Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 3, No. 22, January 10, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines X'mas bash a success despite crisis  By Igdono Caracho (Batch '66) Despite perceived economic hardships brought about by the shutdown of some industrial plants in Iligan City, the LCHS-AA Christmas party, held last Dec. 30 at the LCHS gym, was a success. While the party was not as well attended as in the previous year, the affair was no less lively. Several alumni and LCHS students took turns entertaining the crowd with their singing and dancing talents in a program emceed by Rodolfo Yu and Glenda Sy-Cabilan. Food was delicious and abundant and the drinks were flowing. The stage was adorn with colorful decor prepared by Terry Racines and Vy Beng Hong. Winners of the three major raffle prizes were Juanita Te Jo, 1st prize (27-inch color TV set); Vinson Ngo, 2nd prize (5 cu.ft. refrigerator); and Corazon So Tan, 3rd prize (microwave). More story on the party in the article "A Christmas Gathering" by Alfred Lai II, in the Features Section.   LCHS students take first communion By Alfred Lai II (Batch '89) Some 20 students of LCHS had their first Holy Communion last Dec. 19 at the Inahan Sa Kinabuhi (ISK) Seminary Chapel, Pala-o, Iligan City. Rev. Fr. Daniel Sormani, CSSp, was the officiating priest during the holy mass attended by the celebrants along with their parents and relatives. After the mass, a Christmas program was held at a nearby activity center where the students shared their talents in singing, acting and dancing. Parlor games followed the program. The event was sponsored by the St. Michael Filipino Chinese Catholic Community (SMFCCC) headed by chairperson Alexis Natividad and assistant chairperson Joy Co. The SMFCCC Choir was also on hand to render gospel songs.

EDITORIAL STAFF Charles O. Sy, Editor Henry L. Yu, Associate Editor Correspondents: Iligan - Johnny Chen, Alfred Lai II, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo, & Roger Suminguit. Cebu - Igdono Caracho. Metro Manila - Marie Janiefer Lee. Canada - Peter Dy & Mike Lee. Australia- Leonardo Tan. U.S.A. - Ernesto Yu, Alex Rodriguez, & Aurora Tansiokhian Founded Aug. 1, 1968. Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni and supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Website: http://www.iligan.com/~lchs/alumni/ For subscription, contact: Johnny Chen, Tel. No. (063) 221-3883. Email: johnchen@iligan.com For submission of manuscripts, Email: charlesy@cnms.net 29 WEEKS to Grand Homecoming

A young swimmer named Whitney Dy will compete in the 1st nationwide Sinulog Swimming Competition in Cebu City on Jan. 21-22, 2000. Whitney, 6 years old, is the only daughter of alumnus William C. Dy (Batch '71). Whitney is a student at the Immaculate Conception Academy in Manila. She was first place winner in all events (25-m freestyle, 25-m backstroke, 25-m butterfly, and 25-m breaststroke) in the Metro Manila Swimming Competition for 6 year old and under (Novice) category on June 12 last year. The discovery of this new rising star was accidental when in April of 1999 William Dy enrolled her at a swimming program. The child was an instant hit in the pool. Since then she has been making waves in various swimming stints.

Too much delirium over a millennium
Mon, 03 Jan 2000 08:42:11 +0800

It seems people the world over are celebrating the wrong millennium. Technically, the 3rd millennium will actually begin on January 1, 2001. According to research conducted by Jerry Wilson and published on the World Wide Web, the reason 2001 starts a millennium is because there was no year 0.  Our calendar commenced from the year 1 BC to the year 1 AD. If you count the years of the first century, you start at 1 and go through 100 -- that is a hundred years, which is one century. By the same reasoning, the first millennium would start at year 1 and go through year 1000. Therefore, the second millennium would start at year 1001 and go through the year 2000. The third millennium starts in the year 2001 and goes through the year 3000. The U.S. Library of Congress has compiled a 232-source bibliography on the subject of when, properly speaking, centuries roll over. Almost all of the sources agree that the twentieth century will not end until December 31, 2000. So it's a Happy New Year greeting then, not Happy New Millennium, to one and all!

