Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 3, No. 26, March 6, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines MEDICAL BOARD EXAM Alumni daughter is 8th placer A daughter of an LCHS alumna is among the top ten in this year's medical board examination. Vannesa Oh was ranked 8th place in the results of the exams released recently. She is the daughter of alumna Virna "Kwan-Kwan" Sy (Batch '62) and Francisco Oh of Cagayan de Oro City.  Vannesa is a graduate of the UP-Diliman.  Her father is a doctor and a director and dean of the Xavier University College of Medicine in Cagayan de Oro. He is the brother of former LCHS teacher Felipe Oh.  Whitney Dy splashes up more medals By Alfred Lai II (Batch '89) Whitney Dy, 6-year-old daughter of alumnus William Dy (Batch '71), continues her winning streak in recent swimming competitions.  She bagged a harvest of gold medals anew in the 2nd Annual Inter-Chinese Schools Swimming Competitions held in Manila last Feb. 20. She was awarded "Most Outstanding Swimmer" in the "6 year old and under" category. She dominated the gold medals in the 25-m free-style (clocking 18:38), 25-m breast-style (25:88), 25-m backstroke (25:88), 25-m fly (22:49), and 150-m relay-free. About 10 Chinese schools in Metro Manila saw action in the pool. At the Chinese New Year Golden Dragon Swimfest held on Feb. 5 in Manila, Whitney was also voted "Most Outstanding Swimmer" for winning the gold medals in the 100-m & 50-m free-style, 50-m break-style, and 200-m relay-free. Involved in the competition were 14 participating clubs from Lucena, Naga-Bicol, Quezon, Laguna and the rest from Metro Manila. William Dy lives in Sta. Mesa, Manila with his wife Beth and children. He can be reached by e-mail c/o Hiram Dy-Henry, hiramdy@abc.net.ph.

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, & Alfred Lai II. 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 21 WEEKS to Grand Homecoming

The Iligan City Government, through the intercession of the Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LFCCC) spearheaded by President Henry Dy, has extended its grant of business amnesty up to March 31, 2000. The amnesty, as provided for in a city ordinance, was supposed to have ended last Dec. 31. The amnesty was granted in the light of worsening economic conditions brought about by the shutdown of several industrial plants in Iligan. The amnesty provides for the condonation of  surcharges on delinquent payment of real property taxes; it also accepts the payment of business  taxes, market taxes, and other taxes, with a graduated increment of 20% on each of the previous year's tax payments.

Alumni whereabouts

"Tracers" this week resumes its cyber patrol and tracks down several alumni stationed in different nooks and various stages of career advancement. Betty Bernardo Jover (Batch '69) is now branch head of Metrobank, North Road Branch, Mandaue City.  She used to be loans officer of the bank's Mandaue Branch. Sherly Co Schneider (Batch '70) is now based in Arcadia, California, U.S.A. Two other alumni who have made Arcadia, California their permanent home are alumni couple Laureto Capuyan (Batch '68) and Elsie Tan (Batch '70). Jose Sam Go (Batch '67) is now officer of the consumer financing department of Solidbank, Fuente Osmeña Branch, Cebu City. Jane Sy Limtin (Batch '70) has retired from her job after 25 years with the treasury & trust department of PCI Bank. She is now finance manager of Geo-Transport & Construction, Inc., Cebu City. Jaime Rodriguez (Batch '65) and his wife are the latest additions of Iliganon residents in the burgeoning city of Cebu.  From Gloricita Racines Kinnan (Batch '66), who is based in Klamath Falls, Keno, Oregon, U.S.A., we learned that Lourdes Chan Foster (aka: Inday of Lian Thay Trading) is now a resident of Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A, while Lilia (Dita Lee) Chow is now living in Taichung Hsian, Taiwan. Chicago-based alumni-doctor Greg Dy (Batch '57) is due back in Iligan for a brief visit on Mar. 7.  He arrived in Cebu City last week to finalize arrangements for the Filipino American Masonic Convention, of which he is the convention chairman, scheduled at the Cebu Plaza Hotel in July this year.

