Wednesday, December 7, 2011

BONIFACIO DAY - November 30, 2011

FIDAC No. 1
Pays Tribute to Our Dad Hero
ANDRES BONIFACIO
November 30, 2011

TOUR OF DUTY - October 28-30, 2011

FIDAC No. 1 Supports
TOUR OF DUTY
11th Jurisdictional DeMolay Conclave and Congress
3rd Masonic Youth Sports Festival
Hosted by: Dionisio Gutierrez Sr., Chapter and Cotabato DAC No. 22
October 28-30, 2011
6ID Camp Siongco, Awang D.O.S. Maguindanao



The members of the Feliciano Iñigo DeMolay Alumni Chapter No.1 (FIDAC No. 1) and/or Feliciano Iñigo Chapter Order of DeMolay recently attended the 11th Jurisdictional DeMolay Conclave and Congress for Mindanao and 3rd Masonic Youth Sports Festival which was held at Camp Siongco, Awang, Maguindanao, last October 28-30, 2011,  hosted by the Dionisio Gutierrez Sr. Chapter, Order of DeMolay, Cotabato City.

FIDAC No. 1 was officially represented by the President, Bro. Bryant Go, Vice- President Bro. Kim Louis T. Ledesma, Secretary Bro. Al Karlus Piloton, and P.I.O. Bro. Leonides C. Ilagan. They were also accompanied by FIDAC/FIC active members, Bro. Ace Guerra, Bro. Jan Philip Yap, Bro. Jesse Valmores, Bro. Clemen Salvador, Bro. Syed Ampatuan, Bro. Desmond Montenegro, Bro. Noor Maglangit, and Bro. Stephen Pasawa.

On October 28, before heading to Cotabato City, the President, Bro. Bryant Go offered the brethren to have breakfast with his family in his hometown of Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. Upon arriving in Kidapawan, they picked up Sister Jaqueline Tomacmol, current Miss Job’s Philippines, affiliated member of Bethel No. 6, and daughter of Dad Jack Tomacmol, Past Chapter Advisor of B.A. Sabulao Chapter in Kidapawan City.  Brother Bryant’s parents, elder brother Brandt dee A. Go and local brothers warmly welcomed the DeMolays and Job’s daughter to their home and proper introductions were given. The weary travelers were famished after the early trip and were treated to a hearty breakfast composed of delicious home cooked food, courtesy of the motherly Bae Valeriana Abucejo Go and Datu Can dee bee Landas Go, and a generous serving of Durian fruits, courtesy of the ever reliable, Kidapawan residing brother, Bro. Ace M. Guerra. After the meal, a few burps and cigarettes, the parents wished their son and the brethren a safe trip for the rest of the journey to Cotabato City.

At around noontime, the DeMolays arrived in Cotabato City and immediately proceeded to the Masonic Lodge to register and to rest. They were welcomed by the host chapter and other delegates from the different chapters in Mindanao. The event kicked off with a motorcade around the city, starting from the Masonic Lodge along Sinsuat Avenue, and stopping by the Rizal monument at the City Plaza for the floral offering to our Dad Jose Rizal. The motorcade ended at the People’s Palace or the Cotabato City Hall to make way for the Mayor’s Night which also served as a courtesy call to the Mayor of Cotabato City, Hon. Japal “Jojo” J. Guiani, Jr., a proud member of the Order of DeMolay himself.

The delegates were treated with a little of what Cotabato City has to offer with a variety of dance and song numbers from various local artists and with local mouth-watering delicacies that surely were a must to complete the Cotabato City experience. A dance number was also given by some of the active members of the Dionisio Gutierrez Sr. Chapter, which further proved that, aside from being leaders, DeMolays are also very talented in terms of other skills and crafts. Notable dignitaries present included Dad Hector A. Emberga, Chapter Advisor of DGS Chapter and DeMolay Executive Officer for Region XI-B, Dad Van Cornelius Luspo, Grand Treasurer of the Supreme Council, Dad Emman Gonowon, Assistant Grand Secretary of the Supreme Council, Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, City Administrator, Dad Leopoldo P. Lugtu, Worshipful Master of Kutang Bato Lodge No. 110 F.&A.M., Dad Noel H. Nunez, Worshipful Master of Shariff Kabunsuan Lodge No. 266 F.&A.M., Dad Alexander U. Ampatuan, PDDGM and Worshipful Master of Bantugan Lodge No. 223 F.&A.M., Dad Anwar Hadjirul, Jr., Bro. Japal “Jojo” J. Guiani, Jr., Sis Jacqueline Tomacmol, and Bro. Edgardo C. Padolina, President of the Alumni Chapter in Cotabato City headed the lighting of the torches to officially open the 3rd Masonic Youth Sports Festival.

