Choice of Date is Crucial
By Leonardo "Loloy" Tan (Batch '98), Sydney, Australia
edtan@bigpond.com

I am delighted to read the inputs of our fellow alumni regarding the proposed GRAND REUNION.  It is as if the affair is slowly taking shape before our eyes.  The latest one came from our man in CdeO, Rene Tio, and I would like to congratulate him for a magnificent suggestion. The concept of a 3-day affair is just about right.  Maybe we could start on a Friday and end up on a Sunday.

The first day registration should be at the LCHS campus.  May be at the gym.  Which will be followed in the evening with a low-key get-together party or fellowship.  We anticipate many more will arrive on Saturday.

The second day should be devoted for something productive to the community.  Like a medical mission perhaps. I am not a doctor so I might be wrong in suggesting this.  But I know many of our alumni doctors and nurses living in many areas, like Cebu, Manila and even abroad, can assist in this worthwhile project for the poor members of our community.  We will have the Fil-Chinese Catholic Group, the alumni Knights of Columbus and the alumni Freemasons to screen the indigents.  Alumni who are not in medical field can help in other tasks related to the medical mission.  We will ask our alumnus Kagawad Henry Dy to request some appropriation from the city government for funding the medicine should our alumni association find it difficult to shoulder all the expenses.  This will occur from 10AM to 3PM only.  In this way, we are doing something good for Iligan and may be a better name for our LCHS Alumni Association.  Saturday night will then be the Grand Reunion Night.  Peter Dy suggested earlier a formal affair. Maybe a casual or semi-formal will do.

The third day would be a grand picnic at Timoga Swimming Pool.  We will request the NAPOCOR to open the dam gates for us at the appointed time for, say, 5 minutes for picture taking of Maria Cristina Falls.  Many alumni who have been away for so long would like to see the grandeur of the MC Falls once more, maybe this time with their children or grandchildren who will see it for the first time.  In the evening, we will then have the Grand Auld Lang Syne fellowship affair.

Let us make this affair affordable and possible to everyone.  We should understand that not all LCHS alumni are very successful financially.  I therefore beg to disagree with our friend Rene that we may hold a day or night of activities in CdeO.  Especially if we will be wearing different tags as Gold, Silver and Bronze.  This will tend to segregate the group of alumni which are coming home in the spirit of unity.  Also I don't see any merit in a joint fellowship with Kung Hua High School.  For those who will stay longer in Iligan, maybe they will have time to spend some days in CdeO or even play golf at Del Monte.

Rene cited a very important factor about the date.  He suggested it should be vacation time like April or May.  As I pointed out earlier, the date is very crucial to the success of the affair.   Should we consider the vacation time in the Philippines?  Or the vacation time of North America?  As for the Philippines, maybe it would be easier to adjust than for those coming from the States and Canada.  This matter should be weighed properly.

What is important is the happiness of seeing old classmates and friends again.  Maybe we should adopt a catch phrase like: HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN IN ILIGAN!
 

Dateline Buffalo

By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch 1965 Ernstyu49@aol.com

Our bathroom mirror, where I make tear-jerker medical rounds daily of my prickles and silvery strands, is an inert fixture in our home that projects back a pervasive sense of yearning to buck genetic destiny and a regimen of breathe-easy despite intimidations of mortality.  Also, its harsh, truthful feedbacks on my being a museum of obsolete particles (heaven knows how I hunger for physical retouches sometimes) are, in essence, compelling reminders that I'm Chinese to the bone, rooted in Lanao del Norte and transplanted in Upstate New York.  Over the years, I have amassed tons of outlandish tales distilled from culture shocks from American pals in Buffalo whose prime links to the Philippines are their "chained" marriage certificates, and from second-generation Asians who combed the pristine beaches of our archipelago as an ancillary pleasure to viewing dad's and mom's birth mirrors.   The succeeding journal entries are jumbled on a comment-rebuttal format.  The last words are my "corrective brainwashing" to our foreign nationals' first-hand observations.

Remarks:  Manila traffic scenario is the ideal illustration of the potential bloody tragedy from flared-up road rages when you basically choke streaks of lanes with swarms of spastic Toyotas; the worst of its kind in Southeast Asia.  There are always Filipino Steve McQueens who consider the red for stop and the green for go as mere equipment that suggests.  The wild bunch are like snakes: show them an ample loophole of daylight, linear or zigzag, to wiggle out and they'll compensate you with speedy thank you bouquets of carbon monoxide in a blur!  My supposedly 30-minute trips to downtown were dragged out into three hours of on-site learning sessions on the Right of Way as interpreted in conflicting scopes of logic by fidgety thruway freedom fighters,  a non-commissioned health-check on the status of my neurotic volatility, and a sigh from the brutal shock of discovering the intractable scourges of day to day land travel and how mortality begins to itch on my soul when jammed in a smog of brewing tantrums.

Mercy killing-reply:  Wait till the sun packs its might, chap, and the barometer spirals to near boiling point, you don't only bathe your entertained and ravaged lungs with exhaust wastes but the sweats-glistened stuntmen will serenade your educational excursion with head-splitting  symphonies of blowing horns and unprintable expletives.

Redeeming potion:  Here's the gravy, Sir:  Explore one of Iligan City's chic beauty saloons for a shapely specimen who exploits the science of microscopic dress; she can be the fuel to your second revival at the "Hunt for Red October".  She is a Scorpio (October 22) who embodies the characteristics of that astrological sign in its concentrated form (lust on that, tiger), almost an astounding ten, if not for limping gait and throaty voice.   She answers to the name Mona Liza ("z" not "s"; Spanish hybrid, you know).  Real name?  Ah..ah..Ramon Lisaro ("s" not "z"; part-time superman, 'ya know).
 

