript triangle as letterhead, “Igual a La Union,” and mentioned “Elcano gr. 18 Ven. de la Resp. Log. Patria.” A separate paper served as a wrapper, with a manuscript word written, “Formulario” (application form).
PHP 250,000
Provenance: Provenance: Acquired from the Heritage Arts Center, Quezon City