Depending on what country you are in now, Masonry may be banned there. Or in some countries Masonry is only allowed for foreigners under assorted restrictions. Masonry is very circumspect in other countries in the region for that reason. You would generally need to be friends with a member for a long time before being considered.
When you return home, Masonry is very popular in the Philippines. And as a result of its popularity you can show up before a meeting to introduce yourself and end up with a petition after showing up several months in a row to be well known by the members. That's how it works in the US and Canada. Masonry in the Philippines was sponsored out of the US and retains many of our traditions like that. But in the Middle East that is not how it works.