Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity - U.P. College of Law

The Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity is the exclusive College of Law fraternity in the University of the Philippines.

To this date, the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity maintains its singular existence as a UP College of Law-based fraternity, with no recognized chapters outside the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Its present roster of Lords hails from the UP College of Law and from pre-law colleges in the University.

In October 1939, some juniors and sophomores of the College were moved to marshall unaffiliated scholars and student leaders into an organization that would be held together by close fraternal bonds. They aspired to be a relevant factor on campus, and in national affairs. The immediacy of their resolve was spurred by the desire to mobilize the studentry and place themselves in the forefront of the effort to dampen what they perceived was a threatened dictatorship about to be born when then Philippine President Manuel Quezon declared the creation of a “one-party” government.

It was in this context that the “Association of the Philippine Barristers” was conceived. In November 1939, the Charter Members adopted the Greek letters A Φ B equivalent to the organization’s initials. Charter member and respected nationalist-historian Renato Constantino wrote the Fraternity Motto “We shall not be saved without Wisdom, for Knowledge is Power, but only Wisdom is Liberty.”

All the founders were campus intellectual or political leaders. From its founding, intellectual or political leadership or the potential to rise to leadership - was the basis for the extension of an invitation to membership, and the standard by which all aspirants are evaluated so that they may qualify for eventual admission to its Roll of Lords.