Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 3, No. 23, January 24, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines LCHS-AA tackles reunion bugs By Teresita Racines (Batch '67) & Johnny Chen (Batch '83) The Grand Homecoming Executive Committee convened last Jan.13 to tackle several pressing matters concerning the approaching Grand Reunion. One of the key issues discussed was the setting up of various event committees to take charge of different activities during the three-day affair. These are the committees on plenary session, tours, booths fair, barrio fiesta, and the grand ball.. Also taken up were various suggestions on how to enlist more registrations among alumni for the affair. It was noted that some alumni abroad have volunteered to sponsor a few alumni who cannot afford the registration fee of P1,500. The problem of gathering batch data for the proposed alumni directory was likewise discussed. Some batches, it was learned, do not seem to be too keen or cooperative in submitting data of their batch members. Suniel Lim, Chairman of the Executive Committee, handed over a check for P21,000 representing the initial batch of full-page ad placements for the alumni directory. The next meeting of the Committee is set on Feb. 5. Earlier during the LCHS-AA board meeting, it was reported that the last alumni Christmas party netted over P10,000 out of the funds of some P80,000 generated from the sales of raffle tickets. The proceeds will go the LCHS-AA Scholarship Fund. New LCHS-AA scholars By Teresita Racines (Batch '67) A new batch of LCHS students has been granted scholarship for the second semester of the school year by the LCHS Alumni Association. The new scholars are Elizabeth Lee, Stevenson Lim, Mac Vincent Siangco, and Sylvester Siangco. The LCHS-AA Scholarship is a program that provides scholarship to deserving children and/or dependents of the less fortunate alumni. It derives its funds from donations and contributions of concerned alumni and other benefactors.

EDITORIAL STAFF Charles O. Sy, Editor Henry L. Yu, Associate Editor Correspondents: Iligan - Johnny Chen, 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 27 WEEKS to Grand Homecoming

Tragic news hit the Bernardo family twice in a row.  Manuel "Kee Zhih" Bernardo (Batch '61) died of a lingering illness last Jan. 13 in Iligan City. He was 56 years old. Scores of LCHS alumni were at the wake on Jan. 17 to pay their last respects. The Filipino Chinese Catholic Community, through Fr. Dan, offered a mass. Manuel is survived by his wife Lolita, and children Sheena (Batch '90), Jennifer (Batch '93) and Kenneth (Batch 94).  He was laid to rest at the Maria Cristina Gardens, Iligan City, on Jan. 18. That evening, his father, Tan Kim Seng, 86, also passed away. Interment is set on Jan 26. He is survived by his wife Felisa and children Perla, Ursulina, Alberto, Betty, Cecilia, Rene, Emilia, and Alexander.

New Iligan overpass underway
By Johnny Chen (Batch '83)

Works on a new pedestrian overpass in Iligan City have finally started. The groundwork of the overpass at Roxas Avenue, at the premises of the Iligan City Central Elementary School and across the Iligan City National High School, started last week. Several units of  heavy equipment have been deployed at the construction site. This is the second pedestrian overpass currently under construction in the city. The other is at Tibanga, just across the MSU-IIT.  Its construction started last October. Completion dates are slated for this year.

Coverage of reunion fee
Sun, 9 Jan 2000 17:44:43 -0600

Please relay my input to LCHS Grand Reunion Secretariat or Chairman Suniel Lim regarding the registration fee, in case the matter ever pops up. The registration fee should be spelled out as "Convention or Reunion Package" and its coverage specified, such as the luncheons, dinners, picnic, and such other items covered by the fee, excluding accommodation. This way, it will strain the gray matter of computing or itemizing.

Greg Dy, M.D. (Batch '57), Chicago, Ill., U.S.A., gregdy@juno.com

Blazing new trails.   Marie Joan Quimbo (Batch '87), youngest daughter of Fe Dy Quimbo, recently opened her new store which specializes in car accessories. Her shop, Iligan Karplus, is located at the ground floor of Uy building along Sabayle St., Iligan City, just across Henry Lee's MBH Auto Supply (formerly Manila Bazaar Hardware).  In Cebu, catching up with the proliferation of cyber cafes, Roderick Ngo (Batch '70) has set up his own Internet cafe right in the premises of his Westpoint Inn, located at Don Gil Garcia St., a stone's throw away from the Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City. His cyber shop, called Spider Web, offers Web surfing, e-mail, chat line, cyber games, and Web designs, for both his hotel guests and walk-in patrons. The Westpoint Inn, which houses the Internet cafe, also has nightly KTV sing-along, with computerized scoring system, featuring a vast selection of English, Pilipino, Chinese, Japanese and Korean songs. Also in Cebu, Bryan Bruce Lai (Batch '94), is now working with the Oaryoo.com, an Internet service provider located at the Keppel Center, Cebu Ayala Business Park. The company caters principally to medical practitioners. Bryan, who finished Occupational Therapy, is connected with the e-commerce section of the firm.

