Samahang Ilokano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Colors | Red, Green |
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| Symbol | Snake and Arrow |
| Founded | at |
| Type | Service, Professional |
| Headquarters | Manila, , Philippines |
| Homepage | http://www.samahangilokano.org |
The Confederation of Ilocano Association, Inc., Samahang Ilokano (CIASI) or Samahang Ilokano (SI) is a fraternity and sorority composed of students from colleges and universities situated in the northern part of the Philippines, speaking the Ilokano dialect.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early Days and Conflicts
Samahang Ilokano was originally founded in the late 1950's as a fraternity for unity between Ilocano students. Students from Ilocos Norte/Sur and other provinces in Northern Luzon would pursue universities in cities far away from home, and they would seek fellow Ilocanos for company and protection.
Soon enough the fraternity grew in number, which attracted scrutiny from other fraternities. Having a large quantity of members also sparked uncontrollable brawls and riots, some of which landed several members in prison. The Genuine Ilocano Gang (GIG) was formed as a group for SI members who were incarcerated, and soon accepted members from within the prison.
Power struggles within the fraternity led to the further separation of SI members and the birth of another faction now known as United Ilocandia Fraternity/Sorority (UI). The lack of organization created tensions between the three groups.
[edit] Unity and Expansion
It is believed that during Martial Law, the leaders and founders of the different groups (with the presence of member Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos, Jr.) agreed to unite the three organizations. This led to the creation of an umbrella organization, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commision under the current name Confederation of Ilocano Association, Inc. as a non-stock, non-profit and non-dividend corporation. (Members of the UI and GIG often do not associate with this name, and instead prefer their respective original faction names.)
Most members of CIASI became professionals, which gave the opportunity for the group to diversify into chapters of the following types within the organization: military, professional, OFW, women's auxiliary, out-of-school youths, and students.
Despite significant changes within the structure, the ultimate purpose of the Samahang Ilokano still stands: an organization to cradle the Ilocanos.
