University of the Philippines (UP) Alpha Sigma Fraternity Batch 74-B Initiations: How I became a Masig

Disclaimer: The UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity no longer undertakes the physical initiation rites and methods described in this blog. This blog is for historical and retrospective purposes only. -- Beto Reyes

"Shared pain is a powerful bond among those who experienced it"

In my student days, I became a member of the activist fraternity, the University of the Philippines Alpha Sigma Fraternity. I joined Alpha Sigma sometime in March or April of 1974. I belonged to the second batch of Alpha Sigma recruits that year, so our batch was called “74-B”.There were 9 (the Lucky 9) of us.  Namely: Engr. Cayetano "Ayet" Agpi (deceased), Engr. Nani Andrade (MIA), Engr. Rudy Arias, Engr. Rene Bautista, Arch. Tito Benedicto, Engr. Jun Palmiano, Prof. Beto Reyes (yours truly), Engr. Jun Vigo, and Dr. Ninoy Villanueva.   Brod Jun Palmiano is the only one who is based abroad (Canada) and unfortunately Brod Jun as of this writing does not have an FB nor a Viber account. The batch before ours, or “74-A”, was much smaller, being composed of only two recruits. I remember who they were, because they became very close friends. They were Jesus “Jess” F. Fernandez and Roli G. Talampas.

I joined UP Alpha Sigma because of its nationalist allure, activist glamour, intellectual chutzpah, and “noble savage” posturing. When a frat recruiter told me that Alpha Sigma, or its Greek equivalent, “A∑”, originally meant “Advocates of Scholarship,” that this was later changed to “Alay sa Sambayanan” (Offered For the People), and that it was Kabataang Makabayan (KM) chairman Nilo Tayag's fraternity, my curiosity got aroused.

My original choice was the College of Law based frat Sigma Rho, because I initially planned to take up law, and besides, Sigma Rhoan Demari Raval was persistently inviting me to join. However, I hastily backed out on the first day of being a frat neophyte, or in UP language, “amuyong”, when a frat member, or “master” brashly ordered me to kiss a female dog’s vagina. I was 19 years old, and was certifiably shocked.

The first Alpha Sigma member or “Masig” who approached me was a Veterinary Medicine student named David or “Dave” Fernandez. That was late 1973, and I told him I was not interested. The second one was Jesus F. Fernandez, who was a fellow political science major and fellow member of the newly revived UP Political Science Club. When Jess invited me to join Alpha Sigma, he was fresh from the initiations of Batch 74-A.

No one projected UP Alpha Sigma's activist image during the Seventies better than frat charter member and  Kabataang Makabayan (KM) 2nd chairman Nilo Salumbides Tayag. His Philippine Collegian article "Komitment" was required reading for Left activists.  In 1969, he was arrested by government agents somewhere in the Southern Tagalog region. In 1971, the frat initiated a highly successful info campaign called "Free Nilo Tayag Movement" Thousands of posters and t-shirts bearing the above image of him were printed.  After the campaign, Nilo was elevated into national icon status, which inspired a whole generation of activists, me included. (Photo from  The Revolution for Filipinism by Bishop Nilo Tayag)

Jesus Flor "FF" Fernandez

Jess and I were already close friends when he invited me to join Alpha Sigma. During off-class hours, he told me the history and orientation of the fraternity, in an obvious pitch to make me join. It probably helped that Jess, an underground operative, already knew me as having activist views, that he became interested in recruiting me into the fraternity with the Leftist reputation. Jess was also fondly called “FF” because of the last 2 letters of his initials. However, after I got into Alpha Sigma, I found out that FF also stood for “Fighting Fish,” or what 8 mm. porn films were called in those days. During Alpha Sigma drinking sessions, Jess always had a spool or two of Fighting Fish films ready. Because of Jess’ persuasive invitation, and because I already had a number of trusted friends in Alpha Sigma, I decided to join. What Jess slyly did not tell me, however, was what went on during the frat’s week-long initiation. I had an inkling that it was tough and hesitated momentarily. However, my better judgment told me to go ahead.

