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*[[Alvin Aguilar]] (DLSU) - 4th Level Blue Belt in [[Gracie Jiu-Jitsu]] and [[Mixed Martial Arts]] Champion and founder of [[Universal Reality Combat Championship|URCC]].
*[[Alvin Aguilar]] (DLSU) - 4th Level Blue Belt in [[Gracie Jiu-Jitsu]] and [[Mixed Martial Arts]] Champion and founder of [[Universal Reality Combat Championship|URCC]].
*[[Paul "Bong" Alvarez]] (SSC) - Professional basketball player and actor, star player for the [[San Sebastian Stags]] of [[San Sebastian College - Recoletos]] in the [[NCAA Philippines|NCAA]]. He became pro and moved up to the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] in 1986, and played forward for [[Alaska Aces (PBA)|Alaska]], [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]], [[Gordon's Gin Boars|Ginebra]] and [[Air21 Express|Air21]]. He also played for the [[Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs]] of the [[United States Basketball League]] for the 2006 season.
*[[Paul "Bong" Alvarez]] (SSC) - Professional basketball player and actor, star player for the [[San Sebastian Stags]] of [[San Sebastian College - Recoletos]] in the [[NCAA Philippines|NCAA]]. He became pro and moved up to the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] in 1986, and played forward for [[Alaska Aces (PBA)|Alaska]], [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]], [[Ginebra|Gordon's Gin Boars]] and [[Air21 Express|Air21]]. He also played for the [[Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs]] of the [[United States Basketball League]] for the 2006 season.
*[[Ramoncito "Onchie" Dela Cruz]] (NU) - Professional basketball player, played as point guard for [[Philippine Basketball Association|PBA]] teams [[Tanduay Rhum Masters|Tanduay]], [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]], and [[Great Taste Coffee Makers|Presto]].
*[[Ramoncito "Onchie" Dela Cruz]] (NU) - Professional basketball player, played as point guard for [[Philippine Basketball Association|PBA]] teams [[Tanduay Rhum Masters|Tanduay]], [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]], and [[Great Taste Coffee Makers|Presto]].
*[[Jose Maria "Jay" Mendoza]] (Mapua) - Professional basketball player, played as forward for [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]] in the [[Philippine Basketball Association|PBA]].
*[[Jose Maria "Jay" Mendoza]] (Mapua) - Professional basketball player, played as forward for [[Shell Turbo Chargers|Shell]] in the [[Philippine Basketball Association|PBA]].

Revision as of 01:41, 13 August 2008

Tau Gamma Phi
ΤΓΦ
File:TGPseal.gif
Triskelions' Grand Fraternity

Founded (1968-10-04) October 4, 1968 (age 55)
University of the Philippines
TypeSocio Economic Service Fraternity
ScopeInternational
Motto" A Triskelion firmly believes in the power of reason and not in the use of force as a reason. "
Colors████ Gold  and  ████ Black
SymbolTriskelion (general),
Lion (animal),
St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint)
Chapters Philippines = 4000+ Philippine Colleges, Universities and Community Based Chapters,
 United States = 9 Active T.A.O. Regional Councils

Other Global T.A.O. / RC's :
 Bahrain = 1,
 Canada = 3,
 Guam = 1,
 Hong Kong = 1,
 Italy = 1,
 Japan = 1,
 Kuwait = 1,
 Saudi Arabia = 3,
 Singapore = 1,
 South Korea = 1,
 United Arab Emirates = 1,
 United Kingdom = 1
Cardinal PrinciplesThe 3 Cardinal Principles:
  "Fortis Voluntas Fraternitas "
(Strength, Freewill and Brotherhood)
HeadquartersUniversity of the Philippines, Diliman
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Websitehttp://www.taugammaphi1968.org/

Tau Gamma Phi also known as the Triskelions' Grand Fraternity, is a fraternity founded at the University of the Philippines, Diliman on October 4, 1968. Besides being the largest and most dominant fraternity in the Philippines, the Tau Gamma Phi is also a protest fraternity, and as such it has committed itself uncompromisingly to the twofold task of providing the leadership in the quest for a Fraternity System devoid of fraternity violence as well as in the propagation of the Triskelion principles as a way of life. The Fraternity System in the University of the Philippines was not immune from these external developments. As extraordinary times, called for extraordinary breed of men. The year 1968 saw the wielding together of six concerned student leaders with a vision of introducing feasible changes and appropriate reforms in the feudal and decadent nature of the existing Fraternity System. Then the result was the creation on October 4 of the same year of the UP Triskelions' Grand Fraternity, better known as Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity.