Sy-Go nuptial.   Winston David Sy will wed Marjorie Go on Jan. 23, 2000, at the Visayas Ballroom, Cebu Plaza Hotel, Cebu City. Winston is the son of alumni couple Alfredo "Chu Tek" Sy (Batch '57) and Rosie Siao Sy (Batch '60).  The bride, Marjorie, is the daughter of Mariano Go and Conchita Y. Go of Cebu City. The wedding ceremonies and reception will be held at the Visayas Ballroom. Among the principal sponsors are Sy Chu An, Dr. Newton Siao, Vicente Sy Seng Ho, Teng Hoa Lim, Juanita Siao, and Julie U. Dy Pico.

Staff tidbits.  Our cheers to Spectrum columnist Marie Janiefer Lee, who gave birth to a healthy 7.4-lbs. baby girl last Jan. 20 in Makati. The baby is doing fine. So is the mother. Janiefer's column "Straight from the Heart" will resume in our next issue, in time for our Valentine's Day release.  In the U.S.A., Spectrum columnist Aurora Tansiokhian will go on a well-deserved vacation in Israel with her daughter, who lives in Massachusetts. "It 's such a pleasure to have an adult child with whom one can have a conversation and discussion about people, work and life in general," says Aurora. She will be back in her Bunhill, New York home base after the two-week respite in mid February.  We wish Aurora and her daughter Bon Voyage!

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

Today, I bundle and brew all the miserable cycles in my past, let the extract with bitter aftertaste find ample time to settle down and gingerly sip all the lessons to be learned from the residues of these agonizing experiences. Will the process shape a better me who would then appreciate the merits of every small stroke of fame and disappointment? Will it be multiplying my self torture to ad infinitum when rewinding such caustic memories is tantamount to committing mental suicide in slo-mo? One thing I've skimmed out from my last 50 years in this planet: appreciating the healing wisdom tucked in every awful circumstance and gathering the appropriate tools to fight back when similar scenario unfolds the second time. Life is not judged by the final buzzer and number in the scoreboard; it is summarized in how your rational strength buckled the challenge. It is too darn short to drown in endless aches and frustration and not searching for the redeeming magic potion for the soul.

Wonder if our kids planted into their hearts the seeds of philosophical teachings that have resonated in our home for years: Be perfectly nice to everyone, even to those you scratched off from the list of gentle humankind, and preserve the old-world grace of good manners that will propel you smoothly through life. It is patterned after the glaring principle, "If someone has to succumb to a heart attack, it won't be the one who keeps his cool." Oftentimes, I dread thinking about the paths my boys are tracing. Will they fail big time or resurrect easily from their missteps? Guess this is always the nagging anxiety for any dad and mom whose offsprings flap their wings in faraway regions where only e-mails and telephone calls could link them back to the home base. Dominic, Sean and Chris should be educated in survival skills by now, just as we did when we were stranded in Buffalo with nothing to lose but everything to gain. Ah, it is stunning how you can irritate your psyche with by-products of a fertile imagination. What the heck, let the guys spend their lives. I know it has been engrained in their foreheads that dad and mom are just around the corner if they stumble and need an arm to lean on.

I can just sense the excruciating emotional pain that lingers in the doorsteps of my childhood buddy Alberto "Kilyong" Bernardo. Like any tragic final goodbye, the recent death of his older brother, Lito, must have cast gloom to every member of his clan (Mom Felisa, Perla, Ursulina, Betty, Renee). From a philosophical standpoint, the distasteful reality underscores a basic facet in life: We all get a chance to live in order to die. As such, it is just a matter of time before we are degraded into dust. Since we carry a tag of uncertainty as to when our own candle will be extinguished, I dearly hope that you realize how to value TODAY - the moment in your hands. Examples of things to do now before it is too late: Patting a friend with sincere words for making a difference in your world; Dropping a sorry note to someone you sorely agitated with your stubbornness; Hugging the very children who paint joy and love to your every morning; Projecting the Christian spirit in your every move. To the "AB" of the ALABER brothers of the '60s and family: At this low point in your struggle to seek peace and solace, rest assured that you have countless brothers and sisters who share in your hour of bereavement, and these are the core of friends who would make your cross lighter. My deepest sympathy.

