APO (Philippines) National Sorority HistoryBy russell on Mar 3rd, 2008
The Alpha Phi Omega Phil. National Board of Sorority was first adopted in the 6th National Biennial Convention held at Mapua Institute of Technology, Manila on March 6-7, 1965, under the national name of “Sigma Gamma Phi Sorority”, in which it served as the umbrella organization of all sister sororities of the local collegiate fraternity chapters of Alpha Phi Omega. It further united, formed and organized among the groups in order to integrate all the existing sister sororities into one national sorority under the jurisdiction of the Alpha Phi Omega Phil National Executive Board.
The officers who were elected by the sorority delegates to serve as the first National Board of Sorority were as follows:
President : Hope Tinga (Kappa Phi Omega of Eta chapter)
First Vice Pres. : Sally Ravara-Magcanan (Sigma Lambda Phi of Sigma chapter)
Second Vice Pres.: Rosita De Leon (Delta Sigma Sigma of Delta chapter)
Auditor : Pat Macanay-Chua (Alpha Lambda Sigma of Lambda chapter)
Secretary : unclear record = ?
Treasurer : unclear record = ?
Likewise, the establishment history of some sister sororities which were organized by the different fraternity chapters as manifested in their old souvenir programs were as follows:
Beta chapter sorority under the name “Sigma Lambda Sigma” was established in 1954.
Delta chapter sorority as “Delta Sigma Sigma” was established in 1955.
Eta chapter sorority as “Kappa Phi Omega” in 1958
Theta chapter sorority as “Kappa Phi Omega” in 1959
Lambda chapter sorority as “Alpha Lambda Sigma” in 1963
Sigma chapter sorority as “Sigma Lambda Phi” in 1964
Pi ,Chi & Alpha Omicron chapter sororities in 1966
Alpha Alpha, Alpha Epsilon & Alpha Eta chapter sororities in 1967
Iota, Alpha Theta & Alpha Lambda chapter sororities in 1968
Epsilon chapter sorority in 1970
(Notes: No records for Alpha, Gamma, Mu, Nu, Xi, Rho, and Omega chapters)
In 1968, the APO National Executive Board passed a resolution changing the APO National Sister Sorority name from “ALPHA PHI SIGMA Sister Sorority” to APO Auxiliary Sorority(APO AS) to have a uniformity name from its nomenclature. Consequently, this paved the way for the recognition of Alpha Eta Auxiliary Sorority Chapter (PSBA, Manila) in September 17, 1968, with Sis Amelia P. Acuzar as the holder of Sorority ID # 001.
Subsequently, the 7th National Biennial Convention held at Far Eastern University, Manila on December 15-16, 1968, adopted the said existing NEB resolution and officially allowed its collegiate fraternity chapters to admit women as affiliate members.
Moreover,it was in the 8th National Biennial Convention held at the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna on December 17-19, 1971, that the Sorority was formally recognized and accepted as Alpha Phi Omega Auxiliary Sorority (APOAS), the sister association of Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. But the name suggested a dependence on the brotherhood, and so it strived for the recognition of its own identity.
Finally, during the 10th National Biennial Convention held on March 30 to April 1. 1979, at Camp 7, Minglanilla, Cebu, the realization of the dream of the sorority came. The National Code of By-laws was amended and the Alpha Phi Omega Service Sorority (APOSS) came into being. The Office of the Vice President for Sorority Affairs was created, thereby giving its total recognition and equal footing with the Fraternity. Thus the Organization became Alpha Phi Omega International Philippines Incorporated Service Fraternity and Sorority.
Similarly, Alpha Phi Omega-USA, during its 23rd National Biennial Convention in St. Missouri, on December 27-29, 1974, officially allowed its collegiate chapters to admit women as affiliate members. Finally, APhiO-USA, during its 24th National Biennial Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 27, 1976, formally accepted as full-fledged and bonafide members of the Fraternity.