Through the years, the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity has never strayed from its goals, and although the cause of which it has chosen to champion has proven to be difficult and sometimes, seemingly hopeless, as it is sucked repeatedly into the void of fraternity violence that it has fought hard to end. The Fraternity has, nevertheless survived and even increased a thousand-fold in strength and in number. Knowing fully well that peace is a product of strength and not of weakness. Where other fraternities with the same noble intentions failed and succumbed into non-existence by adopting a passive stance against fraternity violence; the Tau Gamma Phi has chosen not to follow the same path. Lest it suffers the same fate.

Furthermore, as a manifestation of its sincerity towards the achievement of such goal, the Fraternity has taken an active role in organizing inter-fraternity alliances in the various schools and universities all over the country in the hope that such alliances will provide the conducive atmosphere where fraternities can slowly grow and mature together in fellowship and mutual trust by respecting each other's philosophies and ideals.  "De gustibus non desputandum est - of likes and dislikes there should be no disputing, live and let live", this is one of the guiding principles of the Triskelion.

Today, the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity is already the biggest, most cohesive, and most dynamic fraternity in the Philippines. It boasts membership numbering to about eighthundred thousand. It maintains numerous college and university chapters around the country, and now with Triskelion Alumni Organizations (T.A.O.) in all regions of the United States of America and other continents of the world. And true to its objective of changing the elitist orientation of the fraternity system, the Fraternity decided to open its door to out-of-school youth through the Triskelion Youth Movement (T.Y.M.), so that they too, who were not privileged of higher education, may also share in the fruits and the glory of the Tau Gamma Phi.

Tau Gamma Phi's vision and mission is to serve and excel in all fields of human endeavor. Thus, a way of life in accordance with the Tenets and the Triskelion Codes of Conduct while empowering the principle: "Man is Brother unto Man". All Triskelions share a common ground and that is to support every endeavor each member has chosen and help make every member's dream come true.

File:TGP Anniversary.jpg
The Triskelion Grand Fraternity's 39th Anniversary Celebration on October 4, 2007 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City, Metro Manila Philippines.

History

The Founding

The Tau Gamma Phi Triskelions' Grand Fraternity was established at the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City, Philippines on October 4, 1968, by six Arts and Science students who were active in the social and political upheaval through street parliamentarism in the pre-martial law years, which in turn are also members of the U.P. Political Science Club.

Moved from the discovery of a problem and seeking viable solutions and initiating purposeful action for personal, familial, vocational and community betterment, prompted the action-group of Rod Confesor, Roy Ordinario, Talek Pablo, Tito Venida, Restituto Alfonso and Romeo Fortes to form "The Order of the U.P. Triskelions". Initially however, this small group did not much influence the times and decisions within the university so that for a second time it was renamed "The Order of the Grand Triskelions". Again a lack of interest led to another renaming of the group but this time finding a common bond of interests and principles, the so called group finally had identified the trend of the Greek lettered organizations, realizing their popularity among the students in the campus, the founders voted to change the organization to a Greek Lettered name. Finally adopting the Greek letters Tau "Τ", Gamma "Γ" and Phi "Φ", which stands for Triskelion Grand Fraternity on that fateful Friday of October in the year Nineteen Hundred and Sixty Eight.

The Four Founding Fathers

By now only four of the original six founders were left to continue the saga of their vision for the Fraternity, more famously known to its members as the "The Four Founding Fathers or just simply "FFF", they are Rodolfo Sta. Maria Confesor, Roy Alolor Ordinario, Talek Hamias Pablo, and Vedasto Sario Venida. Convinced of the success of a unified endeavor, the Founding Fathers proved to be the real pillars that was later manifested in the succeeding recognition of the Fraternity at the University of the Philippines. Showing the public a discipline and collective determination and good examples, the Fraternity got the attention and respect of the University of the Philippines student body so that in the process an enlightened group headed by Triskelion Jun Rodriguez took the leap-of-faith forward by inaugurating the Fraternity in 1968 at Cavite - the first site of formal initiation, for the first "Founding Batch" of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity. Under the leadership of Founding Father Rod Confessor as the first Grand Triskelion, much influence and action came to the history of the fraternity which reached to the heights by gaining control of the College of Arts and Sciences (C.A.S.) student body. The C.A.S. at that time was the dominant college within the University with regards to the logic of numbers, which therefore proved that the Tau Gamma Phi is a group to reckon with.