Moje Ramos-Aquino, Paradigms & Paradoxes Consultants, Manila, Philippines, moje@skyinet.net

Anybody who wishes to search news and information about Iligan or any other places of the world can find them in these two websites: http://www.orientation.com and http://www.excite.com/travel.  The orientation.com website, based in New York, U.S.A., is said to be the world's largest and fastest growing network of local and regional Internet portals. Check them out and you'll find many interesting info about Iligan and many other parts of the world.

Jesus Dy (Batch '63), Edmonton, Canada, Jesus.Dy@reg.gov.ab.ca

Staff on the move.  Looks like Spectrum staff members are forever on the move. Iligan correspondent Alfred Lai II will soon take a leave of absence from the Spectrum when he transfers to Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. on January 14 to take on a new job. Al is a registered nurse by profession. As soon as he's settled in his new home, he promises to rejoin the staff by sharing with us his insights and experiences in Chicago. Another staff member perpetually on the go is Roger Suminguit, who has been frequently shuttlling in and out of Iligan these days. He is currently having his hands full pursuing various projects for his Global Techno Environmental Consult business in Digos, Marbel, Cotabato, and General Santos city. Meanwhile, Spectrum jet-setter Peter Dy is back again in Edmonton, Canada. He left Iligan early last December to be with his family for Christmas.

Icons & idols.  As Spectrum's new treat for the new year, we roll out a new section with this issue labeled "Icons and Idols of LCHS." This section features the many personages who have made a name for themselves and left indelible marks on the campus since the early days of LCHS. The section is an attempt to recollect the unforgettable characters who added color to the LCHS landscape by the sheer charisma of their personalities, or by the enduring impact of their individual sagas during their student days at LCHS. Their profiles were gathered from a group of alumni on the Internet who took part in a series of freewheeling online discussions in the LCHS Internet Chat Room initiated by the Spectrum sometime in mid-1999.

By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch '65

Frozen for months in cold fear by the crippling, well-hyped doom of Y2K-initiated catastrophes, I stuffed my emergency packs with an arsenal of firepowers to combat the numbing new millennium snafus. Among the essential commodities in my survival kits: Alkaline batteries that can power a dozen flashlights and a portable FM radio that blares classical music; A stash of bundled money in case the law of commerce resets to the ancient practice of barter in cash only; Matches and candles to carry us through thick and thin, which double as our rays of saving grace during hours of moonless darkness; Gallons of bottled water to satisfy a liquid habit that forcefully flush kidneys out of nasty stones; A tankful of gas in case I sorely miss the outside world of blustery snow; A stack of firewoods to render our family huddle warm and cozy and to augment the insulation layers of our prosperous fat pads; A frame of mind that psyches ourselves to stay in town and bite our lips through the gnawing subzero wind chill of Buffalo's winter, rather than spread our skin for an invigorating tan in some Caribbean islands.

When all is said and done, what started as an urgent call to arms turned out to be a classic case of fabricating a barricade against awful nonsense, a virtual blueprint for murdering one's heart with unclean lunacies. Or, much ado about nothing. The millennium mood crept through our State line in a sedate fashion: Not a flicker of computer glitches torched our home, except for a transient bang when we retired our fake Christmas tree with the lights still hugging the electrical outlets (major “sizzling” mistake! Literally). Nevertheless, as a cub scout platoon leader in my previous life, I can't enumerate the harm or peril in being at full alert status for the come-what-may. There's always an energizing sigh of relief when you anticipate and block any adverse circumstances that could poke your eyes. Actually, the real calamity now is how to find time to drop by the bank and redeposit our withdrawn money before our boys unearth the sizeable wealth layered under our mattress and grind these green bucks into sweaters and ties in the shopping center. And knowing our gene-commandos from head to toes, who have been rabid mall rats lately, it takes only a few blast of their magic rifles to make us sorry for reacting in slow motion.

In retrospect, was our tortured sleep from the Year 2000 insanity worthy of devoting a whopping page of paragraphs? You betcha! Among the positive spins that evolved from the paranoia, we were educated in the mechanics of being organized way before an impending gloom strikes. Moreover, it widened our peripheral delight and appreciation of the vital ingredients that truly spark the beautiful things in life (food, water, fuel) that we oftentimes regard as second-class abundance. Likewise, the drills saved us from becoming outright paupers by ignoring the allure of lavish New Year vacation packages in foreign places that we can't even pronounce right. Furthermore, it gave us a good training ground for such popular childish games as hide-and-seek: it was refreshingly cute to be able to neatly hide the almighty dollars from the roving eyes of our offsprings-turned-unforgiving-treasure-hunters! For Verna and me, it is a matter of not being sacked by our kids’ echoing pleas to pump up above the poverty line their monthly school allowance. With our advanced courses on averting disaster, we should have this tear-jerker scenario licked way before the boys execute the kneel-down session in sad ballad.

