Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity

The Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity of the University of the Philippines College of Law is a brotherhood for the bar and bench. It was established in October 1939 by some juniors and sophomores of the College of Law with the aim of maintaining close fraternal bonds and striving for continuing relevance in campus and national affairs. An immediate impetus was a desire to mobilize students in opposition to the nascent dictatorship of President Manuel L. Quezon, who had declared a one-party government.

It was in this context that the “Association of Philippine Barristers” was conceived. In November 1939, the Charter Members adopted the Greek letters “AΦB” as the organization’s initials. Charter member and nationalist historian Renato Constantino wrote the Fraternity motto: “We shall not be saved without wisdom, for knowledge is power, but only wisdom is liberty.” By proclaiming that knowledge is power, the charter members could not have articulated in clearer terms what the fraternity stands for – academic excellence and leadership. By further declaring that only wisdom is liberty, the founders could not have expressed in stronger terms what the fraternity aims for – a life of higher meaning, of the continuing synthesis of knowledge and leadership to the pursuit of freedom or liberty.

Since its founding, intellectual or political leadership, or the potential to rise to leadership — not social background or financial resources — was the criterion for membership. From the fraternity’s ranks come legal luminaries and leaders of the nation; its alumni include distinguished Filipinos serving government (in the executive, the judiciary, the legislature and the military), academia, advocacy groups, mass media, business and industry.

To know more about the Alpha Phi Beta, please visit www.residents.alphaphibeta.org.