The Early Chapters and the 1970's - A Decade of Awakening

Reaping the fruits of labor, discipline and confidence of the University of the Philippines Chapter, the Triskelion principles reverberated outside of the U.P.-Diliman campus, which signaled the advancement of the fraternity. A new home for Triskelions was founded at the Philippine Maritime Institute (P.M.I.) on August 3, 1969. Seven months later, another group of students at the Far Eastern Aeronautics and Technical Institute (F.E.A.T.I.) now known only as FEATI University also embraced the Tenets and principles of the Triskelion on March 5, 1970. Following the success at the P.M.I. and FEATI University, the Fraternity explored at the Mapua Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) on April 1970, and was later revived on December 2, 1973. At the National University (N.U.) the Fraternity readily found acceptance on October 23, 1970. Following these developments came a succession of chapter foundations.

In the next few years many other chapters would follow suit. Trying to find a Christian home the Tau Gamma Phi was founded in the two biggest Catholic universities in the nation, the University of Santo Tomas (U.S.T.) on March 1, 1971, and at the Adamson University (Ad.U.) on July 8, 1973, and in that same year National College of Business and Arts (N.C.B.A.) - Manila on October 1973. The year 1974 saw the series of foundations and gave birth to the chapters at the University of the East (U.E.) - Manila and also on January 21, for the Philippine School of Business Administration (P.S.B.A.) - Manila, at the Manuel L. Quezon University (M.L.Q.U.) came on October 8 and at the San Sebastian College (S.S.C.) on November 19. These schools,colleges and universities will ultimately complete the phenomenal growth of the Fraternity in the early 1970s, but it didn't stop there. The meteoric rise of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity in that decade have only just began.

After the 3rd Regional Convention in 1975 at Narvaez Farm in Laguna, another school embraced the Tenets and the Codes of Conduct of the Fraternity. The Far Eastern University (F.E.U.) was founded on July 27,1975, the 13th and only chapter found in that year. Then the next year, 1976, six succeeding chapters have been founded one after the other. They are the Philippine College of Arts and Trades (P.C.A.T.), now the Technological University of the Philippines (T.U.P.) on February 22, 1976, the University of Manila (U.M.) on March 7, 1976, the Central Colleges of the Philippines (C.C.P.) on July 11, 1976, the Philippine College of Criminology (P.C.Cr.) on August 7, 1976, the Lyceum of the Philippines on August 15, 1976, the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation (G.A.U.F.), now the De La Salle Araneta University on October 15, 1976, making 1976 the most productive year for the Fraternity.

Then a few more chapters had been added in the later part of the 1970s. The De Ocampo Memorial College (D.O.M.C.) on August 30, 1977, the Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (E.A.R.I.S.T.) on March 19, 1978, the Philippine Air Transport and Training Services (P.A.T.T.S.), now called PATTS College of Aeronautics on September 5, 1978, and to close the decade with a bang, the Philippine Merchant Marine School (P.M.M.S.) - Manila on March 2, 1979, and the Perpetual Help College of Rizal (P.H.C.R.) - Las Piñas, now University of Perpetual Help System on August 9, 1979, were established.

The 1970s is the most fruitful and busiest decade for the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity being a young organization. Preceding the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, it is noted that the spirit of advancing the cause of the studentry and social awareness in a unifying activity among the members of the fraternity and also of the various cause oriented groups. These times where brotherhood and nationalism is so intense made manifest through the productive effort of the Triskelions. This trend of chapter foundations goes on through the 1980s and 1990s, and until now, in the new millennium, new chapters in schools, colleges, universities and even communities in some far flung corners of the Philippines were being established. Making it the biggest and most dynamic fraternity in the country.

The Martial Law Era

The Raid

Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972 by the late dictator President Ferdinand E. Marcos under Proclamation No. 1081. The Fraternity being a staunch critic of the Marcos administration, together with other fraternities and organizations in UP, became the target of military harassments and illegal detentions, believing that these student organizations posed a threat to the order and stability of the Marcos regime. Ostensibly due to leftist leanings, the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity's office inside the UP campus was raided under an Arrest-Search and Seizure Order signed by then Secretary of Defense and one of the "Architects of Martial Law", Juan Ponce Enrile which resulted in the confiscation of several subversive materials and documents, fortunately though, no one was at the office at the time of the raid.

