Mabini-Kalaw Lodge No. 195
The Name
Named in honor of two prominent sons of Batangas - Apolinario Mabini and Teodoro M. Kalaw, PGM - one of whom (Kalaw) was from Lipa, the seat of the lodge. Lodges Nos. 39 and 235 were also named after Apolinario Mabini, while Lodge No. 136 was named in honor of Teodoro M. Kalaw.
The Lodge
Mabini-Kalaw Lodge No. 195 is a creation of thirty-two brothers of Batangas Lodge No. 35 and Sixto Lopez (Batulao) Lodge No. 129. On October 26, 1970 they were given a dispensation to form a lodge in Lipa City by Grand Master Edgar L. Shepley. The dispensation named the lodge Apolinario Mabini Lodge in accordance with the wish of the founders. In the meeting of the lodge on March 6, 1971, however, the members voted to change the name of their lodge to Mabini-Kalaw Lodge, so the charter that was granted to the lodge by the Grand Lodge in April 1971 named it Mabini-Kalaw Lodge.
July 10, 1971 is a triply significant day for Mabini-Kalaw Lodge No. 195. At ten o'clock in the morning of that day, Grand Master Damaso Tria, with the assistance of Deputy Grand Master William C. Councell, Junior Grand Warden John O. Wallace and MW Esteban Munarriz, opened a Special Communication of the Grand Lodge in Lipa City and laid the cornerstone of the proposed Temple of the lodge. At four o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, MW Tria once again opened a Special Communication of the Grand Lodge and with the assistance of the same Masonic dignitaries, formally constituted Mabini-Kalaw Lodge No. 195. After the constitution ceremonies, the members opened the lodge on the third degree of Masonry for the purpose of installing its officers, to wit: Bros. Ricardo B. Bonilla, Cayo M. Manso and Lucio Magsino as Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Warden, respectively.
The formation of the lodge did not escape critical scrutiny. Its first Worshipful Master (Dr. Bonilla) had to serve his lodge for four consecutive Masonic years (1971-75). Membership also dropped to a precarious few when a good number of its members dropped their working tools.
On February 16, 1982 MW Teodoro V. Kalaw, Jr., PGM, donated a 500 square meter lot to the lodge and the following year RW Reynato S. Puno, Deputy Grand Master, officiated the ground-breaking ceremony where the temple was erected. The Temple was finally constructed in November 1993 and since that time, the lodge has held all its stated meetings in that hallowed place.
This lodge is a co-sponsor of Dr. Jose P. Laurel Lodge No. 325 for the city of Tanauan and the Lipa Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star that was established on June 21, 1997.
Location: Lipa City