ALL THE WAY by PHILAMER C. CELI

THE 20th Multi-District Conference of Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A.M.), under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Philippines, will be held on August 25-26, at the Pangasinan Lodge No. 56 F. & A.M. Temple, Tondaligan Park, Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City. Pangasinan Lodge No. 56, host this year’s confab, was chartered on December 16, 1918, and belongs to Masonic District No. R1-A (formerly No. 37).

Ample and viable preparations are underway to make this Masonic activity an eventual success. As expected, the two-day affair shall be attended by some 300 Master Masons, including the three great lights (top three officers; Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden) of each of the 16 Masonic Lodges, from the three districts: No. R1-A - Pangasinan and La Union; No. R1-A-CAR - Benguet and Abra; and R1-B-CAR - Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

In Pangasinan, there are eight Masonic Lodges: Pangasinan Lodge No. 56, Alfonso Lee Sin Memorial Lodge No. 158 (Tapuac, Dagupan City), Moises de Guzman Memorial Lodge No. 161 (Lingayen), Mangaldan Lodge No. 354, Hundred Islands Lodge No. 201 (Alaminos City), E.A. Tamondong (San Nicolas), Lodge No. 217 Agno Lodge No. 75 (Tayug), and Urdaneta Lodge No. 302.

Distinguished Masonic dignitaries from the Grand Lodge of the Philippines led by the Most Worshipful Grand Master Romeo S. Yu and Grand Senior Warden Pacificador Aniag shall grace the occasion which is an annual joint undertaking of the three Masonic Districts.

Spearheading the preparations for this significant occasion are the officers and brethren of Pangasinan Lodge No. 56, to wit: Worshipful Master Paquito Navarette, Senior Warden Nelson Fernandez, Junior Warden Johnson Fernandez, Secretary Jose Netu Tamayo, Past District Deputy Grand Master/Treasurer Edgar Tacadena, Past Worshipful Master/Auditor Cesar Villamil, and Immediate Past Worshipful Master Benjamin Benin.

Providing the much needed assistance and support to the host lode for this conference are some of its Past Worshipful Masters and the Past District Deputy Grand Masters, Past District Lecturers and Inspectors the lodge has produced: Pangasinan Provincial Board Member WB Danny Uy, WB Mario Meneses, III, Bro Peregrino Cornel, Jr., W Conrado Gaerlan, WB Ramon Reyna, WB Alfredo Quinto, WB Siverio Castillo, VWB Mario de Guzman, VWB George Chua Cham, VWB Edward Chua Cham, WB Leon Palaganas, Jr., WB Gerardo Barrozo, WB Rodolfo Carolino, and WB Luis Cornel. The lodge’s honorary members VWB Marcelo Espinosa, WB Jose Benin and VWB Alex Aurelio are also giving counsels and support to the activity.

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PRISAA Regional Meets 2006, 2007, 2008

The PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) Region I Board of Trustees, decided at its meeting which was presided by PRISAA National and Region I and LNU President Dr. Gonzalo T. Duque and PRISAA Region I Vice President Atty. Arturo B. De Veyra, on June 15, at the Lyceum Northwestern University Conference Hall, Dagupan City, to hold its three-tear Athletic Meets for 2006 in Urdaneta City; for 2007 in San Carlos City; and for 2008 in San Fernando City, La Union. This regional event is  usually conducted in late November or early December among private higher education institutions in Region I.

PRISAA, it could be recalled, was organized, on February 17, 1953 through the initiative of Dr. Manuel Carreon, the then Director of the Bureau of Private Schools. PRISAA has been committed towards the realization of the government’s thrust of ‘building a strong republic’ though development and promotion of sports in the country. In fact, PRISAA has envisioned to serve as the venue of sports, academic and cultural development on the Filipino youth who are expected to reap honors and prestige for the country.

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PRISAA Dagupan City cagefest opens August 1

Tertiary schools which include among others PIMSAT Colleges, Colegio de Dagupan, Lyceum-Northwestern University (L-NU), Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy (PAMMA), University of Luzon (UL) and University of Pangasinan (UPang), in DagupanCity; Asia Institute of E-Commerce (AIEC) and Philippine College of Science and Technology (PCST) in Calasiao, Pangasinan, are seeing action in the ongoing PRISAA 2006 Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament opening ceremonies and hostilities of which unwrapped on Tuesday, August 1 at 9:00 a.m. at the People’s Astrodome, Dagupan City.

This cagefest which is sponsored by and under the auspices of the PRISAA Dagupan City Divison shall serve sa the qualifying process from which outstanding players shall be a nominated to form the team selection that shall represent the PRISAA Dagupan City Division in the 2006 PRISAA Region Athletic Meet, tentatively set in Urdaneta City, late November or early December, this year and eventually to represent the region in the PRISAA 2007 National Games in Iloilo City and Bacolod City.

PRISAA Region 1 is under the sterling leadership of its publisher, Dr. Gonzalo T. Duque, who is the president of the Lyceum Northwestern University and also the national president and co-chairman for life of the PRISAA  National Board of Trustees.