The Junior Triskelions

Struggling from the effects of Martial Law which suspended all fraternal and organizational activity within the collegiate levels and the arrests of all militant students, the Fraternity decided to stay low to avoid being tagged as a subversive group working for the Communists out to destabilize the government, although a lot of its members went underground and took up arms to join the New People's Army, the armed paramilitary group of the Communist Party of the Philippines, in the mountains and jungles. These developments temporarily freezed the recruitment of new members, and without fresh bloods to replace the old ones, these resulted in the dwindling down of membership population, due to graduating members or just simply dropping out of school.

Triskelion Atty. Ramoncito "Monching" Ocampo, who was the Secretary-General of the Fraternity and Sorority during that time, had an idea and took the initiative and decided to tap the younger generations in the High School sector. This gave birth to the "Junior Tau Gamma Phi" or better known as the "Junior Triskelions", founded at San Beda College - High School in 1975, where Triskelion Boyet Gorospe was one of the founders. The rationale behind this is, to be able to solve the recruitment problems in the collegiate levels why not recruit in the secondary education level? Since these High School students will eventually graduate and attend college in the future then they won't have any more problems recruiting them since they are already Triskelions. The idea is simple and effective and the problem is solved.

Although at first, because San Beda College - High School at that time was an all male, non-coed school, that only male members for the Tau Gamma Phi are being recruited, but soon enough the popularity of the Fraternity and the effectivity of the program quickly spread across the University belt area and other colleges, universities and high schools nationwide that already female High School students are also willing to join the Tau Gamma Sigma Sorority, the affiliated sorority of the Tau Gamma Phi, and also saw the beginnings of the Junior Lady Triskelions.

Triskelion Youth Movement

Notable Alumni

Former Senator and now the NEDA Chief, Triskelion Ralph Recto (DLSU), at a 2007 political rally in Cebu City.
File:Brod Raffy.jpg
Former Congressman and now the Governor of Quezon Province in the Philippines, Triskelion Raffy Nantes (NU).
File:Triskelion Cong.jpg
Triskelion Congressmen in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.

Politics

Entertainment

Sports

Arts and Literature

  • Manolito Mayo (UST) - 1973 Sculpture and Graphics Awardee, 1977 AAP Graphic Arts Competition, and the 1980 Critic’s Choice Awardee for Graphic Arts.
  • Jao Mapa - More famously known as a movie and television actor, but he is also a very successful artist, did several acclaimed paintings, especially his "Mag-Ina" and "Lakbay" series. He uses the pen name Joao Mapa to sign his paintings.
  • Eric Go (UST) - Gold Medal Awardee for Etching in 1981 at the China Selection of Philippine Art, Beijing, China.
  • John Panelo (UST) - 2005 Web Design Awardee for the UST Triskelion Website, and also the Day Scene Winner for the Singapore Flyer Photography Contest.
  • Noel Tan Evangelista,MDG (NDU) - Journalist,Teacher 2006 Awardee for Investigative Journalism..
  • Atty. Jay C. de Castro,MDG (UST) - Literary Novelist and former Secretary-General of the Fraternity, writer of the critically acclaimed book; "At Timestigo Ang Asintado: Gov. Luis Chavit Singson", which outlined the chronology of events that led to the downfall of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.

Photo Gallery

Some Famous Triskelions

Affiliated Groups

  • Tau Gamma Sigma ( ΤΓΣ ) — Also known as the Triskelion Grand Sorority, is the affiliated Sister Sorority of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity.
  • Triskelion Alumni Organization (T.A.O.) - The umbrella organization of all Triskelion alumni worldwide.
  • Triskelion Order of Law  (T.O.L.) — Triskelion Alumni members who are in the judiciary and paralegal profession.
  • Triskelion Order of Medicine  (T.O.M.) — Triskelion Alumni members who are in the medical profession.
  • Triskelion Order of Business  (T.O.B.) — Triskelion Alumni members who are in the corporate world of business and those who owns their own entrepreneural ventures.
  • Triskelion Information Technology Organization  (T.I.T.O.) — Triskelion Alumni members who are in the Computers and Information Technology profession.
  • Triskelion Law Enforcers Group  (TRILEG) — Triskelion Alumni members who are in the Police, Military and Armed Forces profession.
  • Bagong Tao Movement   (B.T.M.) - A duly accredited political party list organization of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity and tau Gamma Sigma Sorority.
  • Triskelion Seafarers League   (TRISEAL) - Triskelion Alumni members who are plying and working in the world's seas and oceans as seamen, navy and crew in any sea going vessels and ships around the globe.

See also

External links

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