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

I thought this year 2000 will be a great year full of celebration. Yet we are only on the third week of the millennium year and my happy new year feeling has already evaporated. I am just sad at the turn of events lately which seems to remind me that we are not progressing at all. Perhaps we are even moving backward.

Look at this 6-year old Cuban boy - Elian Gonzales. So lucky to be alive by just clinging to an inner tyre tube yet a very sad escape from Cuba by losing his mother in the sea. Now his young life is made a football between Havana and Miami, which has become a greater tragedy. Do we need the wisdom of King Solomon to decide his fate? Cut him into two? Of course not. Elian should now go back to his father. It is that simple. But we have freedom fighters and relatives up in Florida who insist that the boy should not go back to communist Cuba. But I believe a six -year old doesn't care about democracy nor the material wealth and life of USA. What he needs is the love and care of his father even how impoverished they might be in that Caribbean island. There is no price for the hugs and kisses of a loving father to a young boy who already lost his mother. It is sad that many Cubans in Miami are so drunk with material things that they forget that there are other more important things in life like love and family unity. It is a sad time.

What happened to the Visayan national anthem - "Matud Nila"? A song about true love and not about material wealth. Yet today it is becoming trendy for loving couples to draw a "pre nuptial agreement" before a wedding! I don't know who invented this biggest turn-off of all but this is an insult of the greatest proportion to the contracting parties. One partner is telling the other not to be a gold-digger! The latest one we heard is about fifty-something Michael Douglas and Britain's woman of the new millennium, the very stunning Catherine Zeta Jones, who are in the process of doing this pre-nuptial agreement. Maybe they are not to be blamed for doing so. They are just victims of a very cynical but pragmatic world. For how often does love lose its place in the heart to greed? And it is so sad.

One of the prices we have to pay for being away from our hometown is to miss the happy moments with friends and families, and sometimes the inevitable sad times as well. And this is a very sad time for me personally with the passing of a cousin and his father within a week. I just could not find the exact words as I mourn their passing. I shall forever miss two members of our clan. I was somewhat close to my late uncle Kim Seng as he was a great tradesman, specially in capentry, and I learned a lot from him in my somewhat forgotten profession of architecture.  He was a good cook and I cherished most his style of kinilaw and papait. My late cousin Manuel "Kee Zhih"  was my surrogate older brother. When I was young, I used to have Christmas luncheon with them as it was always a special day for him too. He was lucky to be born on Christmas Day, that's why he was given the name Manuel. I fondly called him by his nickname - Lito, while he baptized me the name "Edikong" which rhymes with "Santaygong" just for fun. He made me the godfather of his only son - Kenneth. I knew about the conditions lately of both uncle and cousin but I was still hoping to see them sometime this year. I never dream that last Christmas will be the last time Lito would celebrate his birthday. Nor did I realize that I will no longer taste the best papait of my uncle. Both just waited for the dawn of a new millennium and both are now gone forever.

So, farewell, my dear Tua Kou and Lito! May God bless your journey to the world beyond that has no end. I shall see you no more but will always cherish the happy memories! And it is a very sad time for me.

By Aurora H. Tansiokhian, M.D., Batch '58

I cried upon learning from Loloy of the death of cousin Lito Bernardo.  Lit,  rest in peace.

Growing up in Initao, I thought I was tall because compared to some of my relatives, of about the same age in grade school, I was tall. They caught up with me quickly but I was always comfortable with my height. The times I wish I were taller were very few. One was when I had to reach for something. With stepladders, this is no longer a problem. Another was when I first came to New York and I had difficulty finding clothes that fit. With petite size clothes now widely available, this is no longer a problem as well.

Last week I heard the song "Short People" by Randy Newman which was released in the late seventies. I did not like it. I was appalled by it. It goes like this: "Short people got no reason to live (3X), They got little hands and little eyes, etc.  I don't want short people 'round here." Then it tried to neutralize the derogatory lyrics by saying: "Short people are just the same as you and me, etc.", but I was not appeased. Who remembers that part of the song anyway?

Though the song was written over twenty years ago, the sentiments expressed still hold true for a lot of people. I have a "problem" when I hear people say "how tall you are" as if this were an achievement. I have a "problem" with a society that puts tall (as well as blond and blue eyed) people on a pedestal. Sure, if you want to be a championship basketball player, you have to be tall (unless you're Nate "Tiny" Archibald from the Boston Celtics). But in most things in life, it does not matter what your height is, as long as you are healthy and have a working brain. As a physician, the only interest I have in people's height is in order to calculate their ideal body weight or when it is obviously medically abnormal. My height has never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do. I have to be realistic. I can't be Michael Jordan and I can't be Miss America.  Lucky for me, I never wanted to be either. I think it is vulgar to comment on size and body features unless it is meant to make someone feel good.

