The patriarch of a family of Masons… “Freemasonry is the practice of every social and moral virtue; it is a way of life worth living but which requires self-discipline.” This was Damaso C. Tria’s declaration on the occasion of his installation as Grand Master of Masons on April 29, 1971. Tria is such a staunch believer in the worth of Freemasonry as a way of life that his entire family is deeply involved in promoting it, keeping inviolate with zeal and through self-discipline, the tenets and principles of our Craft. His late wife (nee Paz Ocampo Castro, of Rosario, Cavite), whom he married in 1937 was a member of the Order of the Amaranth and of the Order of the Eastern Star. Their daughters – Felicitas, Patria, and Melinda – are all Past Worthy Advisers of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. Their sons – Roberto and Oscar - are both Master Masons. Tria is, indeed, a practitioner of what he has been advocating: Freemasonry should be brought to our homes, and our homes to Freemasonry. Tria was born of fishermen-parents at Pilar, Bataan on December 9, 1911. After finishing his primary education at his hometown, he went to Balanga to take his secondary course. He finished high school in three years and as valedictorian. In 1934, he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Philippines. He was hired right away as an apprentice engineer of L.M. Hausman & Company. After passing the 1940 Board Examinations, he transferred to the San Carlos Milling Co. Ltd. as Mechanical Engineer. But in 1952, he rejoined the L.M. Hausman & Co. to become Chief Engineer. In 1955, he was promoted to Vice-President and twelve years later he became the President of the Company. Parenthetically, Tria also became President of Griffin Industrial Engineering Corporation. During the war years, Tria joined the resistance movement, fighting with the 72nd Division at Negros Province. It was at Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4 where Tria was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on November 29, 1949. In 1957, he became Master of this Lodge. Later, he served as Master of two other lodges – Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147, in Quezon City, of which he was a dual member, and Lodge Perla del Oriente No. 1034 of the Scottish Constitution. In the Grand Lodge he also made his services available. He was appointed Junior Grand Lecturer in 1966. Two years later he was elected Junior Grand Warden, then Senior Grand Warden in 1969, and Deputy Grand Master in 1979. Finally in 1971 he was elevated to the Grand Oriental Chair. In November 1952, Tria took his Scottish Rite degrees in the Luzon Bodies, A. & A.S.R. In February 1957 the Supreme Council invested him, with the rank and decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, and in February 1961 with the rank and dignity of Inspector General Honorary, 33°. On January 25, 1966, he was crowned Sover­eign Grand Inspector General, and Active Member of the Supreme Council. From 1966 to 1988 he served the Supreme Council in several important positions such as Grand Treasurer General, Grand Prior and Lieutenant Grand Commander. During the Supreme Council sessions in 1988 he was duly elected to succeed Raymond E. Wilmarth as the sixth Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council and served up to 1991. Tria is a member of Keystone Chapter No. 354, under the Grand Chapter of Scotland, as well as of Luzon Chapter No. 1, under the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Republic of the Philippines. He is, likewise, a member of the Oriental Council No. 1, Royal and Select Masters; of Far East Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar; and of Asoka Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine. He is furthermore active in the Order of the Amaranth having been elected Grand Royal Patron in 1981. Tria’s achievements within and without the confines of Freemasonry have merited applause and recognition here and abroad. He was included in the 1981 edition of “Who’s Who in the World,” a respected publication of Machinery Trading Executives in New York. In 1988 he was given the prestigious award of Legion of Honor by the International Council of the Order of DeMolay, U.S.A. On September 10, 1993, the Supreme Council of the Philippines conferred on him the highest award within its gift – the Grand Court Cross of Honor. The Resolution accompanying the award cited him for his unending exemplification of “the Masonic way of life in its purest and sublime characteristics by his uncompromising commitment to its tenets and teachings, his constant readi­ness to serve its interest and by his demeanor that reflects fidelity to the highest and noblest virtues of Freemasonry.”