Winter is colorless, disenchanting seasonal cycle in Upstate New York. So, what do timid souls like me utilize to bypass the excruciating Buffalo wind chill and a gagging eruption of flu viruses if downhill skiing is projected as a perilous sport that ensures a stream of disability checks?  We snuggle by our cozy fireplace, pop a pack of potato chip, toast the couch with the thermal aggregates of our bodies, sink into edgy pensiveness over CNN sappy brew of soap-opera banalities...and stare at our pampered abdominal muscles as they float in offensive distillates of fat.  Woefully, this chilly weather malady can evolve into a lingering physical fixture.

At least, our gaits can feature bouncy steps that wobble the earth!

Thanks for easing my emotional migraine, for the bruising tenderness, and for my not being  relegated to second-class status.

At any rate, three cheers to your extended celebration.
 

Monday, January 1, 1968.  That's three decades ago.  I was then fifteen-going-on-sixteen in the tradition of sweet sixteen (turning so by April 3, 1968) when the world was young and everything seemed ablooming; when the world seemed just at the touch of a youth's fingertips; when all one cared was his studies, fun times, autographs, the movies, the songs, barkadas, etc.  I was in third year high school at LCHS.  It was the year Campus Keeper (our school's monthly publication) was at its peak, being born four months hence in August of 1967.  But, hey, that's getting much ahead of the relevant events that the year 1968 had brought forth.  So, stay tuned and listen as I relate to you the events which happened in the year of the Monkey - 1968.

Sunday, December 31, 1967.  The last day of that year.  New Year's Eve circa 1967.  As usual, our barkada and friends were in the house after dinner.  We put up a tent at our backyard where we went camping, bringing with us all the necessary paraphernalia (flashlight, foodstuffs, pillows, mats, blankets, etc.) as if we were miles away from home.  We had real fun swapping jokes and stories, eating, drinking, and lots of merry making.  It was a time when the older playmates of my brothers experimentally drank San Miguel beer and smoked Champion menthol cigarettes out of adolescent curiosity while we, the younger ones, were just looking at them, also curious but never tried.  I remember them drinking beer with matching pulutan of pusit and dried beef, while we savored likewise the pulutan matched with Coke.  Thirty minutes before midnight, the group started going out of the tent.  To the spacious backyard we went bringing with us rebentador which we ignited with the use of Lion Tiger mosquito killer piece by piece, covering our ears, laughing and enjoying every moment of it.  At the stroke of twelve midnight, we jumped and rejoiced and greeted each other "Happy New Year!".

The following day saw us woke up late.  By around 10:00 a.m., we were ready for the picnic at Timoga.  Back home after lunch.  And the rest was sleeping time, only to wake up for dinner, then slept again.

Fast forward.  Three days before February 14, 1968, we would buy Valentine's card from Crystal Educational Supply or those heart pins with song titles written on them, which we wore on Valentine's Day.  Some of our classmates and schoolmates by this time had already their puppy loves, crushes, and secret loves.  DXIC's Jukebox Jamboree (hosted by Vivian Leigh Dilit) would spin love songs of the era like "This is My Song", "Lover's Concierto", etc., while DXRI's Quiz for Fun (hosted by Joe Gadayan) continued with the question and answer game via telephone, wherein the winner was given a prize and was entitled to request a song which he would dedicate to whoever he wanted.

March, 1968 saw the last issue of the Campus Keeper (with Emelita Lee as my co-editor).  The editorial of that particular issue caught the roaring eyes and ears of the administration so much so that I was reprimanded for being too vocal with my commentaries (call it student activism).  To make the story short, I was told by the principal that if I could not take the system of the school, I could always find another school of my choice.  And that indeed curtailed my stay in LCHS.  I really never thought that 1968 would be my last year in LCHS.  All the while, I was thinking that I, along with my classmates who finished elementary and high school in LCHS, would be recipients of the loyalty award.  I was caught unaware just as the administration was. So, it was such sweet sorrow, a painful goodbye to our dear alma mater - the school were I spent ten years studying, being active in school programs, oratoricals, spelling bee, science fairs, being class president, dance and choir participant, and editor of the school organ.

Wednesday, April 3, 1968.  Was it a happy birthday?  It was not sweet sixteen after all.  It was one of the few sad birthdays that I had.  Several of my classmates and friends went to see me at home either to greet me a happy birthday or to console me.   But that's all they could do.  The damage had been done.  But looking back, I bear no rancor or bitterness whatsoever for what had happened.  I believed in what I wrote.  I stood firm with my decision to come up with that commentary.  And I still uphold the same principle 30 years after.

The summer of 1968 saw me preparing for my transfer to Dumaguete City (at Holy Cross High School) for my senior year.  Luckily, I was accepted with all my subjects credited.  In fact, I was ahead in World History (it being offered as a subject in 4th year at Holy Cross, while it was a freshman's subject at LCHS).  It was also about this time when a childhood buddy, Charles Sy, brought up to me the idea of publishing an alumni paper, then initially called The Spectrum Bulletin.  Its maiden issue came out in August 1968.  By that time I was already in Dumaguete.  E-mail was still unheard of.  So we made use of our postal service or LBC for circulation of the newsletter.
 