Jesus Flor "Jess" or "FF" Fernandez. He was the one who got me to join UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity in early 1974.We were both political science majors and members of the UP Political Science Club. Jess graduated from San Sebastian College High School and was a member of the pre-martial law mass organization Student Alliance for National Democracy (STAND). We were close friends even before I entered the frat. Jess was known for his earthy and infectious sense of humor. He and his girlfriend at that time Marife Fetalino coached me on the rudiments of activism. He stuck by me during the physical initiations. We often hung around in his home on Ermin Garcia St. in Cubao. I often rode on his bright orange VW Brasilia. He was a very good driver even though he had one bad eye. I wondered though how he got his driver's license.  (Photo by Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation)

Antonio Tagamolila

An event that inspired me to join Alpha Sigma was the funeral of Alpha Sigma member Antonio “Tony” Tagamolila in February 1974. Tagamolila had joined the New People’s Army (NPA) a few years before and had just been killed in an encounter with government troops in Iloilo. Before joining the NPA, Tagamolila was an outstanding economics student, editor-in-chief of the official UP paper, The Philippine Collegian, and president of the prestigious College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP).   

I was egged on by several activist friends to attend the funeral. I attended the mass at the UP Catholic chapel and the funeral at the Loyola Memorial Park. The fraternity handled these events, and, in a tasteful way, converted them into a cultural presentation of the Left.  They sang activist songs and shouted activist slogans, as they extolled Tony’s qualities and principles.

One memorable moment at the funeral was when a Masig, Joy de los Reyes, realizing that so many government agents had mingled with the medium crowd, defiantly shouted “Marcos Hitler Diktador Tuta.” Joy had long been the fraternity’s slogan shouter because of his booming voice. I admired Joy’s courage, because he could have been arrested on the spot. After all, martial law was not even 1 and ½ years old at that time. At any rate, after the funeral, I decided that this was the fraternity I would join.

Antonio Tagamolila: UP Alpha Sigma, former editor-in-chief, Philippine Collegian and president, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP). He had a brother, named Crispin, who, as a 1st lieutenant in the Philippine Army, raided the Philippine Military Academy armoryon March 29, 1971, along with another lieutenant, Victor Corpuz. Crispin Tagamolila and Corpuz then joined the communist New People's Army (NPA)  and delivered to the latter the firearms they took inthe raid.    (photo by Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation)

The Paddle

The first session of the initiation was called a “presentation”. I was “presented” to the fraternity at the residence of medical student Danilo “Danny” Sacdalan. Danny’s home was located in the  campus, a short walk from Romulo Hall, and along Katipunan Avenue.

There was just a handful of Masigs or “brods” attending. It was just me being presented, but I was told there were others who were entering Alpha Sigma with me. They blindfolded me, removed my wallet from my back pocket, and checked if had any kind of padding on my rear to dull the pain. Then, without much introduction, I received the initial 5 “paddles”.

The “paddle” was a mean piece of hard wood, about a meter long, an inch thick, and about 6 inches wide. It narrowed down considerably at one end, so the user could use both hands in powerfully whacking it at a neophyte’s posterior.

While blindfolded, I remember hearing someone blurting out: “Assume!” After this command, I was made to bend over and spread my legs a little. Two persons held on to my upper arms to support me. I prepared myself for the incoming blow, but I had no idea how hard the paddle would hit.

Joy de los Reyes was Alpha Sigma's resident theoretician, philosopher, and slogan shouter. His booming voice could project "Marcos Hitler Diktador Tuta" around a 100 meter radius. He did so at Loyola Memorial Park during Tony Tagamolila's funeral in 1974, when he noticed so many government agents around. An audacious act, considering martial law was at its most repressive at that time. Joy died of lung cancer May 3, 2013. (Photo from ellentordesillas.com)

The first paddle gave my buttocks a profound pain that lingered many seconds after it struck. Instantly, it dawned on me how tough this frat initiation would be.

In fairness to the Masigs, they waited for 10 to 20 seconds before delivering the second paddle, and so on until the fifth one. I bit my lip after every wallop landed.  By the fourth one, I had decided that I was going to endure this week-long thing and be a full-fledged Masig. When the fifth paddle hit, I remember my ass was already numb.

