Samboangan Lodge No. 310

The Name       

            "Samboangan", was the name of Zamboanga City during the Spanish era as it appeared in old Spanish maps. This word was said to have been derived from the words "Jambangan" and "Sama", the former being the fabled flower garden in the 9th century nesting at the foot of Mount Pulong Bato, which was then the Garden of Asia, while Sama pertains to the inhabitants of the coastline of the peninsula.

The Lodge

            It was WB Victor C. Ho who fathered this lodge. On the night of July 30, 1993, he met at the Palmares Restaurant with WB Suresh U. Paramanand, Bros. Luis S. Alvares, Jr., Daniel A. Tan, Nestor P. Mendoza, Antonio M. Bagaporo, Hilarion D. Lleno, and Arthur B. Balaga to discuss the formation of a lodge which eventually was named Samboangan. The following day, forty- three brethren belonging to sundry lodges and residing in or near Zamboanga City presented a petition to the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to form a lodge in Zamboanga City to be named Samboangan Lodge. Grand Master Rizal D. Aportadera gave them a dispensation on October 7, 1993 and named Suresh U. Parmanand to be the Master of the lodge, Luis S. Alvarez, Jr. to be the Senior Warden and Daniel A. Tan to be the Junior Warden. On November 3, 1993, MW Aportadera enplaned for Zamboanga with VW Benjamin S. Geli and VW Roberto C. Reyes, and formally instituted the lodge at the Zamboanga City Masonic Temple on Evangelista St.

            On April 29, 1994, the Grand Lodge, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Charters, granted a charter to the lodge and assigned to it number 310. Samboangan Lodge No.310 was constituted as a regular lodge on June 24, 1994 by MW Pablo C. Ko, Jr. in appropriate ceremonies at the Zamboanga Orchid Convention Center.

            Last October 30, 1999. Grand Master Franklin S. Demonteverde laid the cornerstone of the proposed two-story temple of the lodge. As of the last report the lodge is still undertaking the construction of its Temple at the Dona Nene Drive, along Governor Ramos Avenue at Sta. Maria in Zamboanga City.

            Location: Zamboanga City