Bukidnoon Lodge No. 245

The Name
            Named after the province of Bukidnon wherein the lodge is situated. Bukidnon means "people of the mountains" and refers to the original tribes who inhabited the area, but who were driven up to the mountains by the Visayans and the other settlers who migrated to the province.

The Lodge
            On September 17, 1979, sixty-two brethren from Mount Musuan Lodge No. 155 and Zosimo Montemayor Lodge No. 212, led WB's Conrado G. Abiera, Jr. and Saturnino D. Alfonso, applied for a dispensation to form a new lodge in Valencia, Bukidnon to be named Bukidnon Lodge. Grand Master Jolly R. Bugarin gave them a dispensation in October 1979 and on November 3, 1979 the lodge
was opened for the conduct of its initial meeting at the Valencia Elementary School Building.
            On April 25, 1980 the Grand Lodge granted a charter to Bukidnon Lodge and assigned number 245 to it.

            November 6, 1980 was a red-letter day for the lodge. Three Masonic activities took place that day. First, MW Manuel D. Mandac constituted Bukidnon Lodge as a regular lodge; second, the cornerstone of the Temple of the lodge was laid on the lot that was donated by WB Saturnino D. Alfonso, and third, the officer of the lodge were duly installed.

            In the meantime that the brethren were scourging for the funds needed to construct the Temple, stated meetings of the lodge were held at the Golden Restaurant until in 1984 and thereafter moved to the residence of WB Jesus V Cellona.

            A two-story Temple was subsequently constructed and forthwith all stated meetings were held at the upper floor while, the ground floor was rented out to finance maintenance costs.

            Location: Valencia, Bukidnon