3. Masonry is the building of structures from
individual units laid in and bound together
by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the
units themselves. The common materials of masonry
construction
are brick,stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone
, cast stone, concrete block,glass block, stucco, tile,
and cob. Masonry is generally a highly durable form
of construction. However, the materials used, the
quality of the mortar and workmanship, and the
pattern in which the units are assembled can
significantly affect the durability of the overall
masonry construction.
4.
5.
6. The history of Freemasonry encompasses the origins,
evolution and defining events of the fraternal
organisation known as Freemasonry. It covers three phases.
Firstly, the emergence of organised lodges of operative
masons during the Middle Ages, then the admission of lay
members as "accepted" or speculative masons, and finally the
evolution of purely speculative lodges, and the emergence of
Grand Lodges to govern them. The watershed in this process
is generally taken to be the formation of the first Grand Lodge
in London in 1717. The two difficulties facing historians are
the paucity of written material, even down to the 19th century,
and the misinformation generated by masons and non-masons
alike from the earliest years.
7. A complete history of Freemasonry is beyond the
scope of a single article. This article traces the early
development of Freemasonry from organised bodies
of operative stonemasons to the modern system of
speculative lodges organised round regional or
national "Grand Lodges". Notable events and
developments of the modern period are also briefly
described. The history of specific subjects, rites and
jurisdictions within the general heading of
Freemasonry are dealt with in detail elsewhere,
in their own articles.
8. Masonry was first brought to the country can not be
ascertained on account of strict prohibitions against
Masonry in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. It was said that the British established a
lodge here during their brief occupation from 1762
to 1764 but, records could not be found except for a
letter in the Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain,
written by the Archbishop of Manila complaining
about the desecration of the cathedral in Manila by
the occupying British forces who used the church as
a meeting place.
9. During the early nineteenth century, Spain was
ruled by King Ferdinand VII, whose hatred of
Masonry was in view of the liberalism that the
Fraternity espoused. In Mexico and in Latin
America, revolts were being led by Masons like
Miguel Hidalgo (Mexico, 1810) and Simon
Bolivar (liberator of South America).
10. The first official prohibition of Masonry that
reached the Philippines was embodied in the
Royal Letter Patent of January 19, 1812, issued
in Cadiz by the Council of the Regency of Spain
and the Indies, in behalf of the absent Ferdinand
VII who was then a prisoner of the French.
11. In August 1824, in another Royal Letter Patent,
Masonry was again peremptorily prohibited for
the reason that – so said Ferdinand VII- “it was
one of the main causes of revolution in Spain and
in (Latin) America”(
12. Advantages
The use of material such as bricks and stones can increase the
thermal mass of a building and can protect the building from
fire.
Most types of masonry typically will not require painting and so
can provide a structure with reduced life-cycle costs.
Masonry is non-combustible product.
Masonry walls are more resistant to projectiles, such as debris
from hurricanes or tornadoes.
Masonry structures built in compression preferably with lime
mortar can have a useful life of more than 500 years as
compared to 30 to 100 for structures of steel or reinforced
concrete
13. Disadvantages
Extreme weather -combined with the right
circumstances- can cause degradation of masonry
wall surfaces due to frost damage.
Masonry tends to be heavy and must be built upon a
strong foundation, such as reinforced concrete, to
avoid settling and cracking.
Save for concrete, masonry construction does not
lend itself well to mechanization, and requires more
skilled labor than stick-framing.