The next day, the entire batch of neophytes was told to go to Vinzons Hall at 12 o’clock noon. The Vinzons Hall cafeteria was where the Masigs usually had their lunch, together with the Sigma Alpha, their sister sorority.

The seal of the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity. Frat lore has it that the founding brods had the legendary Alpha Sigma  bulletin board bearing the seal engraved on narra wood in Paete, Laguna (photo from Alpha Sigma Facebook]

Public Humiliation

It was time for the public humiliation part of the initiation. Most of the batch did not have classes at noontime, so the Masigs had more than a handful to embarrass.

The Masigs, or, as we were required to call them --- “masters”, ordered us to do demeaning things, like serving them food, rubbing their shoulders after eating, and telling us to give flowers and publicly court or woo any random girl who happened to be eating lunch.

I gutsily played along, because I really wanted to be an Alpha Sigma. One Masig, Soliman “Soli” M. Santos Jr., even gave me a rose and told me to present it to his girlfriend, Doodie Martinez, who was enjoying her lunch. I did just that, and added some theatrics, like singing to the lady while falling down on one knee. It was fun.

In the one-week period of the Alpha Sigma initiations, my vacant periods from my studies were spent being the willing fool in these public degradation sessions. On many occasions, we were required to spend time at the frat “tambayan” (hangout) at the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) second floor lobby.

Charter members of the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity. The fraternity was founded on October 10, 1962. In the early days, Alpha Sigma admission had a general weighted average requirement of 1.75 (Photo from Alpha Sigma Facebook)

Second Floor CAS Lobby Tambayan : The BB

The Alpha Sigma tambayan was a well-known place in CAS. Located at the entrepot that was the second floor CAS lobby, it consisted of two long benches at a right angle to each other, with one having its back to the academic oval, and the other against an imposing concrete wall on which hung the fraternity’s ornately carved narra bulletin board, or “BB.”

Within Alpha Sigma, the tambayan was endearingly called BB. The bulletin board itself was a sight to behold. Measuring about 1.5 meters by 1 meter, it was carved in Paete, Laguna out of narra hardwood. At the center, framed in a square, were engraved for posterity the letters A∑. From behind these letters emanated majestic rays of light, which had been so skillfully depicted by the Paete sculptors. At both sides of the BB were either empty polished spaces or shelves --- here memories fade.

To top it all, the BB was varnished a stately golden brown, and polished from time to time, such that the wood grain stood out and it shimmered when touched by the afternoon sun. To the Masigs, it was an enduring symbol of the fraternity. 

During a rumble with Upsilon Sigma Phi  fraternity some years later, I heard that our opponents plastered our beloved BB with human excreta. My heart broke.    

At the BB, the Masigs told us to do menial things, like massaging their backs and feet, and buying them things like food, cigarettes, and bluebooks. It was here that I finally met the leader of the frat, who went by the title of “Lord Chancellor,” or “LC” for short. His name was Alex Erlito S. Fider, a tall, skinny, and bespectacled fellow. Erlito wore glasses and sported bushy hair, and was an economics major.

The BB was also the best place to accomplish another neophyte requirement --- a notebook containing the name, nickname, batch, year and course, phone number, address, hobbies, achievements, and birthday of as many Masigs as possible. The neophyte would politely approach the Masigs, introduce himself, and request the former to fill up a page. At the bottom of the page the Masig usually wrote a dedication, or some words of encouragement. 

Another humbling thing I had to do during the initiations was go to Masig Butch Denoga’s house along Timog Avenue, Quezon City, on a Sunday morning, to wash and polish his pet Volkswagen Beetle.

