ALPHA SIGMA PHI PHILIPPINES: A HISTORY
Prologue
Fraternal movements abound in history. One of the more prominent fraternal movements, especially in the United States of America, is Freemasonry. Freemasonry’s central preoccupations remain charitable work within a local or wider community, moral uprightness (in most cases requiring a belief in a Supreme Being) as well as the development and maintenance of fraternal friendship.
The freedom to associate (to form groups) without the prior approval of the State or the religious authorities is the consequence of the Enlightenment, and it reached its zenith in the United States of America where many of its early leaders were identified as free masons.
Freemasonry spawned fraternal movements or secret societies in colleges and universities in the United States of America. The adoption by many of these fraternal movements of Greek letter names evokes the intellectual achievements of ancient Greece.
After the Philippines was colonized by the US in early 1900’s, young Filipinos were sent to the US to study, and when they returned to the Philippines, they organized similar Greek letter fraternities and sororities in Philippine colleges and universities, and among the most prominent of these institutions of higher learning is the University of the Philippines where many of the current fraternities and sororities in the country originated.
Origins
The earliest known fraternity to have used the Greek letter name Alpha Sigma Phi is in the United States of America. Established in 1845 at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, the fraternity exists to this day. In 1984 it forged a formal relationship with Alpha Sigma Phi in the Philippines and formed Alpha Sigma Phi International.
From all anecdotal sources, it appears that there are four (4) groups in the Philippines which used the Greek letter name Alpha Sigma Phi as their fraternal name. According to the date they were organized, these groups are: in 1952 at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation, in Caloocan City; in 1959 at the Central Mindanao University, in Musuan, Bukidnon; in 1959 at the University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Sta. Mesa, Manila; and in 1965 at Silliman University, Dumaguete City.
GAUF, 1952
There is very little known about this group, except the information that one of its members is Bobby Ledesma, a TV host who was prominent in the ’70s. Conflicts arose between their members and Alphans who went to study at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation (GAUF). The groups were unable to overcome their differences and remained separate organizations. No record is available to show that this group was invited to the first national convention in 1972. The group from GAUF which affiliated with ASP Philippines is now known as the Alpha Nu Chapter.
CMU, 1959
Organized by Tomas Gavarra, with the assistance of Ramon del Carmen as Faculty Adviser, this group used the name Agricultural Students of the Philippines, and its acronym ASP was represented by the Greek letters Alpha Sigma Phi. It is the first Greek-letter fraternity organized at what is now the Central Mindanao University (CMU), Musuan, Bukidnon. Some of its members organized chapters in other schools, and one of those chapters was established at Rafael Palma College in Tagbilaran City, now University of Bohol. This group now known as Theta Chapter later played a role in developing ties with Alphans in Cebu City who drew their origins from the Silliman group, and these ties eventually gave impetus to the formation of a national organization.
UERMMMC, 1959
This group claims to be the oldest fraternity of the University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC), at Sta. Mesa, Manila. There is no information as to the origins of its name. Its members are medical students of the university. There is no record showing that it was invited to the first national convention in 1972.
SU, 1965
Organized by Manuel Momongan at Silliman University (SU), in Dumaguete City, this group used the Greek letter name Alpha Sigma Phi, a name lifted from the Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities. There is no record, however, which shows that its organization was with the knowledge and authorization of Alpha Sigma Phi USA. It appears also that the group freely appropriated and started the practice of using the symbols of ASP USA. This practice was further spurred when in the 1980s ASP USA and ASP Philippines forged a Heads of Agreement and established Alpha Sigma Phi International. This group served as the convenor and host of the first national convention in 1972 at Silliman University.
Convergence
When some of these groups grew and organized chapters in other colleges, it became inevitable that their respective members meet and interact with each other. Some members of the CMU group organized a chapter in Rafael Palma College in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. A member of the Silliman group organized chapters in Cebu City. When some of their members met by chance in a youth leadership conference in Cavite, that started a series of inter-chapter meetings and activities that led to the holding of a national convention in Dumaguete City in 1972.
The group in Silliman University hosted the convention, and the first set of national officers were elected. Only chapters that traced their origins from Central Mindanao University and Silliman University were represented in that gathering. Greek-letter names were also assigned to existing chapters. During the 1978 national convention in Davao City, the Greek-letter names of the chapters were updated and approved.
SEC Registration
In 1980 the national organization was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission using the name Alpha Sigma Phi Philippines, International Collegiate Service Organization, Inc.
From 1972 to the present the national organization continued to meet in national conventions, leadership conferences, regional conclaves and summits, chapter and association meetings, spreading the reach and scope of Alpha Sigma Phi Philippines not only in the country but throughout the world.