Hope you did pop an exhilarating toast to auld lang syne and your version of a new millennium drama was a trouble-free turning point in history: No trigger-happy Y2K bugs strangulating the oxygen supply of your computer system. Wish me luck in my trip to the bank.

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

It is now official. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, the world custodian of time, had just confirmed that the 3rd millennium will start on January 1, 2001. This decision is being concurred by the US Naval Observatory. So the giant multi-million-dollar fireworks that sparked around the world and the unprecedented celebrations that went with the countdown to welcome Y2K were just a big dress rehearsal for the big event that we are going to celebrate in about 12 months time!

For those of us who are still confused, it is really a very simple method of counting. We won't even need the mathematical genius of the man of the century - Albert Einstein - to sort it out for us. Nor do we need advance algebra. Just a simple arithmetic of grade one will do. Remember that we always start counting with number 1 and finish into tens, hundreds or thousands with zeros in the end. If the first millennium was year 1 to year 1000, then the second millennium year should be year 1001 to 2000. So year 2000 is a great milestone as the end of the second millennium. But the year consisted of 366 days before it is over. That means January 1 to December 31 of 2000 is still part and parcel of the last year of the 2nd millennium year. So it is very clear then that the third millennium really starts on January 1, 2001.

What makes year 2000 more confusing was the hype of the Y2K computer bug that was dominating the world for the last couple of years. There are still many amongst us who don't fully understand what this "bug" is all about. This is to correct the dating anomaly created by the early computer programs which designated the years with just the last 2 digits to save on the limited computer memory in those times. The early computer programmers did not foresee that their programs would still be relevant or survive in the year 2000. With 2 digits designation, year 2000 will simply appear as "00" in the computer language. Which could also be interpreted as year 1900 by the computers! An anomaly with 100 years' difference. Hundreds of billions of dollars were spent to make this corrections.

This reminds me of the computer glitch at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Games when a young Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, conquered the hearts of everyone by her excellent perfect performance. There was a few minutes of delay as all the judges were confused with how to enter their score into the computer. At last the much awaited score came flashing in the electronic board as "0.00"! Now the crowd was even more confused as how could such a perfect performance get zero score! And young Nadia could not even comprehend the score either. Was she disqualified? Then came the announcement: The score means perfect 10. But the electronic board did not provide an added space for the second digit. It was an oversight as the organizers never thought a perfect ten could be achieved at all! Y2K Bug, was indeed an oversight by the early computer programmers!

Meanwhile, the big businesses like restaurants, hotels, airlines, fireworks, entertainment, wineries and others involved in all the various aspects of millennium celebrations are now getting ready to make a killing again by capturing our imagination on how to celebrate the genuine end and beginning of a millennium comes January 1, 2001. They are all smiling about an encore of the millennium business with not a thousand years gap but just barely in a space of 12 months! The next time around, it will be a greater party and celebration without the distraction of the so called "millennium bug."

Can we really count?  Or we just want to party? Happy Millennium Year!

By Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69

Happy New - a very common expression we greet our colleagues, like when we say "Happy new shoes," "Happy new shirt," etc.  For all of us, it is indeed a triple welcome to the new year that is Y2K, to a new millennium, and to a new century that is the 21st.

The year 2000 is here at last!  I remember a time in my life when we were graders, we used to write notes to our classmates with whom we had a quarrel by writing "I will not make friends with you anymore, not even until 2000."  Oh, that was a very very long time ago. Of course, we didn't mean it that way.  That was just part of sheer innocence and being childish, part of "the good, the bad, and the ugly" days of being young and carefree.

The year 2000 is indeed a very significant one as it is the very first year of a new millennium, of a new century.  And what makes it so special?  You can ask those who joined the celebration which was aired globally via satellite television.  Everybody was so preoccupied with the said event. There were varied speculations, feelings of uncertainties, anxieties, and predictions of what Y2K has in store for all of us.  As human beings, we tend to foresee what is yet to come. Some dwelt on imagined fears, while others welcomed it with an open mind, with a song in their heart.