After the momentous evening, the delegates were instructed to proceed to their accommodations at Camp Siongco, but the FIDAC members were afforded the generosity of Bro. Bryant’s Law school fraternity brother, and long-time drinking buddy of the Ateneo DeMolays, Brother Atty. Kirby A. Matalam, PMC of DGS Chapter, to rest and shower in his apartment within the city. They were able to shower hassle-free in Bro. Kirby’s pad and were offered a few drinks to celebrate the reunion of good friends and brothers. After the brief gathering, the brothers were brought to Camp Siongco, to further socialize with the other delegates and to settle down in their afforded bunks to rest.

The next day, October 30, was the official opening ceremony of the 11th Mindanao Jurisdictional Conclave and Congress held at the gymnasium of the 6th ID Camp, headed by the Commander-in-the-East, Bro. Justine Fahd Masukat, PMC of the DGS Chapter and the Jurisdictional Master Councilor then, Bro. Indy Jose Mari O. Collado. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Deputy Grand Master of the Supreme Council, Dad Riezel SJ Reyes. After the opening ceremony, there was a roll call of chapters and their representatives, after which was followed by the individual chapter-reporting. The election for the new Jurisdictional Master Councilor for Mindanao was also conducted and with a display of unwavering and unanimous support of those present, Bro. Clyde Marion Vallejo, Jr. from Buenaventura A. Sabulao Chapter, Kidapawan City was elected and has vowed to uphold and pledged his commitment and desire to serve as the JMC-Mindanao for the next jurisdictional year. 

After the ceremonies, the brethren were treated to the military tradition of meal sharing called, “boodle fight”, where eaters would share rice, and mixed food spread in a long banana leaf and eating with the hands instead of being served with individual plates and eating with utensils. The practice aims to promote camaraderie and unity among the brothers by sharing food with everyone gathered.

The rest of the day was left for the continuation of the 3rd Masonic Youth Sportsfest with different competitions for the participants to join, namely the Funshoot, the Paintball competition, the Obstacle Course, and the Basketball exhibition games. FIDAC No. 1 was represented in the Paintball and Obstacle Course but failed to win the events. The brethren came close in the Paintball, winning their first round encounter but lost to eventual champions, the Rio Grande Chapter of Kabacan City. Still, overall, the games reached its aim of inspiring fun and promoting sportsmanship among the DeMolays.

During the last night inside the camp, a fellowship was prepared by the host chapter to further strengthen the brotherhood between the delegates. The 6 ID stage band was tapped to perform for the night. The winners of the different events during the Sportsfest were announced and awarded during the night. Bro. Francis Buenafe, of Calilayan Chapter also spoke and invited all the delegates to attend the National DeMolay Conclave and Congress to be held at Lucena City, Quezon on May 17 – 20, 2012. Dad Van Cornelius Luspo also gave his message of challenge to those present, especially to the active members of DeMolay and to the host chapter. In conclusion, Dad Hector A. Emberga gave his message of thanks to the people who made the event possible and to the delegates who attended and gave their all-out support to the event. It was also announced that the hosting of the 4th Masonic Youth Sports Festival has been awarded to Rio Grande Chapter of Kabacan, North Cotabato, who were the overall champions of the concluded competitions.

Prior to leaving on the 30th, FIDAC #1 participated in the basketball exhibition game against the Senior brethren and Masons of DGS Chapter. They followed the basketball game with a last round of a friendly Paintball game among themselves, which generated a few heartwarming laughs and smiles. After everyone had taken their showers, it was finally time to say goodbye to the host chapter and to thank and congratulate them for a very successful Sportsfest and Conclave.

