The Masonic life of Manuel A. Roxas began on August 14, 1920. Barely 28 years of age, he was already Governor of his province.
Manuel was born on January 1, 1892 to Gerardo Roxas and Rosario Acuna in Capiz, Capiz, a town which has since been renamed Roxas City in his honor.
He lost his father before his birth but his maternal grandmother took charge of his education. Sent to Hongkong to study, he returned to Manila after a year and enrolled in the Manila High School. Thereafter, he studied law at the newly-opened University of the Philippines, then under the presidency of a noted Scottish Rite Mason, Murray Bartlett. As a law student, Roxas studied at the feet of another Scottish Rite Mason, George A. Malcolm. He graduated valedictorian in 1913 and topped the bar examinations given in the same year.
Roxas immediately went into law practice in partnership with his only brother, Mamerto. Shortly thereafter, however, he accepted an appointment as private secretary to Chief Justice Cayetano S. Arellano. He also taught law in the Philippine Law School and the National University. After a few years stint with Chief Justice Arellano, the political bug bit Roxas. He resigned and returned to his home province to accept an appointment as municipal councilor. In 1919, he ran for governor and won.