End of the world?  So what else is new?  That's the same thing we used to hear way back our kindergarten days. In fact, along that concept was born the song "The End of the World", which was one of the hit songs when we were in grade five under Miss Josefa Demeterio.  I remember Antonio Te's version of that song which he sang with gusto during our Christmas party circa 1965. Everybody was so familiar with this song that we would hum it even while we walked around the LCHS campus or roamed around downtown Iligan.  The jukeboxes at Nena's Luncheonette, Tan's Refreshment Parlor or Masarap Carenderia kept on playing this song over and over again. So how can we forget?

Decades have passed. It's now the 21st century. The year 2000. A new millennium. For sure, this will be the last that we are witnessing this kind of celebration. Another millennium and another century will come but by then we won't be around. Our children's children and grandchildren will be. By then, only our pictures and other memorabilia will serve as living proofs that once upon a time we were part of this beautiful world - as model students of LCHS, as loyal Iliganons, as honest professionals, responsible family men, and law-abiding citizens, to the tune of "Panatang Makabayan" or "Lupang Hinirang."  So while there's still time, while we're still healthy and alive, let's live life to the fullest. Let's welcome each new day with positive thoughts and actions. Remember that what we are doing now will all become a part of the future.  Converted into one historia de un amor" down memory lane. So let's altogether create beautiful memories not just for this new year, this new millennium, this new century but the same way yesterday, today, and forever with Christ. As the Jubilee logo would put it: "Christus Heri, Hodie, Semper."  Happy New year. Happy New millennium. Happy New century to one and all!

By Charles O. Sy, Batch '67

I once had a girl. She was so timid she couldn't even molest a fly.  Unless it was open. ---ooo--- Her name was Virginia Morena. I used to call her Virgin. She's married now. I stopped calling her Virgin. ---ooo--- But she was really breathtaking.  Every once in a while, she stopped talking to take a breath. ---ooo--- I had another girl who had a memory like an elephant. And the shape to match. ---ooo--- She eventually left me claiming my jokes were frequently made at her expanse. ---ooo--- There was another girl I knew who was so beauty conscious I advised her to join a beauty pageant.  She did. After the pageant she received a lot of offers.  From plastic surgeons. ---ooo--- Once she went on a mud-pack facial treatment. For a while she looked better -- until the mud fell off. ---ooo--- I also knew a girl who was a schoolteacher. She was a little cross-eyed. The principal fired her because she had no control over her pupils. ---ooo--- Many of the girls I once knew somehow never stayed long enough with me. When I treated them like a man, they complained that I was too rough. When I treated them like a woman, sooner or later their husbands would find out.

Through the years, LCHS has been home to a multitudinous mix of personalities that characterized its student populace.  Among each batch that came and went, a great many figures have colored the campus with a broad spectrum of their talents and traits. There were great minds as there were wise guys. There were those gifted with talents as there were those endowed with physical prowess.  All of them, in their heyday and in each their own way, cast no less a giant shadow on the LCHS landscape. This series of articles is Spectrum's initial attempt to showcase the personalities who, by virtue of their exceptional feats, reputation, idiosyncrasies, or indomitable spirit, have become unforgettable icons of LCHS. The lists, however, are by no means complete as they are simply culled at random from the archives of one's personal memory dating back to LCHS in the 50s and 60s.

Arts and Crafts

In the field of photography, two leading figures stand out like soulful silhouettes framed against a fading sunset, namely Christopher Chua Tek An and Robert "Gong Koi" Kho, both of Batch '56. Their creative work in black and white photography in the late 50s won the admiration of both amateur and professional shutterbugs alike.

In drawings and paintings, the acknowledged artists of their times were Leonardo Go and Robert Kho, both of Batch '56. There were also Ellen Co (Batch '58), who dabbled in charcoal and pencil; Artemio Lagrosas (Batch '65), free hand illustration; Leonardo Tan (Batch '66), water color and charcoal; and Mario Go (Batch '68), sketches. Their works of art consistently dominated campus competitions and bulletin board exhibits.

