Pangasinan Lodge No. 56

The Name

                This Lodge was named after the province in which it is established. In the local tongue, the word Pangasinan means a place where salt is made.

The Lodge

                Fifteen Masons organized Pangasinan Lodge in Lingayen, Pangasinan on December 28, 1918. Among the founders were Senator Daniel Maramba, Senator Sotero Baluyot, Senator Pedro Maria Sison and Chief Justice Manuel V. Moran. On January 21, 1919, the Grand Master issued a dispensation to the organizers authorizing them to form a lodge at Lingayen, Pangasinan to be known as Pangasinan Lodge. At the annual communication of the Grand Lodge held a few days thereafter, the lodge was granted a charter and assigned number 52. Only a few members, however, stuck it out with the lodge and it had very little work and made equally little progress, so the officers did not make arrangements for the constitution of the lodge. The following year, at the annual communication of the Grand Lodge in January 1920, the lodge requested for a fresh charter. The Committee on Charters, however, found that the lodge had done only a small amount of work, so it recommended that the request be denied, and that the lodge instead be allowed to continue working under dispensation.

Finding it difficult to exist in Lingayen, the members transferred the lodge to Dagupan City which had a more central location than Lingayen. It their new site they were more successful. On January 26, 1921, during the annual communication, the Grand Lodge granted the lodge a new charter. The number 52, however, had been given to Pinatubo Lodge when the members of Pangasinan Lodge failed to have it constituted in 1919. In the meantime, too, the numbers 53,54 and 55 were given to other lodges. Pangasinan Lodge, therefore, had to settle for number 56. Two months thereafter, on March 5, 1921, Grand Master Edwin E. Eser, accompanied by Juan R. Avelino, Simeon A. Figueras, Francisco Urrutia, and other Masonic dignitaries, proceeded to the Cine Sol in Dagupan where they finally constituted Pangasinan Lodge No. 56 and installed its officers before about 1,000 Masons and non-Masons. After the ceremonies speeches were delivered by Daniel Maramba, its Worshipful Master, and by Lamberto Siguion Reyna and the Grand Master.

 For over ten years after its constitution, Pangasinan Lodge held meetings in various places, until 1930 when the members acquired a lot where they subsequently built their Temple.

When the Second World War broke out, the Japanese Imperial Army occupied the Temple of the lodge and it went into darkness. That, however, was not the only misfortune of the lodge. During the battle for the liberation of Pangasinan, its Temple was leveled to the ground, so when the war ended, the members again had to meet in private residences. In 1948, the members pooled their resources and erected a new Temple. They completed the Temple when the US War Damage Commission released P3,000.00 in payment of the old Temple.

 Pangasinan has had its share of glory and honor. Two of its Past Masters -Clark James and Cenon Cervantes - were elected to sit in the Grand Oriental Chair. Also, in 1977, the lodge was awarded the Grand Master's Cup and the Baradi Cup.

Location: Dagupan City