Populations consuming a western diet high in calories and fat have grown taller and heavier. When will it stop?  Bigger people require bigger houses, bigger beds, larger clothes, bigger shoes and more food. More raw materials are needed and used up. Chairs and beds get worn out quicker because of the increased weight.

We advocate population control for poor countries for environmental reasons. Should we now advocate weight, height and consumption controls among rich countries for the same reason?

Till next time.

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

Remember this familiar quotation which we used to write in the autographs way back in our younger days?  We got this from our English class (was it Prose & Poetry?).  Along with this quotation were the many things we learned - from Mga Kuwento ng Duwende, Diwang Kayumanggi, Pampaaralang Balarila, Sulating Pangwakas, to the fractions, common numerators and denominators in Arithmetic, to Reading & Phonetics, Language & Spelling, Health & Science, etc.  We all went through the rigors of all those equations in Algebra, the hypothesis in Geometry, the Newton's Law of Physics, of memorizing "Mi Ultimo Adios", before we finally marched on stage to get that high school diploma.

God gave us life through our biological parents. What we do with that life is up to us.  Again, we are given a choice. We reap what we sow.  Things happen because we made them happen - like when you fail in a subject because you didn't study well, or when you fall down from a tree because you were stubborn and hard-headed not to listen to your parents who warned you not to climb that guava tree.

In a world of instant things (like instant coffee, orange juice, oatmeal), life is never an instant thing. We have to work hard in order to achieve our goals.  Working hard and hardly working are definitely two different things. Life indeed is full of choices where we can freely choose from among the many alternatives.  Choosing is an act. But choosing right is a decision.  In like manner, love is not just a feeling; it is a decision. It's either you make it or break it - you made it because you were working hard, you broke it because you were hardly working.

Youth is the best time in our life simply because it is that period when our sunrise has just began. There is so much time in our hands - time to commit mistakes, to learn our lessons, and make right what is wrong. When we go up to the higher echelon of life, when time is seemingly running short, we dread and fear of committing mistakes because then there is no turning back, much less a left turn or a right turn. We have to be precise with our every move - like the time when we finished high school and we chose which course to take up in college, or when we choose a husband/wife and decided on marrying him/her, or when we chose to buy a furniture or a home appliance. It's "no return, no exchange."  So, before you decide on something you have to evaluate it many times over. And when you have decided, go straight ahead. Don't look back because for always there will be something or somebody left behind and "breaking up is so very hard to do," as one particular line of a song goes.  No "ifs", or "buts".  Just go straight ahead.

Desiderata says: "Keep peace with your soul. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."  Life is what we make it. So for once in your life, make it right. Do your best, hope for the best, and God will take care of the rest. Everything happens for a reason.  IN HIS TIME.

(Second of a Series)

Even though the subject of music occupied a minuscule part of the school curriculum, LCHS nonetheless saw a good number of students with respectable musical inclinations. The more notable talents came from the Siao clan. Ramonita Siao was a pianist of no mean caliber. It was she who pioneered and served as conductor of the LCHS Glee Club, which won wide acclaim for LCHS in Iligan in the 60s. Her younger sister Lily Siao also made a name for herself as a soprano singer, while younger brother James Siao was unbeatable as a budding violin virtuoso. Aside from the Siao siblings, there were also others who excelled as well on the piano, the likes of Aurora Tan (Batch '58), Teresita Siao (Batch '66), Lalita Uy (Batch '67), and Elizabeth Lim (Batch '70). Jose Booc (Batch '68), in his own right, was also a name to reckon with in the harmonica department.

There was a time when flag ceremonies at LCHS were never complete without the blare of trumpets to herald the raising of the flag. Those who took centerstage as reveille trumpeteers on these occasions were Lim Kim San (Batch '58), Bebe Palang, Juanito Chiu (Batch 62), and Eddie Rodriguez (Batch '62).  At the height of the pop music mania in the 60s, innumerable attempts were made by LCHSians to form themselves into a band, then known as "combo." Only one group succeeded in performing on the legitimate stage at the LCHS auditorium. The group was called "The Vultures" made up of Ernesto Yu (Batch '65), Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65) and Victor Yu (Batch '68). Their repertoire included the music of the Shadows.

