Dear Brods:
Congratulations to all on our 39th Founding Anniversary!
We’ve surely come a long way and though the drive has been somewhat bumpy, it was to a great extent, a terrific and exciting journey. I will try (and hopefully succeed) to provide you with the requested snippets of anecdotes about those early days leading to the foundation of the frat. However, digging through one’s memories, particularly when we’re talking of 39 long years, will always be an effort of sorts. Searching for those vivid images, adjusting the focus for some that appear murky, and discarding those that trigger unpleasant feelings while trying, at the same time, to render unbiased, accurate accounts, can be a challenging chore.
I can only hope that my memory serves me right.
“those intervening years before the foundation”
We all met during our sophomore year in the university. Classmates in a few general curriculum courses as well as in some political science subjects, we were drawn together by our common interests in political theory and philosophy and the intense desire to make a mark in this vast academic community called UP.
We would often spend hours, in various spots all over campus, but often on the lawn area outside the main library arguing and debating endlessly over theories of Machiavelli , Aristotle, Calvin, Aquinas or some forgotten philosopher. Mind you, we were not intellectuals, just a bunch of guys fascinated by what countries and people do that eventually shaped this world.
We came from different backgrounds. Resty (Alfonso), Tito , and myself were Manila bred guys while Talek, Roy, and Romy (Fortes) came from Midsayap, Cotabato, Cardona, Rizal and Irosin, Sorsogon, respectively. All of us, I believe entered the university as entrance scholars- the first and the last time any of us earned that distinction.
It was a strong bond of friendship that over time extended to something more concrete, acquiring a sense of purpose and mission that needed to be expressed.
“the Political Science Club-the nucleus”
By our 3rd year, we became part of a bigger group of political science majors that included most of the Founders Batch and the future founders of Tau Gamma Sigma. It was an expanded social circle of friends and acquaintances, mostly classmates, who met quite regularly and frequently. Some of the senior members of the group were already part of the Political Science Club - one of the biggest (numbering more than a hundred members) and certainly one of the most influential student organization in Diliman during our time. We were invited to join the club and join we did.
Political Science is considered the best preparatory course for law and the club was populated by members whose ultimate goal was to be a member of the bar. Naturally, it was ruled by members of the law fraternities, which at that time was composed of Sigma Rho, Alpha Phi Beta, and Scintilla Juris. There was a smattering of Upsilonians but majority of the fratmen and sorority women came from the aforementioned groups.
The” Poli Sci Club” was also a rich fishing ground for recruits. As such, we were approached either individually or as a group by all of them. It was a struggle not to yield
to the promise of lifelong camaraderie and years of “pleasant existence” in the College of Law ( and within the university itself) that was being offered by each.
None of us were convinced, though tempted, to give in to the pressures. We refused to lose our identity nor give up what we started together.
We knew what we wanted. We will build a new brotherhood - an organization founded on a new set of ideals, democratic in practice, liberal in thinking, distinct but not elitist in its perspective, rich in diversity, and most of all open and tolerant in its views.
It was our turn to do the fishing inside this big pond called the Political Science Club.
“the founding years”
Establishing the frat was, for most of us, a work in progress. The first two years were the hardest. Designing the framework, defining the standards, and building the structure took a toll on everyone. Day after day we would meet to continue where we left off. Weekends were spent updating each other on the progress of individual assignments and consolidating inputs. Talek’s dorm room and Romy’s apartment somewhere in Anonas were turned into work shops cum sleeping quarters.
From among the group, it was Resty Alfonso who took on the task of working on the framework and standards that will ultimately define the organization. His keen mind and sharp intellect made him the most suited for this role. Who and what we are, as well as what we stand for, are, to my opinion the most critical questions that needed to be answered. Finding the answers was not easy. Ideas were flowing freely from everyone but concretizing them to form a solid whole, linking each one into a coherent, relevant , meaningful concept, while making sure that they collectively represent our deepest aspirations, was the real challenge.
While Resty was neck deep in research, Talek, Roy, Romy, Tito, and myself were working feverishly to attend to the details of organizing. The design of recruitment procedures, membership guidelines, initiation and indoctrination processes as well as rituals made our heads spin. The organizational structure from the head of the frat down to the lowest ranking officer had to conform to the overall scheme of things. The devil is in the details, so the saying goes, and for all of us it seemed like we would spend eternity figuring how to make sense of everything.
After months of research and countless meetings, Resty finally presented to us his opus- The Tenets and the Code of Conduct. It was then, and still is now, a superbly written doctrine that defines with utter simplicity and yet profoundly deep in meaning and value what to us was the proper representation of true brotherhood.