Another UP Alpha Sigma hero/brod was Jose "Pepe" Luneta. He was a founding member of the frat on October 10, 1962, Kabataang Makabayan on November 30, 1964, and the reestablished Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26, 1968. He was arrested by Philippine intelligence agents in early 1976, and made a successful escape in the early 80's. I never met him in UP, but when I was detained at the Bicutan Rehabilitation Center in 1979, we met and became friends. (Photo from UP Alpha Sigma Facebook)

Ubag, the UP Alpha Sigma archetype representing Jean Jacques Rousseau's noble savage. Ubag is Alpha Sigma's contribution to romantic primitivism. Translation: simple lives but complex minds.   (Photo from Alpha Sigma Facebook)

Very Safe Physical Sessions: No Blows to the Back, Chest, Abdomen, and Head.

The physical sessions, which formed the essence of the initiations, were conducted after classes, starting at about 7 pm. They were conducted outside the campus, and always at the residence of a frat member. They would last until 11 or 11:30 pm.  

We underwent 3 of these sessions, with the third one being the harshest.  The latter was aptly called the “Finals”.

Compared to these sessions, the presentation was a breeze. For starters, there were more Masigs present. During these pre-finals sessions, there must have been 20 to 30 Masigs present. This meant that there were this many “masters” who would kick or punch your four limbs, taunt you, insult you, take turns hitting your ass with the frat paddle, and whose first name, surname, and last name you had to memorize, under threat of more bodily punishment.

Secondly, we were paddled as often as the number of letters in Alpha Sigma Fraternity. I realized then that 20 paddles delivered at full force could really test one’s resolve.

To our relief, the paddles were given in sets of 5, and in intervals of about 15 seconds. The sets, in turn, were given at intervals of about 30 minutes. Otherwise, I thought, we pitiable “amuyongs” would have passed out from the agonizing pain.

In between the paddle sets, each of us were surrounded by 4 to 5 Masigs, who took turns punching us repetitively on the upper arms, and giving us knee blows on our buttocks, and behind our thighs. I noted that the disciplined Masigs did not hit us where it could be fatal, like the back, chest, abdomen, and of course, the head.

A UP Alpha Sigma Anniversary ball, sometime in the early Sixties, at The Aristocrat Restaurant, Cubao. (Photo from Ubag Facebook)

In All Fields of Endeavor, the Mark of Excellence

In 1974, the memory of the 1967 death of engineering student Ferdinand Tabtab during the initiation rites of the UP Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity (APO) was still fresh. The Masigs, to my mind, were obviously under instructions by the Alpha Sigma officers to avoid a repeat of that tragedy.

Today, however, when I think of my widespread bruises during the beatings, I shudder to think that just a tiny blood clot from the bruises could have travelled through my veins, caused a blockage somewhere , and killed me.

While the Masigs were pummeling us, they repeatedly and toughly drilled us to be loyal to the fraternity, to love the “brods”, practice brotherhood, and abide by the frat’s principles. The three most repeated maxims were “Alay sa Sambayanan” (Offered For the People), "Truth, reason, and justice), and “In all fields of endeavor, the mark of excellence.” We would answer every instruction with a submissive and brisk “Yes master!” Who wouldn’t?

When the first session was over, I remember my upper arms and the backs of my thighs were bruised a deep purple. I also had difficulty walking, because of the pain in my ass. 

Before the maulings, there was that part where the neophytes were required to identify the Masigs by their complete names. They were conveniently assembled in a standing semi-circle.

The customary position while identifying the members was to have your left arm bent at a right angle pointing upwards, while your stretched right arm  with palm exposed pointed to the Masig you were identifying.  Mistakes, which often where made when it came to the middle names, were penalized with either extra beatings, or an extra paddle or two.

Before the sessions therefore, we wracked our brains memorizing the names of as many Masigs as possible, whether they have signed our notebook or not. The identification part was about the only part of the session where we did not have our blindfolds on. By the way, we were also required to memorize the complete names of the charter or founding Masigs --- all 18 of them. The frat was founded on October 10, 1962.

Half-naked Masigs, mid-Sixties. No jogging or lifting weights for these guys. Most of them were drinkers and smokers. But they made some of the more glorious chapters in Masig history. (Photo from Alpha Sigma Facebook)

The "Sadistas"

There was also the danger that a neophyte might casually incur the ire of a hot-tempered Masig, or what was informally called “sadista” (sadists). These were the Masigs who, for the slightest or no reason, would beat the hell out of a neophyte (within safe margins of course), or paddle him as hard as possible. Fortunately, we knew who these Masigs were, and we made extra efforts to memorize his complete name, and know his every quirk.

