Friday, February 01, 2008 Masons open lodge grounds for Santos Day By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Masons in Pampanga opened for the first time their lodge to host commemorative program for the late Pedro Abad Santos last Thursday.
Ching Pangilinan, Senior Tourism Operation Officer of the City Government here, said the masons' offering of their lodge is something new to the event, which the city had been hosting for several years now.
Abad Santos, who was fondly called "Don Perico" during his days, is Pampanga Masonic Lodge' s first worshipful master-a title given to heads of Masonic Lodges.
Curiously, Pangilinan said, accounts claim that the land where the now Pampanga Masonic Lodge 48 sits is originally owned by the Abad Santoses.
Thursday's affair marks the 132nd birth anniversary of Den Perico, brother of another Filipino martyr, the late Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos.
Pangilinan said the commemoration of Pedro Abad Santos Day is part of the city's Preserving Heritage for Progress Program, which seeks to cultivate pride among Fernandinos on their rich history.
Present during the affair were Pampanga Masonic Lodge 48 head, Worshipful Master Danilo Lacson, Jr.; District Grand Lecturer, Very Worshipful Martin So of Leonard Wood Lodge 105; and masons under the Jose Abad Santos Masonic Lodge 333.
Don Perico, Pangilinan said, is one of the Fernandino heroes, whose monuments and remains would be housed at the Heroes Park.
The former socialist leader's remains, however, have yet to be located though there have been information that Abad Santos was buried at the Patirik-tirik cemetery in Minalin town when he died in January 1945.