In singing, Beatriz "Huy Du" Te (Batch '57) consistently occupied star billing in school programs in the early years of LCHS. While in dramatics, among the notable thespians were Sy Bee Ling (Batch '56), Alita Dy (Batch '56), Dy Sun Kang, Asuncion Lim (Batch '57), Paciencia "Phek Dian" Chiu (Batch '59), Helen Ngo (Batch '68); and Gloricita Racines (Batch '66). Consistent key figures in dance productions were Virginia Handumon (Batch '62) & Minda Ang (Batch '59). Their creative choreography in many cultural dance presentations won wide acclaim. Several others also dominated the stage in their performances in the "Ali-san" folk dance genre in the early 60s, among them were Lim Chuy Giok (Batch '56), Linda Ang (Batch '59), Vy Sio Eng (Batch '60), Inday Chiu (Batch '59), Nelly Co (Batch '61), and Aida Lim (Batch '61). Other unforgettable stars in cultural dances in later years were Norma Sy (Batch '65); Perla Yu, Teresita Siao and Vy Sio Tin (all of Batch '66); Helen Ngo (Batch '68); Betty Bernardo (Batch '69); Gloria Tecson, Sherly Co, Vy Sio Hua, and Jane Sy (all of Batch '70).

Taking centerstage in the art of public speaking were notable campus orators like Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65); Suniel Lim (Batch '66); Gloricita Racines (Batch '66); Florfina Teh (Batch '66); Joselyn Ang (Batch '67); Stephen Sy (Batch '68); Henry Yu (Batch '69); and Felipe Lim (Batch '70). They were mainstays in oratorical and declamation contests. (To be continued)

December 24 was finally here. As always, we were to leave for Gingoog City to spend Christmas there. But with two additional members in our family, we could not immediately leave unless there would be somebody to adopt Julia and Roger over the weekend. So I asked the previous owner of Julia, our 2 month-old Japanese Spitz, if they would be willing to take care of her over the weekend. The family readily agreed, and they were happy that Julia could also spend Christmas with her pack. Our next-door neighbor, on the other hand, volunteered to feed Roger Rabbit for the time being.

With everything taken care of, off we went to Cagayan de Oro to pick up my sister-in-law, en route to Gingoog. While on our way to Cagayan de Oro, the rear tire on the driver's side blew up. Good that we were near a waiting shed when it happened. Boyan my husband and I worked to fix it. While I was installing the early warning device along the road, someone came over to help him install the hydraulic jack while another one came forward to remove the tire. So we were done in no time.

When we reached Cagayan, we were told that the bridge in Sta. Inez, Talisayan, a town near Gingoog City, was destroyed by a flash flood at dawn that day. Knowing that we could not possibly spend Christmas in Gingoog, we immediately drove back to Iligan instead. So we had our noche buena with my mother who was only too happy to have us on such very short notice.

Out of these experiences, I came to realize that people would willingly go an extra mile for somebody during the Christmas season so that everyone will have a blessed Christmas. That day, a good  number of people went out of their way to help us, in each their own little ways, so that we could proceed with our trip, although things subsequently happened that were beyond our control. Nevertheless, everybody tried to make things happen the way we would have wanted them to be. If only we could do something good to someone else everyday, even if it is not Christmas, what a better world indeed this would be.

Every tick-tock of the clock, every breath you take may change your life. And not at all times is it sunny and bright. The most unexpected and unwanted situations could happen in a heart beat. And you can't say "no," whether you like it or not! You may have tons of never-ending questions to ask including the existence of God. You may feel like it's the end of the world and there's no more tomorrow! Lots of tears and heartaches may abound.

The month of January brought several, different events in my life in the past. I got married in January 1982. I had a miscarriage in January 1983; my little angel could have been 17 years old in June 2000! My mother went back home to the Philippines in January 1996 and I completely became a real single parent with no help. And my daughter then started going to day care before and after school - an experience she hated. My daughter had her First Reconciliation in January 1997. We had our first MVA in January 1999, just a year ago. And I could still vividly see in my mind the scariest nightmare of my life! My brand new Honda CRV, just 6 months old, was all smashed in the front, and along with that were the police officers investigating us, the ambulance, the emergency room, etc.

Some situations in life can be very tragic while others are minor and easier to handle. Yet no one really knows what time may bring except God who created us. God has plans for everyone - the road may be rough at times, but not always. And why do bad things happen to good people? I think it's because if everything is perfect and smooth sailing at all times, then the beauty and meaning of life will become irrelevant and monotonous. Who needs a doctor when he's not sick?  So who needs God if he has everything perfect and under control? The secret to live is PRAY and have faith in God.  May this year 2000 bring peace and joy to our hearts and mind. God bless!