HISTORY
It was the eve of World War II. The country looked forward to the second election under the 1935 Constitution. President Manuel L. Quezon was advocating a partyless democracy, causing apprehensions among the youth on his true political intentions. Talks of dictatorship spread like fire and spurred debates among the intellectuals, particularly among the scholars of the University of the Philippines. Calls for youth involvement in national affairs reverberated, echoing the clamor of the valiant heroes of their time.
Heeding to this call, some juniors and sophomores of the U.P. College of Law marshalled unaffiliated scholars and student leaders into an organization that would be held together by close fraternal bonds. They aspired to be a relevant factor on campus and in national affairs; placing themselves in the forefront of the effort to dampen what they perceived was a threatened dictatorship about to be born.
It was in this context that the “Association of Philippine Barristers” was conceived in that historical day of October 1939. The Greek letters equivalent to its initials, Alpha Phi Beta, were adopted as its name. The group complied with University requirements for registration. By November 1939, the Constitution and by Laws of the Fraternity were drafted and filed with the University Council Committee on Student Organizations and Activities (UCCSOA). Shortly thereafter, the UCCSOA granted official recognition to the Fraternity.
The Alpha Phi Beta was born. The fraternity and its founders were ready to make, not merely find, their place under the sun.
All the founders were campus intellectuals and political leaders. Most of them were champion debaters, writers and well-known student leaders. It is not surprising therefore that these same characteristics became the basis for the extension of invitation to potential members, and the measure by which all aspirants are evaluated so that they may qualify for eventual admission to the Fraternity’s Roll of Lords. Another tradition started by the founding brothers was the emphasis on applicants from a strong middle class background.
The founding members in alphabetical order were:
Arturo B. Atienza, a seasoned campus debater, and a member of the College of Law debating team. He later rose to prominence as a law practitioner in Metro Manila.
Antonio L. Azores, who became the first University Student Council President when that body was organized in 1940. He later became a coconut tycoon, and later a law practitioner in Washington, D.C., USA.
Benedicto Balderrama, another member of the College of Law Debating Team, was elected first Lord Chancellor. He became a very prominent law practitioner in Metro Manila.
Renato E. Constantino was then the Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Collegian. He later became a brain trust to political figures, their resident intellectual counsel, an authority on history and nationalism, and a columnist in several newspapers and author of various history books.
Macario Cruz was a student leader, who later became Chief of the U.S. Veterans Administration Legal Department.
Bienvenido C. Ejercito, was an ROTC regimental commander and varsity letterman. He has risen through government service and is now an associate justice of the Court of Appeals.
Florencio B. Florendo was a very studious man who later rose to be a Regional Trial Court Judge and after retirement was elected to the post of Vice-Mayor of his hometown Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.
Adriano R. Garcia was then president of the University Senior Council. He entered the Philippine Diplomatic Service and was hosted as Philippine Ambassador to key European capitals. His talents were recognized by the United Nations which posted him as its Chief of Mission in several South American countries.
Elias Lavadia was an ROTC Regimental Commander and varsity letterman. He became a General in the Philippine Air Force and was later the General Manager of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation.
Rustico V. Nazareno had a reputation for scholarship in the College of Law. He later became an institution in law practice.
Rosendo J. Nuval was another student with good brains who later became a Commodore in the Philippine Navy.
Francisco Sumulong had good grades in the College of Law. After graduate studies abroad, he established his reputation in law practice, entered politics and served his district in Rizal as Congressman and Assemblyman. At present, he is the Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives.
Gerardo Tioseco was another scholar who eventually earned his place as a businessman and co-owner of SUGECO, an industrial carmaker.
Teodosio V. Valenton was a student leader with good grades. After graduation, he practiced law and became the mayor of Talavera, Nueve Ecija. After politics, he resumed practice and was owner of a Technical College in Manila, and became an agribusiness entrepreneur.
Manuel Vijungco was a law student with excellent grades. He became a reputed law practitioner specializing in transportation cases, a publisher of trade publications and is now APT-elected Board Chairman of the Pantranco North Express Incorporated, and Chairman of its Executive Management Committee.
Jose Villacorta is another popular campus figure with good grades. He became prominent as a law practitioner and later was a city fiscal of Caloocan City until he retired.
Manuel Vistan Jr. was a star varsity letterman in basketball. He later went into law practice and was in movie production until his untimely demise.
Exequiel M. Zaballero Jr. was a student leader. He rose to prominence as a law practitioner and a coconut producer in his province, until he died at an early age.
Professor Ambrossio Padilla was a unanimously elected as the Charter Adviser of the fraternity. He became a prominent law a practitioner, a professor of law, Solicitor General, and later a Senator. After his retirement from politics, he resumed his lucrative law practice until his untimely demise.
The founding Brothers were men of diverse persuasions and varied interests. For its philosophy, the founders adopted the guidelines: ” We shall not be saved without wisdom, for though knowledge is power, only wisdom is liberty.”
Since almost all of the founders held scholarships, a weighted grade average of 1.75 was the prime qualification for an invitation to apply for admission into the select group. While they belonged to the campus elite, they did not come from elitist backgrounds. Neither did they want to be elitists.
They welcomed all who desired to share their fraternal bond and the objects for which they had founded their brotherhood. They wanted to share the ideal of aspiring for relevance not only in the context of the campus, but in the larger fabric. While they sought an increase in numbers, the founders insisted in the maintenance of quality among the recruits.