An assessment made by DOST in human resource component in a study conducted in Hong Kong in 1994 revealed that the Philippines is ranked number 1 in terms of quality, availability and cost of both skilled and unskilled workers.  The study also mentioned that the Philippine education has deteriorated and our future graduates are seen to be inferior to those of our neighboring countries. In the same report it was also mentioned that out of every 1 million Filipinos, only 155 are engineers and scientists who are engaged in research works.

However, authorities confirmed that our scientists have shown distinct competence in the areas of volcanology, plant breeding, geothermal energy, methods of nutritional assessment, coconut production and utilization, health care and marine science.

Another thing to note with pride as reported is that the Philippines is ranked number 7 out of 49 countries in terms of growth opportunities over the next decade and that abundant manpower composed of both skilled and unskilled workers are highly trained and speak good English.

The schools as a storehouse of young minds believed to be instrumental in a country's economic development is given by the Department of Science and Technology a priority in its program for technological reforms. The schools throughout the country celebrate the NSTW or the National Science & Technology Week in various activities like competition in poster and collage making, slogans and essay writing contests, investigatory projects and symposium all focused to themes designed to broaden knowledge in science, encourage or prepare the youth to pursue courses related to science and technology.  The schools with the help of DOST grant qualified teachers and students to some scholarships for further studies and even become recipients of laboratory building and equipment.

The scientists, inventors and discoverers are the country's human resources who play a major role in its move towards scientific and technological advancements. Their works are the products of applied science or technology; the hope to compete with the global market is in their hands. However, due to government neglect many of our scientists and inventors remain unknowns and as mentioned by Inquirer Mindanao of July 5, 1997 issue in an article "Hope Springs Eternal for Unsung Inventors", many have given up hope after a long wait while others yielded to foreign assistance which buys the formula or design, the item is patented, mass produced, sold back to the Philippines and labeled as imported goods.

Human resources component comprises the scientists, the would-be scientists. It is their expertise that could turn all our natural resources to competitive products. Is the leap for the Philippines to technological advancement that would gain for her a place in the global prominence just a milestone away for the coming millennium?

It was a night of seemingly endless Christmas cheers and greetings combined with the haunting undertones of blissful nostalgia.  The event was the Christmas party and get-together bash of the LCHS Alumni Association held at the LCHS auditorium on Dec. 30, 1997.

The party was practically a free-for-all treat as there was no assessment for dinner.  Alumni and guests were only offered to buy raffle tickets at P100 each with the chance of winning an array of handsome prizes.  Proceeds of the ticket sales were earmarked for the Scholarship Fund of the Association.

LCHS alumni, now in various states of anatomical transformation, started to trickle into the auditorium, along with their spouses and children, at 7:00 p.m.  The hall was immediately filled with shrieks of excitement amid exchanges of Christmas greetings.  Many more arrived resplendent in colorful attires with matching silvery hair.  As expected, reminiscences of the good old days dominated the agenda of conversations.

The party reeled off at 8:00 p.m. with Rodulfo Yu, now an English professor of MSU-IIT, as emcee.  The program started with Edwin Co giving the invocation, followed by Alice Go who led the singing of the national anthem.  Alumni president Dy Sio Te delivered the welcome address.  After a sumptuous dinner, with lechons and roast calf as pieces de resistance, members of the St. Michael's Filipino-Chinese Catholic Community Choir, composed largely of LCHS alumni, presented a heart-rending chorus.  They were followed by their children who regaled the crowd with a dance number.  Manuel Gaite, LCHS-AA adviser, delivered the Christmas message, while LCHS-AA PR officer Calix Tan delivered the closing remarks.  This was then followed by the drawing of raffle prizes with Manuel Gaite as emcee.

A touching moment in the program came when two beloved former LCHS teachers, Pedro Campugan and Fidel Fuertes, came forward to deliver their short talks.  Everybody was all ears as the two mentors, who have endeared themselves to the hearts of their students in the 60s, spoke of their fond memories and affection for LCHS and their students.

The alumni officers all came in full force, namely: Dy Sio Te, Arturo Samson, Fe Quimbo, Lim Kim, Johnny Chen, Juanita Jo, Luis Kho, James So, Calix Tan, Christopher Chua, Carlos Dy, Walter Lithuan, Henry Dy, Vy Beng Hong, Manuel Te, Alexander Chua, Dy Sun Kang, Mary Ann Lee, and Guardson Siao.

Present faculty members of LCHS were also on hand to grace the occasion led by another LCHS teacher of long standing, Perfecta Uy.  Some of the alumni spotted at the party were Rudy Co, Edwin Co, Robert Co, Tonga Dy, Ben Hur Dy, San Mondarte, Lee Kee Sin, Terry Racines, Elsa Lagrosas, Aida Chow-Ipili, Charmaine Molo, the Lim sisters Elena and Elizabeth, Alicia Cu-Go and her family, Maria Cu, Belinda Cu-Lim, Philip Lee, Julius Racines, Dennie Chua, Santi Ong, Bonifacio Khu, Henry and Norma Siao, Dominic Siao, Anderson Dy, Tony Sia Chu Hok, Henry Lee, Henry Lagrosas, Jose Lim, Alfredo and Po Hua Lai, Kim Giok Handumon, Bonifacio Te, Agripino Jo, and Nelly Sim, among others.