The Triskelion Grand Fraternity was organized on October 4, 1968 by four Arts and Science students from the University of the Philippines, in the Diliman campus, Quezon City, Philippines. The fraternity was originally named Order of the U.P. Triskelions. The group swelled in ranks and gained its recognition when the Greek lettered TAU GAMMA PHI was adopted. Few years later, chapters from other college and university campuses in the Philippines were established.
The TAU GAMMA PHI aims for promoting to achieve the ideals of fraternal brotherhood. The fraternity believes that it must forge its members to embody qualities of leadership, commitment, persistence, trust, integrity, respect, and vision. This fraternity aims for academic success, personal, career and spiritual growth, active participation in the community through service and social activities. The TAU GAMMA PHI is connected to developing a best-in-class brotherhood organization; a student organization that embodies its own ideals and mission in accordance to fraternity’s Tenets and Codes of Conduct.

A member of TAU GAMMA PHI is called Triskelion. Triskelion is a”Three Legged Symbol”as shown on the fraternity seal, and its origin is a mystery. A Triskelion has always lived up to the motto, “it will stand no matter where you throw it”, which accompanies its seal –Strength, Free Will and Brotherhood.
TRISKELION – The conglomeration of Three Dynamic Forces in the Universe.

FORTIS – inner and outer strength
VOLUNTAS – free will and initiative
FRATERNITAS – brotherhood

MISSION – Our Statement of Purpose

The Tau Gamma Phi exist to:

Develop Triskelions who shall be Leaders among men
Foster Positive Change in the Fraternity System and in our Society

VISION – Our Common Aspirations

1. Leaders among men

Excelling in their chosen fields of endeavor

2. Change Agents in the Fraternity System and in our Society

Advocating inter-fraternity peace & cooperation
Engaging in friendly competition
Supporting good governance
Modeling active community service

By Founding Father Bro. Tito Venida

1. Great leaders never desire to lead but to serve.
2. Great leaders are original.
3. Great leaders grow leaders.
4. Great leaders lead themselves first; in doing so, they inspire others.
5. Great leaders are God-centered.
6. Position doesn’t make a man a leader; True courage does.
7. Leadership demands personal sacrifice.
8. Great leaders are independent and tactical thinkers, they master, control and discipline themselves.
9. Great leaders are never intimidated.
10. Great leaders know who they are.
11. Great leaders are constantly seeking for wisdom and knowledge. Therefore if you desire to be a great and effective leader, you must give yourself to the study and never graduate from the University of Life.
12. Great leaders speak their knowledge at the right time, in the right words, to the right person.
13. Great leaders know where to draw strength. For years and years I used to pray for strength but never received an ounce of it. Why? Because all the strength I ever needed are already in me.
14. Great leaders are not afraid of rejection and criticism. They are not discouraged by them.
15. A great leaders life becomes the property of those he serves.
16. Leadership is the ability to control knowledge and power.

The turbulent 60′s was a decade of social and political upheavals in the annals of Philippine.

The period saw the breakdown of traditional beliefs and long-held values in favor of newer and more progressive ideas. In almost every aspect of Philippine life and culture, CHANGE seemed to be the rightful order of the day.
The Fraternity system in the University of the Philippines was immune from these external developments. As extraordinary times, called for and breed extraordinary men. 1968 saw the wielding together of 25 concerned student leaders with a vision of introducing change and reforms in the feudal and decadent nature of the existing Fraternity System. Then the result was the creation on October 4 of the same year of the UP Triskelions’ Grand Fraternity, better known as Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity.

The Tau Gamma Phi is a protest Fraternity, better life, and as such, it has committed itself in the Fraternity Life and as such it has committed itself uncompromisingly to the two-fold task of providing the leadership in the quest for a Fraternity System devoid of Fraternity violence as well as in the propagation of the TRISKELION as a Way of Life.

Through the years, the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity has never strayed from it’s goals, and although the cause of which it has chosen to champion has proven to be difficult and sometimes, seemingly hopeless, the Fraternity has, nevertheless survived and even increased a thousand-fold in strength and in number, knowing fully well that peace is a product of strength and not of weakness, where other fraternities with the same noble intentions failed to succumbed into non-existence by adopting a passive resistance to fraternity violence; the Tau Gamma Phi has chosen not to follow the same path lest it suffers the same fate.

Furthermore, as a manifestation of its sincerity towards the achievement of such goal, the Fraternity has taken an active role in organizing inter-fraternity alliances in the various schools and universities all over the country in the hope that such alliances will provide the conducive atmosphere where fraternities can slowly grow and mature together in a fellowship of mutual trust and respect in each other’s philosophies and ideals. “De gustibus non desputandum est – of likes and dislikes there should be no disputing, live and let live”, this is one of the guiding principles of the Triskelions.

Today, the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity is already one of the biggest, most cohesive, and most dynamic fraternities in the Philippines. It boast of membership of every colleges and universities around the country, and now in all regions of the United States of America and other continents of the world; and true to its objective of changing the elitist orientation of the fraternity system, the Fraternity had decided to open its door to out-of-school youth so that they, who were not privileged of education, may also share in the fruits and the glory of the Tau Gamma Phi / Sigma.

On October 4, 1968, the Tau Gamma Phi Triskelions’ Grand Fraternity was established in the University of the Philippines, the rest is History.