Phi Beta Epsilon (Philippines)
Phi Beta Epsilon traces their humble beginnings on 28 September, 1947 at Central Philippines University (CPU) where mathematician Dean Juan Sornito and Engineer Celestino Javier joined forces in forming the fellowship and called it the Phi Beta Epsilon Fraternity (Fellowship of Brother Engineers).
The UI Chapter was organized by the founding brothers and faculty advisers on October 21, 1964 at the La Paz, Engineering Unit in La Paz, Iloilo City. The founders were Bros. Achilles Villa, Jose Robinson Umano Jr., Luis Sustituido, Joelito Malolos, Rogelio Pontioso, Arsenio Fernandez, Rodolfo Tamayo and Wendell Latoza. Between the year 1964 and 1965, the Engineering Department was moved to the corner of Mapa Street, Iloilo City. Some of the brother advisers moved to the newly founded Western Institute of Technology.
Incidentally, some faculty members of the College of Engineering in ICC (now University of Iloilo) joined and founded Western Institute of Technology (WIT). Hence, student brothers from both CPU and ICC joined hands and organized the WIT Chapter.
Bros. Edmund Arias, Jessie Aling and George Pontino from CPU and Bros. Rudy Tipanan and Freddie Ortiz from ICC were the organizers. Thus, in February 14, 1969 Batch I of WIT Chapter with fourteen survived members, was formed and that was the start of the fraternal affair that has lured many to its fold.
The Phi Beta Epsilon Fraternity of University of San Agustin College of Technology was founded on September 21, 1978 by Bros. Johnny Rey Zerrudo and Eugene Tamayo, both transferees and members of the Phi Beta Epsilon Fraternity of Central Philippine University.
Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972 in the Philippines and all fraternities were ordered to stop operating. Despite this, they continued to exist and grow in numbers.
At present, the three chapters of Phi Beta Epsilon Fraternity of Central Philippine University, University of San Agustin and Western Institute of Technology continue to exist.
The University of Iloilo Chapter unfortunately ceased to get new members because the school stopped offering 5-year Engineering Courses. The last batch (38th batch) of brothers at the University of Iloilo were accepted at the end of their final rites ceremony on February 25, 1995 and were formally inducted to the fraternity during an Induction and Ball at The River Queen Hotel, on May 6, 1995. Today, the UI fraternity is still inactive inside the university but actively exists within the city of Iloilo as its home base. The brotherhood meets at least once a year in a grand reunion.