AA GSO Philippines was recently re-formed after several decades of inactivity. The following is a brief history of GSO activity in the Philippines. It is presumed that after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 onwards, GSO Philippines became inactive until recent activities, beginning in Feb 2024, have led to a re-establishing of the organization.

GSO Philippines History

• 1952: Oral histories establish that the earliest A.A. meetings in the country began running in Olongapo City. By 1978, these meetings were being maintained by Phil, a veteran who had remarkably stayed sober throughout his service in World War II.
• Early to Mid-1970s: Early recollections attest to the growth of meetings in Manila, notably at the Malate Church and the Seaman’s Club.
• 1981 an intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous was set up to service the groups in Manila area.
• 1981: The fellowship marks a major milestone with the hosting of the 1st National Convention.
• 23 Apr 1983 GSO Meeting at Olongapo City (archive – minutes of meeting)
• 14 Dec 1984 GSO Letter to All Intergroup GSRs re Financial Report
• Dec 1984: A.A. meetings are successfully established in Cebu City.
• 1 Mar 1985 General Service Office officially opened at Bauang, La Union by unanimous decision of Fil-Am, Manila, Bauang and Olongapo GSRs.
• 1991: The GSO physical structure collapses following the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The disaster prompts the closure of major U.S. military bases on Luzon Island, resulting in the sudden departure of a significant portion of the local membership.
• 3 Feb 2024 A group conscience decision was made at the 40th AA Philippines National Convention in Cebu to initiate activity in reviving a GSO in the country
• 15 Sep 2024 A group conscience decision was made by GSRs of various AA groups throughout the Philippines that an independent General Service Office (GSO) for the Philippine region be established, separate from New York and Oceania.