However, the trip wasn’t over yet as some of the FIDAC brothers decided to make one last side trip before going home to Davao. The brethren were treated to an early dinner at the house of Bro. Oscar ‘budz’ Presto Jr. of Rio Grande Chapter in Kabacan, and were warmly welcomed by his parents to their beautiful home. A few of the Kabacan brothers joined them for the small thanksgiving feast. After the meal, the DeMolays proceeded to Kidapawan City again to buy rations, food and drinks for their planned overnight stay to Lake Agco Hot Springs, near the foot of Mt. Apo, the tallest peak in the Philippines. They were joined by the Kabacan brothers, Bro. Oscar Presto, Jr., Bro. Kenth Agustin, Bro. Ralph Butch Garidan, and were later followed by the Kidapawan brethren headed by the new JMC for Mindanao, Bro. Clyde Austria and Master Councilor Dan Sabulao.

After stopping by again at the Go residence, the eager beavers began the 30 minute trip to the mountain of Apo Sandawa. Upon reaching the Jacuzzi resorts near Lake Agco, President Bryant Go introduced the brethren to his friends, relatives, and fellow Lumads who owned the resort. It was a small resort located at the hills but showcased a beautiful hot spring for tourists, and a small cave which served as a steam bath. Bro Bryant then afforded the brothers a quick tour of the place which left them shivering in awe. The brothers who mostly forgot to bring jackets and sweaters were shocked by the extreme cold atmosphere of the mountains, but it soon didn’t matter for as the night went on, they were kept warm by the grilled fish and pork, the joyous laughter from jokes, and of course the natural comfort provided by the spirits of alcohol. After the tiring events of the day, our travelers soon retired to the comfort of their beds, and snored away in the jungles of Apo.

The next morning, October 31, the rested DeMolays bathed in the hot spring Jacuzzi, sweated it out in the steaming cave, took pictures along the boiling muds of the area, and even jumped into a hidden waterfall they found at the base of the cliffs. Our nature loving boys were amazed at the beauty of such untouched wonders of the mountain and were very thankful to the owners and residents of the land for sharing this wonderful experience. Of course, the DeMolays were thankful to our very own President, Bro. Bryant Go, for imparting awareness of the gifts of nature and the importance of doing our part in its preservation and cultivation.

After exchanging pleasantries and thanking the residents, the DeMolays soon decided to catch the last trip home to Davao. The Davao, Kidapawan and Kabacan brothers bade their goodbyes, and with the promise of renewing old ties and the pledges of support to each chapter, soon parted with the bond of brotherhood and friendship brought by the 11th Jurisdictional DeMolay Conclave and Congress for Mindanao and the 3rd Masonic Youth Sportsfest.

As a final note, salute to our brethren from the Dionisio Gutierrez Sr., Chapter Order of DeMolay, DAAP Cotabato No. 22, Dad Hector A. Emberga, Executive-Officer RXI-B of the Supreme Council Order of DeMolay of the Republic of the Philippines, Hon. Brother Japal J. Guiani, Jr., City Mayor of Cotabato City, and BGen. Dad Rey C. Ardo, AFP Commander, 6th Infantry Division, PA, not only for a job well done, but, our deepest gratitude for the hospitality and warm welcome.

-FOR GOD FOR COUNTRY FOR DeMOLAY-

NATION OFFICERS MID-YEAR MEETING - October 22, 2011

FIDAC No. 1 Attends
DeMOLAY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES
National Officers Mid-Year Meeting
October 22, 2011
Hosted by: Dr. Filemon S. Pajares DAC No. 41
Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur

SPECIAL CAUCUS - October 2011

FIDAC No. 1
SPECIAL CAUCUS
In re: Alteration of a Time-Tested Tradition and Suspension of the Three Lights of FIC
October 2011

BINGO FOR A CAUSE - September 2011

FIDAC No. 1 joins
BINGO FOR A CAUSE
Sponsored by: Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)
Grand Regal Hotel, Lanang, Davao City
September 2011

BRO. JESSE S. JALIMAO - August 2, 2011

FIDAC No. 1 and FIC
Bid Farewell
to Our Beloved Brother
BRO. JESSE S. JALIMAO
August 2, 2011

PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION - July 29, 2011

FIDAC No. 1
presents a
PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION
to the family of
DAD VIRGILIO M. ASUELO
(Posthumous)
July 29, 2011