Relationship with ASP USA
As the organization grew and spread throughout the various colleges and universities in the country, efforts were made to communicate and establish links with Alpha Sigma Phi USA. From these communications, ASP USA authorized its Grand Senior President, Richard Gibbs, to come to the Philippines and attend the national convention in Tagbilaran City, Bohol in 1982. For his efforts, he was conferred honorary membership in Alpha Sigma Phi Philippines.
Through the efforts and initiative of Brother Richard Gibbs, a Heads of Agreement was signed in 1984 formalizing the relationship. The agreement established Alpha Sigma Phi International, to be managed by an International Council consisting of six (6) members, with each group nominating three (3) members each.
Because of the agreement, representatives of ASP Philippines attended Grand Chapters and leadership conferences of ASP USA and visited their national headquarters and some of their chapters in various college campuses.
In 2008, as part of its risk management measure in response to reports of hazing being practiced by groups claiming to be part of ASP Philippines and to protect its intellectual property, ASP USA decided to withdraw from agreement. Relationship between the two organizations however remain cordial, and there are continuing efforts to re-establish and strengthen the formal relationship.
“Founders”
Manuel Momongan, the acknowledged founder of ASP in Silliman University, faced several challenges to his leadership of the organization. Less than a year after founding the organization in Silliman, he left the university and transferred to Cebu City, and in 1966 he started to organize ASP chapters in various college campuses in that city. Questions were raised on his initiation, so he submitted another initiation rites in Cebu City. Questions were also raised on how he appeared to mislead members into believing that ASP in the Philippines was part of ASP USA when he organized it in 1965, when it was only in 1984 that a formal relationship was forged. On the other hand, he also questioned the claims of Tomas Gavarra as founder of the group in CMU, and this finally prompted him to separate from ASP Philippines and found other fraternities altogether. A fact-finding mission was organized by Beta Chapter and met with Manuel Momongan but failed to mend relations with him. Presently, he is not listed as an active alumnus of Beta Chapter or a member in good standing of ASP Philippines.
Two persons are acknowledged to have been instrumental in organizing Alpha Sigma Phi on September 29, 1959 at the then Mindanao Agricultural College (now Central Mindanao University), both of them coming from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna. Ramon J. del Carmen, a graduate of UP Los Baños and junior instructor of the college, served as the first Fraternity Adviser. As a member of UP’s Upsilon Sigma Phi, del Carmen provided inspiration and direction to the new members, and guidance on the traditions and practices of fraternities. He is credited to be the source of the secret motto, and the Alphans’ clap, whistle and signal. On the other hand, Tomas R. Gavarra, a graduate of associate in agriculture from UP Los Baños, transferred to Mindanao Agriculture College for his baccalaureate degree. With his own desire to form a fraternity, he teamed up with del Carmen and led in the recruitment of members. After initiation he served as the first Supreme Grand Chancellor of the fraternity. Brother Tomas Gavarra claimed in various documents that he is the founder of ASP in CMU. This claim is being disputed as research shows that Ramon del Carmen equally played a very active role in the organization of the chapter. Brother Tomas Gavarra passed away in 2017, and this issue remains unresolved by Alpha Chapter. Since there is no record that Ramon del Carmen became a member of the chapter, the honor of being considered founder belongs to Brother Tomas Gavarra—a distinction that has been handed to generations of neophytes to memorize.
Unity
Organizations tend to fracture, and ASP Philippines is no exception. A leadership conflict arose in the 18th NBC (2010) in Malolos, Bulacan when a trustee resigned after he was not elected National President of the organization. He was subsequently elected National President in the 19th NBC (2012) in Jolo, Sulu, but after installing the elected officers in the 20th NBC (2014) he turned around, questioned the legitimacy of the election of the National President, and insisted that he remained the duly elected National President of the organization.
Issues were subsequently raised on the integrity and leadership style of the elected National President, and this prompted the Board of Trustees in a meeting in San Mateo, Rizal Province in 2017 to declare all positions vacant. Another election was conducted, and another National President was installed to office. Thereafter, the National Vice President questioned the process of election, and considered himself the National President by succession. The issue led the hosts of the 21st NBC (Palawan) not to recognize the results of the San Mateo election, leading the Board of Trustees to relocate the 21st NBC to Davao City. Since then, the two groups have been holding their respective national conventions and electing national officers. Attempts are being undertaken to reach a consensus on how to re-unify the two groups, but that initiative remains a work in progress. The relationship of members of both groups at the personal level remains friendly, and everyone hopes that at some point re-unification will be attained.