1940 was a year of expansion and consolidation for the Alphans, Antonio L. Azores was Lord Chancellor for the first semester, and Adriano Garcia for the second semester. Prospects for membership had their backgrounds checked from records of the University Registrar and the Secretary of the College of Law. Those with the scholastic qualifications, and showed potential for leadership in campus and national affairs, were invited to join. The neophytes were oriented to the ideals and aspirations of the founders. Those who decided to proceed with their applications were made to undergo tests in skills essential to prove their actual possession of perceived potential; and commitment to the ideals and causes of it’s founders. Physical initiations were not encouraged on the theory that this would demean the brotherhood. No aspirant was turned down just because he did not have the social background or financial resources.
In addition, there were tests of humility, surrender of the individual to the larger aspirations and interests of the group, and the ability to yield total obedience to the consensus of the majority. While this seemed a simplistic approach, compared to the other fraternal organizations on the campus that believed that intensive physical tests sealed fraternal bonds, the founding brothers felt that those with the low threshold of pain, but nonetheless had all the other qualifications for membership and would be assets, would be turned off and stay away. The approach worked and the best minds on the campus joined the new fraternity.
The growing fraternity decided to make an impact on the campus. The consensus was that with the mandate bestowed by the mantles of organizational leadership that the Brothers would wear, their voices would be better heard in national affairs. 1940-1941 saw the Alphans moving to gain positions of formal leadership on the campus. The fraternity expanded its contacts and friendships with other student leaders of other units and organizations. Through its efforts, the Alphans, led by Bienvenido C. Ejercito as third Lord Chancellor- were able to rally and marshall the students who counted in other units into a university-wide political organization.
It was an uphill struggle all the way against older, more established, and better founded student agrupation, the bruising efforts was rewarding to the Alpha Phi Beta.
In the academic year 1940-1941, Angel Baking, then a student of College of Engineering, became the Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Collegian with the support of the Fraternity.
Academic year 1941-1942 saw: Antonio Azores elected President of the University Student Council; Delfin Garcia became Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Collegian; Adriano Garcia elected President of the University Senior Organization and Chairman of the Philippinensian; Sergio Bautista elected President of the University Junior Council; and Bienvenido Ejercito elected President of the Law Student Council and ex-officio representative to the University Student Council.
The Alpha Phi Beta sponsored in 1941 the First Annual Debate of the UP College of Law. The issue was “Democracy vs. Dictatorship.” Renato Constantino was Team Captain for the affirmative side, with Rafael Estrada and Antonio Azores as members. The negative side had Benedicto Balderrama as Team Captain, with Adriano Garcia and Arturo Atienza as members. The event, which was at Villamor Hall, now the Supreme Court was won by the Affirmative.
The year 1941 likewise saw the entry into the fraternity of two brothers who would lead it to new heights after the World war II: Abraham Sarmiento, now a justice of the Supreme Court; and Aguedo F. Agbayani, who would be a multi-term congressman and Governor of Pangasinan.
By December 1941, the war in Europe had threatened to spread in the Pacific. The Brothers who were in the Philippine Army reserve were among the first to respond to the call of the colors. Japanese bombs dropped on Pearl harbor, Clark Field, Sangley Point and Subic Naval Base. Manila was strafed. Newspaper Extras screamed the headline that war had been declared. All the units of the University were closed.
Brothers saw action in Bataan and Corregidor. They fought in resistance movement after Bataan and Corregidor fell. The University was closed through the three years of Japanese occupation. The tides of war changed. American forces recaptured New Guinea, Palau and Saipan. Then they landed on Leyte, Nasugbu and Lingayen. Finally, the Battle for Manila was fought and won.
The College of Law was reopened at what was left of the Cancer Institute and the College of Engineering Buildings on the Manila Campus.
The Fraternity was reactivated. Brothers Adriano Garcia, Arturo Atienza, Renato Constantino, Bienvenido Ejercito, and Benedicto Balderrama were the moving spirits. They also formed the Board of Editors of the 1942-1946 Philippinensian. Adriano Garcia as President of the University Senior Council headed the first post-war Philippinensian.
They realized that the continuing relevance and influence of the Fraternity on University and national affairs depended on its being able to expand and recruit members with potential early in their lives on campus, so the fraternity Constitution was amended to allow admission of members still in their pre-law courses. With this amendment, Brothers Leonardo Perez, and Froilan Bacungan were among the first post war recruits.
The 1950s saw the rise of the Alphans who excelled in campus leadership and who would later on ascend to public prominence like Genaro Magsaysay (Senator), Cipriano Primicias (Senator), Aguedo Agbayani (Governor), Cicente Millora (Governor), and Candido Cabili (Congressman). It was during this decade that the Fraternity strengthened its monopoly of the Philippine Collegian Editorial Exams. Luis Uranza, Pacifico Agabin, Caesar Agnir, and Andres Gatmaitan are just some of the more famous Alphan Editors of that period. In the glamorous field of forensics and debates, the University emerged as the unofficial debate champion of the World by defeating, among others, Harvard University and University of Michigan.
Somewhere along the line, the scholastic standing rule was likewise relaxed. However, the Alpha Phi Beta has been fortunate since its screening processes have avoided the entry of the less qualified. On the whole, and in the long run, almost all of those admitted to membership have proven themselves to be worthy assets.