The "sadista" Masigs whose names I remember were Masig David Fernandez who was also nicknamed “racha,” which was a Tagalog colloquial for beat completely, and Mario “Mar” Padua, whose stare could kill any neophyte. After the initiations, to the batch’s surprise, Dave and Mar turned out to be very nice brods.

To even things up, there were also the compassionate Masigs, those who would just pretend to beat you up, like giving soft blows, and soft paddles. They would also gently whisper words of encouragement in your ear in the heat of the beatings. This helped a lot.

Most of these nice Masigs were the national-democratic or Left activists, who shunned overly hurting neophytes. Probably it helped that they knew I already had activist leanings,  because I felt that they were singling me out for soft treatment and words of encouragement midst my agony. The Masigs I remember doing this to me, kind souls all, were Jess Fernandez, Romeo “Ome” Candazo, and William “Billy” Begg.

The 3 are now no longer with us. Jess Fernandez died of cancer in 2007, Ome Candazo died of a heart attack in 2013, and Billy Begg died, as an NPA, in an encounter with government troops in 1975.

I remember William Vincent "Billy" Begg  as the brod who supported my arms during the furious paddling, and who whispered comforting words to my ear during the rest periods. I played basketball against him once --- he was a very quick point guard who ran circles around me. Probably learned the game in minor and major seminary, from where he came going into UP.  One of the gentlest Masigs of my time. (Photo from Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation)

Alpha Sigma "Pulajanes"

I later learned that the Left activists within Alpha Sigma called themselves the “Pulajanes,” in honor of a suicidal Filipino resistance group in Samar during the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1903.

Aside from Jess, Ome, and Billy, the Masig Pulajanes I remember were Daniel C. “Gut” Gutierrez, Alex Erlito Fider Jr., Soliman S. Santos Jr., Renato S. “Rene” Velasco, Joy de los Reyes, Jesus “Jess” Lagunzad, Diwa C. Guinigundo, Alex Africa, Felipe "Ipe" Reyes, and Roli G. Talampas. Raul Pangalangan, Ruben "Benrubs" Edejer, Sabino "Abe" Padilla, and Arnel "Batman" de Guzman were also Masig Pulajanes, but at that time they had not yet entered Alpha Sigma. 

I remember the two pre-finals sessions were held, respectively, at the houses of Masigs Renato S. “Rene” Velasco in Caloocan, and Soliman  M. Santos at 18 Mariposa St. in Cubao, Quezon City.

At that time, I went home to Bulacan, Bulacan, which was about an hour and a half commute from Metro-Manila. The problem was that the sessions finished at about 11:00 pm, while the buses I took to our house only made trips up to 10 pm.

To reach home, therefore, I rode the Bocaue, Bulacan bound Sarao-type jeepneys at Monumento which ran trips 24/7. At a junction in Brgy. Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan, I asked my kind parents, Domingo Coronel Reyes and Eneida Enriquez Reyes to pick me up at something like 12:00 midnight. They were just too happy to fetch me even at that unholy hour.  

It was somewhat dark, so they did not notice the extensive eggplant-colored bruises on my arms, at least until we got home.

Alay Sa Sambayanan and the frat motto: Truth, reason, and justice. (Photo from Ubag Facebook)

The Finals

The final session was held at the house of Lito Tiongson, a Masig who was an aspiring script writer for films and documentaries. I remember Lito’s house was in Project 8, Quezon City. Lito has also passed on, many years ago. When he died, Lito was a professor at the UP College of Mass Communications, and a multi-awarded writer.

The finals was more violent than the previous two sessions, for two reasons.  First, the amount of paddles we received was not only equivalent to the number of letters in the frat’s name,   but also included the number of letters in our respective complete names, and “Alay sa Sambayanan.”

In my case, I would receive 56 paddles that night, compared to 20 apiece for the preceding sessions. Overall, I received 101 paddles for this Masig initiation, and God knows how many other blows.  

