Louie Blake Saile Sarmiento, author

April 28-30, 2012 LOS BAŇOS, LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES – Kapatirang Marilag Lodge no.5 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was successfully instituted with 20 charter members.   Representatives from Kapatirang Watchdog Lodge no.1 of Dumaguete City, Kapatirang Midnanaon Lodge no.2 of Cagayan de Oro City, Samahang Sillimanian Lodge no.3 of Silliman University in Dumaguete City and Kapatirang Marilag Lodge no.4 of Caloocan City were there to help institute the lodge and attend the Odd Fellows membership educational seminar. It was a successful event. In Friendship, Love and Truth!

January 29, 2012 CALOOCAN CITY , MANILA , PHILIPPINES – Kapatirang Golden Luzon Lodge no.4 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was successfully instituted with 36 charter members. Sovereign Grand Master Delmar Burns, Deputy Sovereign Grand Master Charles Renninger, Past Sovereign Grand Master Paul Cuminale and Past Sovereign Grand Master George Glover III from the United States was in attendance as well as George Poon, Marie Poon and Virginia Menguito of Golden West Lodge no. 232 in San Francisco, California and brothers and sisters representing Kapatirang Watchdog Lodge no.1 and Samahang Sillimanian Lodge no.3 in Dumaguete City and Kapatirang Mindanaon Lodge no.2 in Cagayan de Oro City. The initiatory degree and first degree was conferred by the degree team representing the 3 existing Lodges composed of Brother Rex Boyson Olpoc, Brother Louie Blake Sarmiento, Brother Armel Cabale, Brother Paulo Pocholo Grande, Brother Antonio Torres, Brother Michael Veloso and Br...

September 17, 2011 DUMAGUETE CITY, PHILIPPINES – The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Kapatirang Watchdog Lodge no.1 and Samahang Sillimanian Lodge no.3, held a joint-installation of officers at Café Antonio Function Hall. A total of 45 members attended the event. The installing officers were Brother Joseph Ian Parreno (Installing Past Grand), Louie Blake Sarmiento (Installing Noble Grand), Sister Maria Katrina Mercado (Installing Marshall), Sister Karmen Amparo Arenas (Installing Warden), Sister Frencille Tabaloc (Installing Secretary), Sister Christyriz Tolosa (Installing Treasurer) and Sister Rena Vey Flores (Installing Chaplain). The officers installed for Kapatirang Watchdog Lodge no.1 were Brother Rex Boyson Olpoc (Noble Grand), Brother John Carlo Buhia (Vice Grand), Brother Anatoly Karpov Buss (Immediate Past Grand), Brother Kennith Misamis (Secretary), Brother Hener John Limbaga (Financial Secretary), Brother Eric Sanchez (Treasurer), Brother Answer Arquio (Warden), Brother...

May 30, 2011 CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PHILIPPINES - Brothers and sisters of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Kapatirang Mindanaon Lodge no.2, celebrated their first lodge anniversary with an act of making a difference. They started the day by going to church to express their faith and to thank God for the friendship and fraternity. Afterwards, they traveled to the mountains of Cagayan de Oro and hiked for 2 hours and crossed 8 rivers while carrying several kilos of food items and used clothing to reach out and help an indigenous Filipino group, the Higaonons, who reside in the remote parts of the province and thought they were a 'Nobody'. The goal of Kapatirang Mindanaon lodge no.2 was to show that they are cared and their fellow Filipinos from the City are willing to help them in ways possible. The Lodge distributed grocery items and also donated used clothing. Afterwards, they had a fellowship meal with the native Higaonons. The day was concluded saying "Tiring b...

January 22, 2011 LAKE BALINSASAYO, NEGROS ORIENTAL, PHILIPPINES - The Silliman University School of Public Affairs and Governance in partnership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Kapatirang Watchdog Lodge no.1, and Ang Sandigan organized an environmental activity consisting of lectures about the environment and a tree planting as answer to climate change and degradation of Philippines forests. Brother Anatoly Karpov Buss, a local environmentalist and currently teaching at the School of Public Affairs and Governance, believe that environmentalism such as tree planting and clean-up drives be practiced and promoted. And that, the government, youth and other sectors should work together to mitigate the negative effects of deforestation and climate change. The day was started with three lectures about the natural water systems, causes and the degree of deforestation which was shocking. It was mentioned that more than 90% of the forests are already gone. Therefore, there is...

April 4-9, 2011 BANTAYAN ISLAND, PHILIPPINES - With the financial assistance from Brother David Burns, Grand Master of the Odd Fellows in Michigan, and Odd Fellows Davis Lodge 169 in California, the Odd Fellows Lodge in Dumaguete was able to help provide one box of food supplies for both Team Negros Oriental and Team Silliman University during the one-week 'Kalinga sa Bayan' nation-building event organized by Gawad Kalinga Foundation. Brother John Carlo Buhia, Louie Sarmiento and Sister Maria Katrina Mercado together with brothers Joseph Ceriales and Jun Martinez of Gawad Kalinga Foundation and several others from the province of Negros Oriental also participated in the event which aims to transform Bantayan Island into a paradise. The aim of Gawad Kalinga Foundation is to build viable and sustainable communities by people with faith and patriotism, driven by a culture of caring and sharing and are dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity. Their mission is t...

November 19, 2010 Sovereign Grand Master George Glover III and Past Sovereign Grand Master Paul Cuminale arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, to turn-over the charter of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Kapatirang Mindanaon Lodge no.2. In lieu of their visitation, a gala night was held 6:00 pm at Apple tree Resort Hotel. Brothers George and Paul were warmly welcomed and a presentation of the lodge’s recent projects was shown. Afterwards, the charter was received by Noble Grand Vencent Seth Ofngol and Vice Grand  Jose Mari Regalado . In return, members of Mindanaon Lodge gave a token of appreciation. The event successfully ended at 10:00 pm. For Kapatirang Mindanaon Lodge no.2 members, the event wasn’t just a turn-over of charter, it was a memorable one. The worldwide bond of friendship between Odd Fellows was inculcated in their hearts. They concluded “ We are Odd fellows, we are Mindanaon lodge no.2 !” For more information about the fraternity: http://ioofmindan...