Reunion: New beginning for old ties
Wed, 1 Mar 2000 22:00:24 +0900

As a reader of your Spectrum, I am impressed by the efforts you have made to gather your alumni close together as if you all never left your school. As a freelance journalist, I am amazed by your concept of tapping the Internet as a medium to reach out to one other.  Even before your grand alumni homecoming takes place, you have already brought your alumni together in a reunion of some sorts.  A reunion, whether it is of the family or school, is always a pleasurable and nostalgic experience.  It paves the way for us to travel together one more time to a shared moment in our past, and an occasion for us to celebrate a new beginning of our old friendship.

Hideo Tsuji, journalist, Hamura, Japan, hideo99@ca.so-net.jp

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

Boss Charlie Sy's addictive fascination on preserving his innate biological urge to freely ram his testosterone without absorbing the teeth marks of wedding bells and white doves was an amusing read. His playful tossing of punch lines after punch lines on a subject matter that is outright funny and lovely, especially if you are not in the receiving end, crammed into my cranium the what-could-have-beens had I not dared to pronounce the sacred "I'm all yours, baby" on the altar one muggy morning in January, 1975. His stripping-naked-to-the-bare-bones essay on the tarnished glows of being jailed in marriage institution practically mugged my attention with glandular convulsion. Sad to acknowledge, it knocked my shoes off to reexamine my diary of 25 years in the world of diapers, shared responsibilities, Super Glue love and hand-holding for the same sunrise and sunset.

There is no second guessing that being an unrestricted agent entitles one to really "Hunt For Red October" - Miss Bombshell, I mean. Other pluses of being a man who makes a science out of dining daily with his own wits and shadow are: No XX-chromosomed bullets of nagging orders to bruise your eardrums to selective hearing loss; No quick snap on the neck when your eyes get caught feasting on other curves and tables; No kids to taxi around soccer fields and music lessons when all the muscles that bulk your mass are aching for the horizontal position on the mattress; no lessons on how to be a penny-pincher with your leisure-money for the sake of inflating the children's college fund; You don't have to train your nightly snores to be civilized as there exists no constant bedmate to be rattled to wakefulness by the rock music in your throat.

Nevertheless, while I would flirt with his notion that being a bachelor boy licenses him to have a field day with the Madonnas and Chers in the open jungle, I can't see anything else beyond the glamour of being a bird with no cage. A wife, among the many other crowning glories, is: A partner who has a ready hand to extend when you stumble miserably in your dreams and twinkles gleefully with your every badge of honor; A legal half to blend your genetic codes and propagate your kind along the theme of endless love; A voice that soothes and cuddles when you are bombarded with nothing but a stabbing sense of inadequacy; A flicker in the tunnel that lights the path when the going is dim, tortuous and prickly; A comforting lullaby that harmonizes with the songs in your heart, whether in tune or otherwise; A sensitive sidekick who eases and melts the tinge of sadness and who reads and cheers the exhibits of happiness that hang in your eyes; A potent pill that strangles and heals with kindness your aches and pain, even those fake or exaggerated, last-minute flu symptoms; A power boost when your faith in your instinct and intelligence dwindles at a critical threshold and no one else believes in your down-but-not-totally-out energies; A bounding pulse that reluctantly dips and rises in your roller coaster ride to touch the distant moon and stars; A live force whose every moment of absence erases the "love" in the word "loveliness" ...

Rationally viewed and dissected from all angles, it is glaringly obvious that there is no need debating the fact that a model girlfriend can breathe those preceding brownie points and magical qualities without the stinky nails of the official "I do" certificate. Yet, what breed of sane ladybug would cling, till her quilting and needlepoint days, to a lover who might sail to new heavens in one sudden belly flop? Would a lass with boundless dedication to her man offer her soul when such act of total submission is fraught with the likely possibility of a distasteful ending, as bitter as a Chinese medicine? Though marriage is no picnic sometimes, I have no regrets that I spread the blanket on the grass. There is just a terrifying purity about it. Incidentally, during my 25th wedding anniversary celebration, I mumbled into Verna's ears, "With our thrilling excesses of gemlike moments and sweet stuffs together, I would not think twice to marry you again." She, however, startled me with her cold silence.

Ah, the hearing loss.

By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

It's March, the last month of another school year; another batch of students would soon be bidding their farewells.  The month of good-byes to lifetime friends.  The month when big decisions are made.

I remember when we graduated from high school on March 25, 1987.  Everybody thought that I had it all figured out, but honestly I felt so unprepared to go to college.  Unprepared in the sense that I didn't know what course to take.

I may have been undecided on what course to take up in college but I was sure of one thing; I was staying in Iligan.  I told my mother that I wouldn't go anywhere else for college.  One of the reasons was financial. I didn't want to burden my mother with the extra expenses.  And the other reason was because I was too scared to go away from home.

Just when I was feeling secured over the fact that I was not going anywhere, a letter from U.P. Diliman arrived telling me that I passed the entrance exam and I was supposed to register soon.  It was then that my mother decided that I should go.

While my high school classmates were still together in Iligan, still going out together just like in high school, I was in a "foreign land" feeling like an alien from outer space.  I felt that I didn't belong.  I was even more "traumatized" when my room mate in Kalayaan Residence Hall, dorm for freshmen, wore tons of make-up to class and smoked inside our room.

I never thought I would last long enough to graduate.  There were times when quitting seemed the easiest way out.  I wrote to my sister in Cebu everyday, as if my life depended on it.  If I didn't receive any letter from her I'd go inside our post office at the university and look for her letter myself.  Her letters were the so-called "wind beneath my wings."

So looking back to my college life, I don't remember much of the things I stayed up late to memorize.  But I think I learned something more important and that's how to stand on my own feet and to strive hard because nothing comes on a silver platter.  In short, I was forced to grow up.  Now I understand why I had to take the "road less traveled."

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

Almost every week here in Australia, we are hearing about some industries closing down with thousand of workers suddenly finding themselves jobless. From heavy industries like steel making to textile and clothing factories. In October last year, Newcastle -- the second largest city of New South Wales -- mourned the demise of Australia's biggest steel mill ending more than a century of steel making. And in recent weeks, we witnessed some small towns crying foul over the government's inadequate response to offer assistance to the displaced workers due to the closure of a textile firm.

Australia is of course losing its manufacturing arm of the economy. With its poor balance of payment figures every month, one of Australia's leading civic leaders relaunched the "Buy Australia" movement. But the biggest problem is how to find any consumer goods stamped with "Made in Australia." Our supermarkets are flooded with goods from China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. Occasionally, we find "Made in Philippines" labels in children's wear and some Philippine food products in Filipino food stores.

In early December last year, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. was rocked by demonstrations staged by angry labor unions against the policies of the World Trade Organization. For a couple of days the U.S. Army had to assist the civilian police to preserve peace and order. It was an anarchy not seen in the U.S. for a long, long time. It showcased the widening gap between the capitalists and the common workers. And of course the dissatisfaction among workers who had lost their jobs to foreign labor competition.

The most common adage we hear in the last decade when it comes to global trade is the LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. This was quietly achieved by scheduling reduced tariff in every country, thereby depriving some small and weak nations of protection in their vital employment generating industries. But giving the big capitalists or multi-national firms the free flow of their products without any tariff of course. This was indeed the dream scenario of the management but the nightmare of the labor groups of the first world. With modern day computers and the wonders of our efficient and cheaper transport, the rich capitalists would still remain at their headquarters in New York but transfer their manufacturing activities to Mexico or other Latin American countries where labor is really very cheap. It is level playing field for the capitalists but never for the workers. What is an acceptable standard wage in one locality could never be applied to another place with different standard of living. And the capitalists would of course take advantage of the lowest level of cost to manufacture their goods in order to reach the highest level of profit for their company. Just give the capitalists the ingredients: stable government, electricity, transport facilities, and cheap and non-striking labor force. And as a bonus, environment is not even a concern.

Unfortunately, this is what we are now experiencing in Iligan. We are losing the war on manufacturing to some other countries with cheaper labor now that there are no more tariffs to protect our local industries. Our industrial city has also become a victim of Level Playing Field!

So we are now seeing chief executive officers of some multi-nationals who are earning some obnoxious salaries while their entire work force in the third world earn next to nothing in their sweat shops. Last month, a CEO of an insurance giant here was sacked and was rewarded with $13 million as golden handshake after only less than 5 years with the company while a miner who had devoted more than 25 years working under the filthy and dangerous mine pit could not be paid all his entitlements of around $200,000 because the company went bust! Sometimes I am tempted to seek the answer to the puzzling verse in the Holy Bible: "It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

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

Ilang tulog nalang (translated: few more sleep) and it will be summertime once again. We shall then welcome another season of fun and frolic, when all there is to it is simply fun, fun, and more fun; when all that is in our mind is what to do, where to go, and when to take that summer trip, an escapade from the humdrum of daily living; to go for that much needed R and R; to recharge oneself and come out energized. As summertime comes to view in this new millennium era, my thoughts drift back once more to the days of how, as a homegrown lad of ten, I spent summertime in the place of my birth that is Iligan, circa l962.

The summer of '62.  Ah, that meant a leisure walk around the key streets of Iligan, biking, mountain climbing, eating halo-halo at Tan's Refreshment Parlor or Casa Esperanza, ordering pancit guisado and siopao from Canton Restaurant, a dinner reception at Oriental Restaurant (owned by Nene Huala), savoring the appetizing barbecue and arroz caldo of Kapit Bahay, ice flower of Naring Store, among others. Ah, that summer meant attending fiesta celebrations, an array of kumbira, Flores de Mayo. We were the young ones then living in a world devoid of shabu, pornography, broad daylight robbery, ad nauseatum. We were the young ones who patronized the 45-rpm playing records of Elvis Presley, Timi Yuro, Cliff Richard, etc. at Everlasting Bazaar (owned by the Tans - Doming, Teodoro, Remedios, Marcing, Pablinng, Ricarda, Timmy, et al); singing "Aldila", "Sonata of Love", "Fly Me To The Moon"; buying Song Cavalcade song hits and Graphic magazine from Capitan Newstand; strolling around the city plaza, eating popcorn, cotton candy, tira-tira, nougats. We were the young ones who played bato-lata, patintero, kundisi, jolen, lastiko, tago-tago, etc. from morning till night, at a time when using the telephone neccesitated an operator to connect us to the party being called; when movies were in black and white featured on the wide white screen of King, Queen, Century, and Premier Theaters; when having a 25c coin was all one needed to be able to listen to the jukebox, sipping Coke or Chocovim at l5c, munching behon chicharon or maruya; when having P1.00 in our pocket was enough to buy Flying Kiss caramel, Fat and Thin pakwan, di-kiam, ka-na, kiamoy, san-tsa-pia, and pinti-moy.

The other day, I was at the Oriental Foodshoppe here in Cebu (owned by Tina Bernardo) looking for some Chinese delicacies. While there I met Lydia "Yong-yong" Sy.  She was telling me that before it was our store selling these stuffs, now it's me buying them. Truly, in the 60s, Pasing's Grocery (our store) was renowned in Iligan for being the number one distributor of these items. Yes, I grew up in an environment where a variety of these foodstuffs were sold by the dozens and more. So, who could ever forget Pasing's Grocery? And along with that, Doris, Crystal, Elite, Kian Chiong, Heyrosa, Lanao Arkay, Manila Bazaar, Iligan Construction, Victoria, Excelsior, Miguel, Sampaguita, Lim Chay, Lian Guan, State Shoe, Sin Hua, Lian Hong, Brilliance, Tropical, Good Morning, King Sing, Capitol, Hing Huat, Tam Wong, Lian Tay, Tay San, Times, Rizal Furniture, Dy Cham, Dy Un Soy, Tin Lu Sing, Hong Yao, Keng Hong, Sen Chin Bee, etc.? These were some of the popular stores of our time - the places where we went for our various needs, where we went and saw and were conquered by the many displays of items available in these stores. So, where were you when they were that popular?

Thirty-eight years have elapsed. And what have become of us? The answer will be unravelled when we come together again on August 3-5 for our First LCHS Alumni Grand Homecoming. Indeed a perfect time to reunite and reminisce the bygone days, of making a U-Turn towards a place we once considered our paradise. And if only for these, don't you think coming home to Iligan is worth the time and efforts?

For once let us rekindle the past and make believe that we are the children that we were as we savor the splendor of yesteryears when you and I were the inseparable chums dancing the jerk, twist, elephant walk, limbo rock, etc. or singing the hit songs of Neil Sedaka, Pat Boone, Doris Day, among others.

I remember the Summer of '62. It was one memorable time of my youth. I was with the best company of friends and classmates in the best place I've known - Iligan, the place of my birth, my hometown, my paradise. As we welcome the first summer of the new millennium, let us rewind the memories of the beautiful days of youth. Ah, Summer of '62 the summer of my youth - long gone, but never forgotten for as longg as I live.