Sentimental Journey

By Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch 1969

Are there Jews in China?

Sid and Mackenzie were dining in a Chinese restaurant.  "Sid," asked Mackenzie, "Are there any Jews in China?"
"I don't know," Sid replied. "Why don't we ask the waiter?"
When the waiter came by, Mackenzie asked him, "Are there any Chinese Jews?"
"I don't know, sir, let me ask," the waiter replied, and he went into the kitchen.  He returned in a few minutes and said, "No, sir.  No Chinese Jews."
"Are you really sure?" Mackenzie asked again.  "I cannot believe there are no Chinese Jews."
"Sir, I asked everyone," the waiter replied exasperated.  "We have orange jews, prune jews, tomato jews and grape jews, but no one ever heard of Chinese jews!"
 

Observations: In the face of the current financial crisis, the banking institutions, instead of coming to the aid of the business sector, are making things even more difficult for businesses than ever before.  It is our shared perception that the banking institutions are exploiting the current captive market of distressed businesses to their advantage.  Short of economic sabotage, their acts can only be construed as profiteering per se.  It is likewise our impression that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has been ineffective, to say the least, in arresting the continuing pillage of the business sector by the banking institutions.

Recommendations: Premised on these observations, it is therefore our position that:

1.  The BSP must answer for the loss of government funds and set an interest ceiling of not more than 14% on peso loans, and 8% on FCDU loans.
2.  The BSP must impose a limit on deposit-loan spread of 4%, and a dollar buy-sell spread of 1%.
3.  The BSP must compel the banks to reduce their overhead expense by putting a stop to their opening of more branches.
4.  The banks that have overcharged borrowers with loan interests at two times the rate prior to the start of the crisis in July 1997 must be made to refund the difference to the clients concerned.

Cause of Action: The exploitation by the banks, aided by the ineffectivity of the BSP, has wrecked havoc on an already ailing economy.  The banking institutions, after more than six months of wanton exploitation of the currency crisis, are still unrestrained.  The cries of a distressed business sector have gone unheeded.  It is time for all oppressed businessmen to rise collectively against the continuing exploitation of their plight.  The following are what we are prepared to do:

1.  To declare a mass default on payments of all loans and borrowings with the banks.
2.  To file a collective suit against the banks for economic sabotage.
3.  To call for the resignation of all the members of the Monetary Board.
4.  To bring our case to the Filipino people by staging a mass protest on March 18.

New Government Policy. In 1970, the Philippine government amended its policy governing schools.  It nationalized retail trade and Filipinized all the private schools in the country. Our Lanao Chinese High School was not spared.  The school name was subsequently changed to Lanao Community School.  The government imposed many rules regulating school operations.  Although ours was considered a Chinese language school, its medium of instruction was restricted to English and Tagalog.  Chinese language studies were limited to 12-15 periods only per week.  Choice of text books had to be approved by the Department of Education.  Apparently, under this setup, Chinese teaching couldn't have adequate time to thoroughly impart knowledge.  By this time, Tan Lian Hon and Ang Bon Chiong have both retired.  Fortunately, we had a young and education-minded person named Dewey Sy to take on the job of school principal.  They were also able to hire Uy Kim Soy as the administrator.  Despite the hardship, the hua chiao in Iligan were undaunted; they relentlessly tutored and encouraged their children to carry on with their Chinese education.

Lanao Community School. LCS was a school that was open to both Filipino and Chinese students. Its curriculum included Chinese, English and Pilipino subjects.  Teachers were all meticulously selected. Since 1974 when the NCEE examination was implemented, the graduates of LCS have always rated excellent scores.  It was one of the most admired schools in Iligan.

In 1983, principal Dewey Sy immigrated to the USA.  Tan Hay Kwan took his place.  Henry Siao acted as the school director.  Both alumni are capable and responsible educators.  Under their stewardship, the school is bound to produce excellent students to become pillars of society, and cooperate with their Filipino brothers in making the Philippines a prosperous and peaceful nation.

New Pala-o Site. The last few years saw the sharp increase in student population.  The condition of the old school buildings had deteriorated.  Also, the contract of lease on the property occupied by the school was nearing its expiration.  The school board of directors, together with the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, started a move to build a new school building.  They bought a property at Pala-o, and started a fund raising campaign to build the school.  All the Chinese in Iligan as well as alumni from all over gave their support.  Soon in time we would have a new campus of concrete school buildings;  spacious classrooms, clean environment, ample lights, music rooms, laboratory, a modern speech clinic, audio-visual room, gymnasium, library, home economics room, typing room, co-op canteen, playground, a new school with complete facilities.

Golden Jubilee. Fifty years it went through a host of changes and struggles.  In a sense, LCHS is like our national flower, mei hua: the colder it gets, the more it blossoms.  It symbolizes our great Chung Hua.  Now on the occasion of our golden anniversary, we have envisioned a souvenir program, the purpose of which is to review the past and plan for the future.  To be the mirror of our future plan.  We also thank the support given by all alumni in Iligan and abroad, to make this souvenir program come out on time as our gift on the golden jubilee of our LCHS.

EDITORS' NOTES

• The above article was originally written by Fe Dy Quimbo for publication in a souvenir program proposed for the 50th anniversary of LCHS in 1987.  The article never saw print as the souvenir program, for one reason or another, did not materialize.    The author is the vice president for internal affairs of the LCHS Alumni Association.
• Watch for the First Anniversary Issue of the Spectrum on April 13, 1998.