Maribulan Lodge No. 304

The Name

            The name "Maribulan" was adopted from the name of the river dominating the area that cuts through the boundary of General Santos City and the south entry of Sarangani Province.

The Lodge

            Sometime in the summer of 1992, somewhere in a coastal town of Southern Mindanao, Lt. Col. Pedro M. Curva (INF), PA, of the elite 12th Special Forces Batallion, was conducting his tour of duty - his second visit to the place when he chanced upon a brother Mason. Thereupon the usual fraternal greetings and handshakes, which could only take place between brother Masons, transpired. Next came the inquiries about Masonry in the place.
           

            What took place in that part of the coastal areas between the two Masons - a resident and a sojourner - is another story. However, WB Pete Curva did not rest after that brief fellowship. He consulted the brethren in General Santos City. He met with WB Lamberto C. Tan, Jr., at that time the Master of Kaduh Lodge No. 278, and Bro. Ziegfred T. Sendico of Dadiangas Lodge No. 225 and a former colleague in the military service, and discussed with them the feasibility of forming a Masonic lodge for the residents of the coastal areas.

            About that time, the coastal areas and other connecting towns and municipalities were in the process of being formed into a new province, to be known as Sarangani Province.

            The planners realized that the establishment of a lodge would be timely and run parallel to the government's programs. Without hesitation, the three spread the news among the Masons of District 37 as well as other sojourners in the area. The response was overwhelming. In a short period, 48 Master Masons in good standing petitioned the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to form a lodge in Alabel Sarangani to be known as Maribulan Lodge. They came from different Lodges viz: Nilad Lodge No. 12. Sinukuan Lodge No. 16, Silanganan Lodge No 19. Maguindanao Lodge No.40, Luzon Lodge No.57, King Solomon Lodge No. 150. Mt. Musuan Lodge No. 156, Kidapawan Lodge No. 170, Koronadal
Lodge No. 209, Dadiangas Lodge No. 225, and Kaduh Lodge No. 278

            Some problems cropped up during the formative stage of the lodge, but they were all resolved harmoniously. The three tenets of Masonry were obviously felt during that period - the tenets Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

            Grand Master Agustin V. Mateo gave the petitioners a dispensation on 3 February 1993 and appointed WB Alexis N. Gorodias to be the first Master, Bro. Ziegfred T. Sandico to be the first Senior Warden, and Bro. Marfenio Y. Tan to be the first Junior Warden, of the new lodge. On 23 April 1993, during the 77th Annual Communication at Davao City, the Grand Lodge granted a charter to the lodge and assigned to it number 304. Grand Master Rizal D. Aportadera constituted the lodge at the Civic Center in General Santos City on June 5, 1993, while VW Froilan G. Tecson installed the officers.   

            On January 30, 1996, MW Danilo D. Angeles presided over the laying of the cornerstone of its Masonic Temple.
 

            Location: Alabel, Sarangani