Theosophical Society in the Philippines

The Theosophical Society in the Philippines is a branch of the Theosophical Society Adyar with headquarters in Chennai, India.
History.
The earliest record of theosophical activity in the Philippines was in 1892 when the Manila Theosophical Society was established in Manila with B. C. Bridger as Secretary. In 1911, an organization called the Oriental Theosophical Society was formed in the Philippines which did not have any connection with the Theosophical Society in Adyar.1
In 1925, when the Philippines was still a colony of the United States, the Manila Lodge was formed under the Theosophical Society in America. Six other lodges were founded: Cebu, Lotus, Jose Rizal, Soliman, Muñoz and Filipinas, such that in 1933, it was granted a charter by Adyar to become an autonomous section with Ismael Zapata as its first National President and Micaela S. Brilla as the Vice President. Zapata was succeeded by Jose M. Espina of the Cebu Lodge.
During the second world war, activities were suspended. After the war, eight lodges were reorganized, with Domingo Argente as the National President. A piece of land in Quezon City owned by Mr. & Mrs. Roberto Martinez was donated, which has since become the location of the national headquarters. 
Argente was succeeded by Olimpio Cabellon, Benito Reyes, Jose Zulueta, then Argente again, Francisco Escudero, Cleo Z. Greogorio and Vicente Hao Chin, Jr.
The section has hosted two international conference of the Indo-Pacific Federation (1983 and 2007). It has also held the School of Wisdom conducted by Geoffrey Hodson in 1971.
In 1993, the Philippine section developed the Theosophical Core Curriculum, consisting of three parts: theosophical studies, self-transformation, and service work. It also formulated a Mission Statement as well as a Statement of Principles that guide its planning and activities. On the basis of these two statements, it drew up a 10-year plan on its priority projects 1993. The second 10-year plan was approved in 2003.
Activities.
As of 2008, the Theosophical Society in the Philippines is actively engaged in the following programs and activities, in addition to its usual work on studies among members, running a public library and bookshop, conducting regular lectures around the country:
Organizational structure.
The Theosophical Society in the Philippines is an autonomous organization under the Theosophical Society in Adyar, Chennai, India. Its governing body is a Board of Trustees, elected every two years by the members. The officers of the Section (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) are elected by the Trustees from among themselves. Lodges are autonomous units composed of at least seven members, which usually meets once a week. Study groups need at least one member in order to be recognized by the national headquarters. The lodges and study groups are grouped into two Federations: The Visayas-Mindanao Federation, and the Luzon Federation. Within each Federation, the lodges and study groups are also informally grouped into geographical clusters for purposes of mutual cooperation.
The subsidiary organizations and foundations have their own set of trustees elected by the members, but the Chairman is the President of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines in an ex-oficio capacity.
Note:<br>
1 The primary sources of this history are the following: