INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 40, January 25, 1999, Iligan City, Philippines

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The Iligan City pier may soon be able to accommodate more vessels. A 35-meter breastling mooring dolphin will be constructed at Pier 3. Estimated to cost P3.5 million, the new facility can hold the rear or front end of a vessel. As of now, Pier 3 can accommodate only one big vessel. With the breastling mooring dolphin, three vessels could dock at Pier 3. Another priority project at the pier for this year is the interconnection of Pier 2 and Pier 3.

New Members Update.  The LCHS Alumni Association registered a total of 22 new members during period July 1 to December 31, 1998.  The new members are: Franklin Siao, Joy Grace Cruzabra, Sherlita Racines, Janet Lee Tan, Franzel Lee, Lucille Lee, Igdono Caracho, Elaine Co Bartolome, Ernesto Yu, Rosanna Co Belmonte, Aida Chow Ipili, Aldo Caracho, Adelfa Tan Dy, Melecia Papa, Rene Tio, Edgar Lim, Leonila K. Zorilla, Precila K. Ano-os, David Dy, Arthur Dy, Jane Dy CoKiong, and Grace Dy Marcelo.

Homeward Bound. Peter Dy (Batch '66), Spectrum correspondent in Edmonton, Canada, is homeward bound. He is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Jan. 25 together with his wife, Tita, before proceeding to Iligan. The couple will stay in Iligan for a few months before returning to Edmonton in April 1999. Their eldest son, Peterson will be graduating in May with a degree in photography. While another son, Phillip, will be graduating from Grade 12.

The Sinulog & Memories of Cebu
Thu, 14 Jan 1999 15:28:33 -0800

Re Henry Yu's "The Sinulog Season" (Spectrum, Jan. 18, 1999 issue), it would have been such a treat to see all the festivities with everything so colorful. They really know how to put on a great celebration. I try to imagine what it would be like to be there. But I cannot remember Cebu being as fantastic a place as it is now. How things have changed through the years since the time I was assigned as a military engineer in Cebu during World War II. Seeing it now would probably blow my mind at the way things have changed since then. The people I met when I was there were very intelligent. The young people were so well taught in their schooling they knew things about the United States which I did not know. There was a girl there, she was about 14 years old maybe, and she could name all the presidents of the U.S.A.  I couldn't. I had her address which I carried with me all through the war and I wrote to her after I got home but did not get an answer. I realized later that she possibly did not have the necessary funds for postage to write back. My mail was never returned so I assume it was delivered. The address is now long gone, I am sorry to say. And there was also an older girl there who could cook the best darned chicken you ever wanted to eat, she was super. I get carried away sometimes when memories like this start to come back to me. Thanks for the memories!

Robert Myers, retired seismic engineer, San Obispo, CA, U.S.A.
rmyers@silcom.com

When a good president leads his country for a period of time, it feels like it's only a short time.  But if a bad president leads, it feels like a very long time.  The same is true with the laws of the land. A law can be abolished or repealed if it proves to be a mistake and contrary to morals and virtue.

Jeanne Nacague Te (Ong Chin Chin), Iligan, Philippines
c/o mark@iligan.com

Set July 2000 for grand reunion
Fri, 15 Jan 1999 10:55:20 -0700

My congratulations to the LCHS-AA officers for the successful alumni Christmas party and get-together! Another job well done. If there's going to be a Grand Reunion 2000, I'd like to suggest that it be held between the last week of July 2000 and first or second week of August 2000.

Peter C. Dy (Batch '66), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
pdy@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

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

Best Foreign Feature: Sy Hock Yian's historical echoes and footnotes. His evolution from rags to riches sketched the established worth of bucking adversities, sweating it out in the open, hunting for luck and pinning faith on fortune-cookie sentiments. Grandpa's autobiographical chronicle enlightened me on Iligan's Dark Age: The Moro rebellion, political turmoil, Chinese connection and the endearing traits of Asian immigrants to come through against all odds. The awe-inspiring translated accounts patched together the puzzle of my own parents' previous lives - before we breathed in the luxury and security of a comfy home and silenced our hunger with three meals a day.

Best Consoling Duo: Rene Tiu's and Larry Sy's biblical mutterings and spiritually uplifting words of St. John. Their sacred crusade rekindles the Christian in me, which occasionally gets obscured when handed the freedom to underline my selection between Sunday mass or NBA Playoff game. The wallop of their fine-tuned cascades of religious decibels needled my psychic fragility to view a vision of heaven and paradise, and remedied my consuming passion on being too selfish with my time. For these stark realizations, the preaching twins deserve a starred mention and a halo (not the bald spot kind).

Best Weird Dream: Along the story line of Indiana Jones, me and son Chris were captured by an uncivilized native tribe and offered two choices of punishment: either Omba-Omba or death. "What is Omba-Omba, Chief?" Chris inquired meekly. "You make daughters all happy seven nights," countered the grand old man in broken English amidst the resounding screams and rah-rah of oversized maidens, a class of babes whose witchy faces can degrade any Avon products. Chriselected Omba-Omba and quickly drowned in the giant embraces and kisses of the Amazon nymphets. Realizing that I have already tasted a fulfilled life and dreading the idea of being a sex slave to XX-chromosome elephants, I bravely proclaimed, "I pick death!" The King looked at his queen bees who are all in unrestrained psychedelic high upon hearing my preference and thundered, "Death ... by Omba-Omba!"

Best Christmas Present: A self-help book that outlines tested techniques and strategies to revive back to health lusterless memory jewels. Undoubtedly, the text should refuel my cerebral power and make a science out of remembering simple chores. At a critical phase in my life when I call friends by first name followed by big question marks ("How's life ... Charmaine?? Or is it Aida??"), this mental tonic should come in handy. Who was the genius who ribboned the gift? I DON'T RECALL!

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

Nothing much was planned for our stay in Los Angeles except for being our springboard for Las Vegas and San Diego. Our first day morning was spent at a giant warehouse outlet for members only, where we bought a few items at a real bargain. Then we had rest in the afternoon. After almost a month of hectic traveling, I just felt so tired. Anyway, I so enjoyed playing with Andrew's 4 kids especially the 2 youngest ones with one just learning to talk while the other one is still learning to walk. I was even contented to just stay home and perhaps baby-sit.

Around mid morning of Sept. 10, we were on our way to Las Vegas. Stopover at Barstow for lunch and some 3 hours of shopping. I just bought some light T-shirts which were suitable for sleeping. My old white ones had already turned grey over the years. So this time I was wiser to pick the grey ones. Who knows, they may even turn white over the years! It was just incredible that a huge shopping center of factory outlets could be found in the middle of a desert. But then, Las Vegas is also a great miracle amidst a great barren plain! Arriving Las Vegas at around 6 p.m., we stayed at Monte Carlo Hotel. I could no longer recognize this place. It is totally brand new as compared to 18 years ago when I first visited this place. It might as well be a million years ago! All the old ones had long been demolished. You might have seen some destroyed in the filming of the movie "Con-Air." After dinner, since we could not find a suitable show, we just went hotel hopping. The lights were just so glaring that I even thought of putting on my sunglasses that evening. We first went to a free show outside a hotel with the pirates winning over the British Royal Navy. It attracted so many people. We went by the Mirage, then to Caesar's Palace where we were transported back to the glory of Rome. They had this artificial bright sky inside the narrow streets of ancient Roman capital, which deceived my senses and made me think that it was still afternoon. When we were back at our hotel, we lingered at the casino area and tried our luck on the poker machines. Our $15 was only doubled after being multiplied by 4 after an hour. We won a little money but we got a few coin tubs from various casinos as souvenirs. These are just the perfect size for that special accessory uniquely found in the bathrooms of most Filipino homes called "tabo."

By lunch time of the following day, we were back in LA. Late that afternoon, Abraham came to see us at Cerritos City. He is still the same old classmate Abe except that he sports a beard now. We then had a tour of the swimsuit factory where he is doing some computer work. I was disappointed for not being able to meet a model here wearing their products. He then took us to a Japanese buffet called Todai. That was a great dinner with my favorite sea food. I never had so much lobsters in one setting. Then it was time to drive us home. What was a 10 minutes' drive home turned out to be more than an hour. We lost our way! But I was not complaining.  It was an added time which I just enjoyed with an old friend and besides, it was just part of the fun. Abe wished us a wonderful and pleasant San Diego trip for the following day.

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

Larry Flynt is the rich publisher of Hustler, a skin magazine that defines new depths in scatological pornography.  Pornography is any publication which is intended to arouse sexual desire. His publication is considered by most as disgusting, repulsive, filthy. Aside from his magazine empire, which includes a number of “adult titles” and dozens of more mainstream publications, he owns several Hustler adult stores.  In Ohio, he has a pending lawsuit for selling sexually explicit video to a minor, which is a big “No-No”.

Flynt has recently paid $85,000.00 for an ad in the Washington Post offering up to 1 million (US) for information concerning an adulterous affair with a current member of the US Congress or a high ranking government official. The first known casualty was House Speaker-designate Bob Livingston who, after reports of his adulterous affairs were leaked to the media, announced that he would resign.

In a recent interview with National Public Radio (NPR), Flynt was asked why the money for dirt?  He answered he wanted to expose hypocrisy in Washington because of the way President Clinton is being treated.  Flynt said, “there are more shoes to drop” and “big fish to fall”.  Boots must be shaking and there maybe millionaires in the making.

Flynt is a 56-year-old white male born dirt-poor in Kentucky.  Before starting Hustler in 1974, he worked as a factory worker and served in the US Army and Navy.  He also whimsically ran for president on a platform of destroying venereal disease and eliminating sexual ignorance.  But he may have found his calling as a defender of the First Amendment.  During a Georgia obscenity trial in 1978, he was shot, confining him to a wheelchair.

The Founding Fathers probably never imagined anything like Larry Flynt when they wrote the First Amendment.

The US Constitution has 26 amendments, the first 10 of which form what is known as the “Bill of Rights”. The First Amendment contains the essence of being American: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.  It exists to protect expressions, religions, groups and beliefs that are not part of the mainstream.  It protects the unpopular, the offensive, the disagreeable.  These freedoms are not absolute.  Flynt has successfully used freedom of the press and speech as defenses for his offensive publication.

Flynt’s battles over the First Amendment have made it safer for others to speak more freely.  In fighting for his publication, he has become a constitutional crusader.   Flynt sums it up best himself:  “If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag [meaning low life] like me, then it will protect all of you.  Because I’m the worst.”

St. Thomas Aquinas said,  “We must love them both --- those opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject.  For both have labored in the search for truth, and helped us in the finding of it”.

AMEN.

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

Monday, Dec. 21, 1998 was a memorable day specially for those of us with physical facial deformities. It was the launching of Operation Smile and The World Journey of Hope '99 which was held at the Ayala Activity Center in Cebu. This was sponsored by the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc. (MSYCFI).

Being president of the Cebu Medical Society, I was invited to deliver an inspirational message. Indeed, it was not until I saw those children with harelip and the video presentation, that I came to realize how much these less fortunate brethren of ours are suffering in silence, hiding themselves, feeling isolated and inferior because of their physical deformities.

We, who have lived normal lives without obvious physical deformities, are indeed very fortunate. And yet, out of sheer vanity, we sometimes complain of having imperfect nose, or eyelids, or teeth, whatsoever. Let me just share with you a story back in grade school. There was this 9-year old boy who was so obsessed with buying a new pair of shoes which he could wear to attend a friend's birthday party. He kept on making kulit to his mother, until his maternal uncle told him, "My boy, be glad that you still have your old shoes to wear. What about Manuel who has only one foot?" That very statement changed the life of that 9-year old boy. That boy who now writes this column.

Honestly, when I was reading through the brochure about Operation Smile and the World Journey of Hope '99, my thoughts were brought back to the 1960s when I was about 10 years old and in grade four. Back in our Iligan hometown, there were these little kids who were feeling inferior and isolated because of their physical deformities. They would, as much as possible, hide from public scrutiny for fear of being ridiculed.  As young as that age, I remember asking my elders how come they have that kind of deformities. I would ask how we could help these kids. Deep in me, I longed for a time when a group of people would come up with some solutions to this humiliating stigma on the part of the kids or their relatives. I thought the doctors would be in the best position to help operate and reconstruct such traumatic physical deformities. But then the cost of the procedure, I would learn later, would require a fortune. Certainly, there is no problem with those who can well afford it.  But what about those who could not even eat three square meals a day? or for that matter, be in school?  Years have passed until I myself became a doctor in 1978. At that time, I was wishing upon a star that someday a project like Operation Smile would be established, coupled with trained surgeons, compassionate enough to offer their services for free.  (Continued next issue)

Jokes from the Internet: What a country!

Comedian Yakov Smirnoff writes: "Coming from the Soviet Union, I was not prepared for the incredible variety of products available in American grocery stores. While on my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk -- you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice -- you just add water, and you get orange jjuice. And then I saw baby powder -- I thought to myself, WHAT A COUNTRY!"

Photos of the LCHS-AA Christmas Party, held on Dec. 30, 1998 at the LCHS gym, are now available on our alumni home page, under the heading "Christmas Party '98" on this web site: http://www.iligan.com/~lchs/alumni. Photos courtesy of Robert Booc, Batch '84. Hereunder are two of those snapshots.

LCHS-AA President Arturo Samson (left photo) delivers a talk during the Christmas bash,
while other top guns (right photo) of the Association look on from their seats at the head table.