By Charles O. Sy, Batch '67

Women these days can never be sure about men. Either they are so slow the women want to scream. Or they are so fast they women have to scream. * * * My friend Ernie Yu says that a wife gives her man solace. But without the wife, who needs any solace? * * * In Genesis, it says it's not good for a man to be alone. But it can be a great relief. * * * My friends are trying to convince me there is no such thing as an ideal woman.  One look at their wives and I see what they mean. * * * When it comes to divulging their age, most women turn demure. The older they get, demure they hide their age. * * * A woman who can make a man out of a fool, can also make a fool out of a man. * * * What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog? After a year, the dog is still excited to see you. * * * Women are like salads.  Much depends on their dressing. * * * The way women outdo each other in their dressing gives me the impression that they are engaged in a tog of war. And women who disagree by saying that men are just as worse in this respect are just trying to skirt the issue. * * * In any case, men really need not bother outscoring each other about their coat or tuxedo because they all will invariably end up with a tie. * * * In the final analysis, the easiest way to tell the difference between a male chromosome and a female chromosome is to simply pull down their genes.

Casting a spell on LCHS with their charisma through the years were the campus heartthrobs, most of whom went on to become the logical choices to lead the school band as majorettes during city parades.  Among them were Sy Bee Ling (Batch '56); Gregoria Ang (Batch '58); Aida Lim (Batch '61); Nelly Co (Batch '61); Vivina Chiu (Batch '61); Virginia Handumon (Batch '62); Elizabeth Co (Batch '64); Bonifacia Co (Batch '65); Dy Sio Te (Batch '65); Milania Handumon (Batch '67); Josephine Jane Go (Batch '66); Lucena Reyes (Batch '68); and Gloria Tecson (Batch '70); Sherly Co (Batch '70); and Elaine Co (Batch '73).

In the field of mathematics, several names stand out like formidable equations on the chalkboard.  Among the acknowledged math wizards were Newton Siao (Batch '57); Alfredo "Chio To" Uy (Batch '61);  Santas Tan (Batch '61); Jesus Dy (Batch '63); Dy Sun Lay (Batch '68); Dy Chiok Hian (Batch '69); Roderick Ngo (Batch '70); Anastacio Uy (Batch '73); Jessica Sy (Batch '82); Marie Josiefel Quimbo (Batch '83); and Marie Janiefer Quimbo (Batch '87). Their victories in math quizzes and competitions brought them wide acclaim and recognition.

None, however, has yet come close to duplicate the spectacular feats of Ong Ching An (Batch '63) in the field of mind games. He was a wizard in the game of chess. He became chess champion of Iligan City at the age 16. He went on further to prove his skills by beating Cagayan de Oro's champion by playing blindfolded in an exhibition match.

Another legendary breed of campus wizard was Bestre "Ching Chong" Dy (Batch '60), who was widely known to have the habit of reading the dictionary from cover to cover while his contemporaries were reading fairy tales and comic books.  [To be continued]

Anniversary issue

Come April 15, 2000, the Spectrum will have completed 3 full years of service to the LCHS community and alumni worldwide.  It is not a huge milestone.  Nonetheless, after 125 issues (as of Mar. 6, 2000) in a span of 3 years, we feel that it's time we take pause and ponder for a moment on how we have measured up to our objectives.

Like any worthwhile pursuit, the Spectrum has had its share of ups and downs. We have seen fire and we have seen rain. There have been times when we were imbued with a sense of fulfillment as there have also been moments when we wanted to throw in the towel. In all of such instances, the one thing that drove us on was the knowledge that there still remains a group of loyal alumni spread out in a vast global community awaiting to receive each issue at the end of our day.

And so as we set out to chalk up our 4th year of service, we enjoin you all to share your feedback with us in our Special Anniversary Issue due for release on April 17, 2000.

How has the Spectrum fared in serving the interests of our LCHS community?  Has it been effective as a medium of communication and information among alumni worldwide?  Has it been successful in bringing alumni closer together?  Or has it failed to live up to your expectations?  Has it been self-serving for those of us in the staff?  Have all our efforts been exercises in futility?

Address your inputs to charlesy@cnms.net.  Your feedback will be consolidated for publication in our anniversary issue.