In writing and literature, one can never forget the rare feat of Victor Chiu (Batch '65) who, as a high school senior, gained national prominence for LCHS with his articles in the prestigious Philippine Free Press. He also pioneered campus journalism in LCHS by publishing the Scholastic Gazette, the first LCHS student paper. LCHS also bred other equally budding writers in Chinese medium. Among them were Virna Sy (Batch '62), Nelson Sy (Batch '62), Yolando Siao (Batch '64), and Lydia Sy (Batch '65). Their literary works not only stood out in school theme compositions but also found their way often into the pages of national dailies like the Chinese Commercial News.

In calligraphy (Chinese brush), the works of  Romeo "Chong Beng" Go (Batch '63) and Wilson Lao (Batch '64) consistently topped school competitions and adorned bulletin board exhibits.  (To be continued)

LCHS alumni and students got together anew under one roof for the annual LCHS-AA Christmas party on Dec. 30, 1999, at 7:30 p.m., at the LCHS gymnasium.

The yearend bash reeled off with program hosts Rodolfo Yu (Batch '69) and Glenda Sy Gabilan (Batch '72) welcoming all alumni to the last party of the 20th century. The invocation and the singing of the Philippine national anthem were then conducted by LCHS faculty member Aida Acuba. The opening message was delivered by LCHS-AA president Arturo Samson. He pointed out the importance of membership in the alumni association and the need to help one another for the success of the forthcoming Grand Alumni Homecoming in August 2000.

Dinner consisted of roasted calf, sugba-kilaw, pancit, salad, fried chicken, and other delicious dishes ably prepared by Dy Sio Te. After the sumptuous meal, Sy Chu An, president of the LCHS Board of Trustees, delivered the "Christmas Message." He underscored the significance of the Chinese language and its practical usage in the business world as well as in preserving our treasured heritage. An interpretative dance by the Filipino Chinese Catholic Youth (FCCY) followed the message. Accompanying the dance was an inspiring song entitled "The Mission" by gospel singer Steve Green.

In his "Inspirational Talk," city councilor Henry Dy spoke of empowering the Chinese community and the significance of having a representative in the political arena. Following his speech was a dance number performed by 12-year-old Maria Shahanah So, to the tune of Max Surban's "Unang Pagtan-aw Ko'g Sine."  Shahanah is the eldest daughter of Mary Evelyn So Cabili and the granddaughter of Chua Tek An. It was very entertaining since it was the first time a Visayan number was presented in the annual gathering (as far as I can remember), and the fact that it was interpreted so well.

More entertainment ensued with Alberto "Boy" Rodriguez (Batch '64), who mesmerized the crowd with an acapella number. A Backstreet Boys song followed with Jamaile Racines, a Grade-III student, who showed his talent in dancing. The St. Michael Filipino Chinese Catholic Community Circle representatives Dina Ong and Shirley Racaza also contributed an upbeat dance presentation to the tune of Lou Vega's "Mambo Number 5," which was electrifying and fun to watch. Another dance number was equally entertaining as the sons of Alvin Lee, Philip Lee, Lee Kee Sin and Petty Lee showed fancy footwork to a modern pop tune. Home on vacation from Taiwan, Dr. Antonio "Boy" Te (Batch '69) also rendered a beautiful standard song entitled "My Way," while singer-cum-emcee Rodolfo Yu serenaded the crowd with his love songs such as "From Russia with Love."  This writer also came up to sing "The Promise" and Martin's Nievera's "Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin."

During this whole showcase of talents, a fund raising project was ongoing. Raffle tickets were sold at P100 each to raise funds for the LCHS scholarship program. Among the raffle prizes were bread toasters, rice cookers, and electric fans, for the minor prizes; and a microwave oven and a refrigerator, for the third and second major prizes, respectively. The highlight of the event, the first major prize, a 27-inch color TV, was won by Juanita Te Jo of Freedom Commercial. She was ecstatic and was jumping with joy as she came forward to claim her prize. Touching her prize, she thanked the Lord for the answered prayers she had fervently hoped.

Before the major prizes were drawn a pep talk was delivered by Suniel Lim, chairman of the Alumni Grand Homecoming 2000.  He exhorted everyone to participate actively in the once in a lifetime gathering this August 3-5, 2000. He also announced that registration forms may be secured from Roger Suminguit or Michelle Batara at the Secretariat Office, Tan Lam building, with telephone number (063) 223-1555.

Kudos to the officers and members of the LCHS-AA, who made the event a huge success and a memorable one to last for another millennium.