Gualberto C. Agatep Sr. Memorial Lodge No. 341
The Name
This lodge was named after a well-loved Mason in Cagayan Valley. Gualberto C.Agatep was a member of Isabela Lodge and Gonzaga Lodge and was the DDGM of District No.2A in 1992. Initiated in 1951, he was active in Masonry till his death in 1996 at the age of 79 years..
VW Agatep was a World War II veteran, Regional Director of the Bureau of Lands, Provincial Board Member of Cagayan and President of the Rural Bank of Gattaran, Inc.
The Lodge
Years before this lodge was established, VW Gualberto C. Agatep and Dr. Leon Angel P. Bañez, Jr. conceived the idea of establishing a lodge in Gattaran, Cagayan, without the slightest idea that once their dream is realized, the lodge would be named after one of them.
It took two brothers both named Rodrigo (Col. Rodrigo T. Diapana and VW Rodrigo L. Bumarlang) to fulfill their dream.
Bro. Diapana who started the ball rolling in the year 2000. With the assistance of Jun Agatep, son of VW Gualberto Agatep, he got in touch with members of Gonzaga Lodge No. 66, Itawes Lodge No. 215, Mabini Lodge No. 39 and Tumauini Lodge No. 251. After several brothers gave assurance of their support, a petition for a dispensation was prepared and filed with the Grand Lodge in March 2001. The filing was, however, too close to the annual communication of the Grand Lodge scheduled in April 2001, so no action was taken on the matter by the Grand Lodge.
In 2001, VW Bumarlang was appointed District Deputy Grand Master. After his District held its convention in October 2001, VW Bumarlang followed up their request for a dispensation with the new Grand Master, Napoleon A. Soriano. A new petition for dispensation was prepared, sponsored by Gonzaga Lodge and signed by thirty Master Masons some of whom were Wilfredo C. Adquilen, Benjamin M. Lasam, Paulino Y. Lim, German C. Agatep, Romarico T. Agbisit, Renato B. Aquino, MW Leon A.P. Banez and Julius U. Calima. All the signatories were residing in or near the municipality of Gattaran, Cagayan.
On December 14, 2001, Grand Master Soriano gave them a dispensation to form Gulaberto C. Agatep Memorial Lodge and on the 17th of the same month he instituted the lodge and installed its Dispensation Officers, to wit: Dominador T. Agatep, Worshipful Master; Gualberto E. Agatep, Jr, Senior
Warden and Rodrigo T. Diapana, Junior Warden.
The lodge met in the second floor of a four-story building owned by the family of the late VW Gualberto Agatep, who gave the members permission to use the place until the lodge could erect its own Temple. Gonzaga Lodge donated money for the purchase of furniture, working tools and jewels for the lodge. While working under dispensation, the lodge was able to raise four brothers to the 3rd degree, pass two to the Fellowcraft degree and act on two petitions for Masonic degrees.
At the annual communication held in Olongapo City in April 2002, the Grand Lodge found the performance of Gualberto C. Agatep Memorial Lodge more than satisfactory, so it granted the lodge a charter and assigned to it number 341.
On June 8, 2002, Grand Master Eugenio S. Labitoria constituted the lodge at the Northern Philippine Academy in Gactaran, Cagayan with the assistance of Rodrigo L. Bumarlong, Alvaro S. Rumbaua, Francisco C. Salinas, Eladio Dumanay, Safiro A. Vinarao, Nerville Peñalosa, Magtanggol A. Nuevo, Renato L. Pataueg and other Masonic dignitaries. Thereafter VW Rodrigo L. Bumarlang installed the officers. Speeches were delivered by the newly installed Master, by MW Bañez who gave an inspirational message extolling the virtues and Masonic activities of the late Gualberto C. Agatep, and by MW Labitoria who dwelt on the duties and responsibilities of a lodge and the obligations of a member.
Location:Gattaran, Cagayan.