2024-25 DDGM London East District Bio

RW Bro Romulo Fernando “Bong” Villavecer

RW Bro Romulo Fernando “Bong” Villavecer hails from the beautiful country of the Philippines. He was born on November 22, 1971 and initiated, passed and raised at Kanlaon Lodge No. 64 under the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines.

His dad immigrated to Canada in 1977 and since then bong has been a constant visitor here every summertime.

Bong is also 14-year decorated firefighter back home, a commissioned officer of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippines. He cross-trained with the Miami Dade Fire Rescue Department under the United States Agency for International Development. He was deployed to various part of Southeast Asia to conduct search and rescue courses such as collapsed structure search and rescue course, emergency medical first responder course, training for instructors’ course and master’s instructor courses. He traveled extensively in Asian countries including Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Pakistan and China as part of the International Disaster Response. Bong wrote a community response guide implemented by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Southeast Asia under the United States Agency for International Development Fund. These courses are still running and have been adopted for grassroots use.

Bong came to Canada in 2008 together with his family and, affiliated with Moffat Lodge, became a Worshipful Master in the years 2016 to 2024. He chaired several committees in the district such as youth liaison, district chaplain, cornerstone chairman, MasoniChip and Masonic Foundation of Ontario. He was appointed as grand steward in 2019-2020 after serving as district secretary for the London east district.

He is a 32-degree Scottish Rite, a member of St John St George’s Royal Arch Chapter, a member of Mocha Shriner and Toronto West Filipino Masons.

On a personal note, Bong is a registered nurse by profession.  He specializes in hemodialysis and worked at the university hospital for several years before his independent practice specializing in pediatric complex care. Bong is married to Grace a licensed physician in the Philippines with a second degree in nursing. Grace works as a renal nurse at the London Health Sciences Centre, Westmount Kidney Centre. They are blessed with two kids, Seth and Sara. Seth being the eldest of 28 years, a proud member of the order of Demolay G. Fred Kingsmill Chapter and was initiated, passed and raised to become a Mason by Bong himself at Moffat Lodge #399 and soon to be a proud dad to a baby boy.