In the context of a fellowship, a directory is so basic, so primordial. How else would you know who your fellows are? A directory is like a keyholder; one name might lead you to a mentor in your field or to a brother in a new city when you find yourself lost. Now the directory of the Upsilon Sigma Phi is getting the upgrade it deserves for the digital age.

The Upsilon Directory, fondly called the Red Book, is our official, secure, and interactive list of every verified Upsilonian. The name goes back to our not-so-distant past when brods kept a hard copy bound in red faux leather, passed from one fellow to another until the covers were worn thin.

As Jess Yabes '66 recalls, “When I entered the Fraternity in 1966, there was a Red Book directory published in 1965 by the residents under IF Chitong Rivera ’61 and handled by the Fellow Recorder then Alfredo Sese ’57. It was small and at the time was compared to the Red Book of Mao Tse Tung that came out during the Chinese Cultural Revolution that same era. Years later another Upsilon Red Book came out but much bigger in size published by the Alumni Association, through the head of publications, Mixi Macan ’75."

This new Red Book keeps that tradition alive, only now it lives online, built to grow with this generation and the ones to come. This is actually our second digital directory. The first version, groundbreaking as it was then, was not updated over the years. So the USPAA, under the leadership of Chairman Eric Gene C. Pilapil 1986 and Gerry P. Sirios 1989, decided to start over and build the Red Book from scratch to be dynamic, secure, and easy to keep up to date.

Guided by New Blood

Recognizing that we needed to bring the fraternity into the digital realm properly, the USPAA sought out Erik Mendoza 2003, who was asked to join the Board of Trustees specifically to lead this transformation. As Erik put it during one of the presentations to the Board: “It’s about creating a secure, feature-rich hub that can grow with the Brotherhood, not just today but for the next generation.”

His vision, and that of the IT & Communications Team, is simple but quie powerful. Developed with Pepito Sevilla 2013, the Red Book will become the backbone for secure communication, verified profiles, subscriptions to The Upsilon Sun, event registration, pledges, donations, an internal marketplace, and more.

What Makes the Red Book Different

1. Verified, Secure Profiles. You can’t just sign up; you need an invitation and your details are verified. So every name you see is real.

2. Detailed and Searchable. You can look up brods by batch, profession, location, or family ties. Profiles can include photos, contact details, social media links, and even achievements.

3. Self-Managed. Brods can edit their own profiles anytime so there are no more out-of-date phone numbers or missing addresses.

4. Opens Up Other Tools. The Red Book is the key that lets us access secure messages, Dedicated Group Chats, events, pledges, donations, The Upsilon Sun subscriptions, and the marketplace in the future.

5. Ready to Grow. Built on modern tech, the Red Book can keep evolving with new features like podcasts, dashboards, and other tools.

How You Enter the Red Book

In the Red Book, you enter by invitation, just like when you first joined the fraternity.

When you get your invite link:

1. Click the link to open the official directory site.

2. Enter your email and set your password.

3. An authentication code will be sent to your inbox.

4. Type that code back on the site to confirm who you are.

Once you are in, you’ll be asked to fill in your details like address, birthday, profession, and so on. From there, you go through a KYB (Know Your Brod) check to verify you’re really you. That final check is done manually and overseen by Erik Mendoza 2003 himself.

A Gentle Push, A Helping Hand

Not every brod finds tech easy. Some senior fellows will need help figuring out the sign-ups and passwords. This is where fellowship means something real. Junior brods should step up to help our elders get onboarded. Do this at gatherings like the Cubao Rangers or the Alabang Kapelyoship so brothers can help each other get listed.

To every brod reading this: use the following referral code provided separately to start the process. Take a few minutes to sign up and update your details. If you know someone who needs help, lend a hand. Fellowship na.