Second, the number of Masigs who attended final sessions was traditionally the highest in the whole initiation process, roughly, 50% more.  The number of punches and kicks a neophyte was to probably receive, therefore, increased by this scary magnitude. And it did.

Romeo "Ome" Candazo was one of the ardent Alpha Sigma "Pulajanes." He became its"Lord Chancellor" (LC) sometime in 1974. Another close friend and brod. I was arrested and detained twice during martial law, once in 1975, and again in 1979. In those two times, we were together. There's nothing like going through a life-threatening experience together to preserve a friendship. On our 2nd arrest, when we were both blindfolded and handcuffed in Camp Crame while awaiting interrogation, he jokingly whispered to my ear --- "Brod huli nanaman tayo" (Brod, we've been arrested again). That single statement, spoken so nonchalantly, eased my fears somewhat.  Ome was once a columnist for the Philippine Collegian, going by the name of "Ahas Tulog" (Sleeping Snake). He once used my name to depict a hungry street boy who was oppressed by the system. One of his classic pieces, the column was titled "Nang Kumulo Ang Tiyan ni Beto" (As Beto's Stomach Churned) Ome Candazo died of a heart attack on August 19, 2013. (Photo from Romeo Candazo Facebook)

The Gauntlet and Lots of Tancho Tique

After we had gone through the paddles, the identification part, and the indoctrination underscored by severe mauling, we braced ourselves for the last part of the finals, which we were told was the no-holds-barred “Gauntlet.”

We were blindfolded, but prior info had it that the Gauntlet consisted of the total number of Masigs in attendance standing in two parallel lines facing each other. Given the number of Masigs that were in attendance, those two lines must have been more than 20 feet!

The batch of neophytes were to slowly walk between the two lines, and we were told, frighteningly, that the members were authorized do as they pleased to us. We were even warned that many Masigs carried a paddle, or a club, or even pots and pans.  Everyone in the batch braced for the worst.

But first things first. Before we were lined up to go through the Gauntlet, the Masigs massaged into our hair the most generous amount of Tancho Tique hair pomade I had experienced in my life. As they were doing this, we were like docile pigs getting groomed just before the slaughter. The excessively fragrant  and gooey Tancho Tique nauseated me, but I shook it off.

Then, they gave each of us a comb and told us to use it so we would look good as we were being assaulted. They warned that neophytes with unkempt hair would be battered the hardest. I must have combed myself like Rudolph Valentino.

Show Us Some Guys

And so the fateful moment arrived. Alpha Sigma Batch 74-B, was now ready to attack the Gauntlet.  The seven of us were lined up, told to put our hands on the shoulders in front of us, and blindfolded. In the case of the lead neophyte, he was told to put up a battering-ram stance.  

The Masigs shouted obscenities, taunted us, or otherwise made mincemeat of our remaining pride. But we put these all in stride, as all of us wanted the initiations over with. Our twenty-something bodies had fared well through it all.  The adrenaline was flowing, and our spirits were high.

We charged like hell into the Gauntlet as if there were no tomorrows. As Tennyson put it, ours was not to reason why, ours was to do and die. As we advanced, anticipations of pain, suffering, anatomical dislocation, or even death flashed like a carousel in my mind.

In about 20 seconds or less, it was all over. We were not hurt ----- we were only pushed, shoved, and cajoled to negotiate the Gauntlet as quickly as possible.

As soon as the entire batch was outside the Gauntlet, the menacing column broke and transformed into a cheering crowd.  Spontaneously, the Masigs erupted into a triumphant rendition of the UP Alpha Sigma hymn “Show Us Some Guys.” 

Above the din, the operatic voice of brod Pons Raya, a member of the UP Concert Chorus, stood out. The emphatic refrain went like this:

           

“You can have your cup of equity,

But we know one thing with certainty,

It’s unfair but we're there,

We're beyond compare,

Alpha Sigma Fraternity!”

We were Alpha Sigma brothers at last. They were embracing us and calling us brods. The batch, to a man, was in tears. We were so happy we forgot the pain, the humiliation, and the Tancho Tique.