He also introduced to us the Triskelion - a figure that showed three running legs radiating and connected from a common center, which is symbolic of all the dynamic forces in physics and from an Asian standpoint, a symbol that represents the three aspects of dependent relationships which give existence to all functioning things. It was both a fitting symbol and portrayal of our philosophy-encompassing the entire spectrum of our beliefs and ideology. Soon after, it was adopted unanimously by all six of us as our seal and emblem.
“a rose by any other name….”
Adopting a name for the frat was the subject of much discussion. We initially took the position that we should use a non-Greek letter name as one way of signaling our departure from the system. From among the many suggestions given, we somehow leaned towards the name Fraternal Order of the Triskelions. However, during the last stage of our preparations, we realized that it was to our best interest that we take the Greek letter route as it was a more acceptable proposition from the perspective of recruitment. Furthermore, we also wanted to avoid being perceived as a mere honor society or be ranked a notch lower than the established frats.
As a compromise, we decided to favor the name Triskelions’ Grand Fraternity and adopted the Greek letter initials Tau Gamma Phi.
“the founding batch”
By the latter part of the second semester, we were ready to begin active recruitment. We were able to secure pledges of willingness to join from a few close friends but we needed more recruits to reach the number required by the university for a student organization. Thus, we decided to begin selection from a short list of names, ranking the individuals on the basis of their commitment levels, strength of character, potential contribution to the frat and leadership skills. Allow me to name a few brods from the Founders Batch whose significant contributions paved the way towards the fulfillment of our ideals:
Rolando “Rolly” Bayan- strong in academics, highly analytical, we sought his counsel during critical times, a real devil’s advocate during important discussions, and an excellent political strategist/ ( Rolly graduated with Political Science degree as well as an LLB from the UP College of Law, became a ranking legal officer in the Office of the President of the Philippines until his brutal murder in the late eighties in his residence along with his wife. The case remains unsolved up to this day.)
Gerardo “Gerry“ Dacanay- highly principled, strong convictions, good leadership skills, an implementor ( Gerry eventually became the third GT, a philosopher-warrior, it was during his watch when the first major conflict with Kappa Epsilon occurred . (He graduated with a Political Science Degree, reportedly went abroad soon after. His present location is unknown to me.)
Cesar “Cid” Diomampo – a born leader, highly organized, became Corps Commander of the UP ROTC (a position whose campus stature was equivalent to the UP Student Council President) assumed the GT position right after Gerry, credited for putting a more regimented approach to organizational discipline, it was during his administration when the frat mounted its first major political campaign in UP- the KAKASA party with Rene Guioguio as standard bearer for AS Council President, it was also the first time that we were recognized as a political force in Diliman ( he graduated with a Political Science degree, a successful businessman, Cid is still very active in frat affairs as Treasurer of the Alumni Association)
Alvin DeVeza- an active and reliable organizer, an all around guy and an excellent propagandist, often called” Mr.Newsman”- he is a one man information machine providing the frat the much needed intelligence data during the turbulent period (Alvin graduated with a Political Science degree, worked in Congress and taught in a Metro Manila school, he died a few years ago)
And of course, one should not forget the others whose counsel we sought often during the formative years- Benjamin ( “Benjie “) Tagayuna, a long time member of the Congressional Office, House of Representatives, and The Fajayan twins , a successful doctor and a lawyer. Eduardo (Ed”) Conde, who became a accomplished banker and whose whereabouts remain unknown, stayed largely in- active during most of the period due to pressure of studies. [Rod forgot to mention Jesus Rodriguez, Jr.]
I could go on and on but there are so many events, highlights, and milestones to consider and it would probably require me to take a sabbatical just to reflect and sort out those memories. Obviously the expulsion of the two founding fathers from the organization deserves serious thought and recollection. However, the memories of those times were quite painful to recall considering that it serves no purpose except to define historical perspective and extract one bitter lesson: no one, regardless of contribution, stature, and or role in its success, is bigger than the organization itself. The life and success of the fraternity move on its momentum derived mainly from the collective efforts of its members. It thus becomes imperative for the incumbent leadership to provide the direction necessary in order to harness this collective effort towards the greater good of all its members and the organization, devoid of selfish motives and personal aspirations.
My best wishes to everyone. Happy 39 years!
In the spirit of the Triskelion,
Rod ‘68
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Supremacy in Strength...Freewill...Brotherhood, may we always remain...
