INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 49, March 29, 1999, Iligan City, Philippines

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Tan Kim Tiu, father of LCHS alumnus Lucio Choa Tan (Batch '67), marked his 80th birthday with a dinner party at the Dynasty Court in Cagayan de Oro City last Mar. 20. The celebration was attended by all his children, namely Lucio, Fena, Cynthia, Edna, Vicente, and Kee Sin, along with their respective spouses and children. The birthday bash saw the attendance of some 300 guests from Initao, CdeO, Iligan and Manila. The guests from Iligan were Henry Dy, Peter Dy, Jonas Sy, Rene Tio, Florcita Tio Sy, Robert Co, Edwin Co, Jimmy Co, Alexander So, Richard Lim, and Virna Sy Oh, among others. The celebrant added his own funds to the gift checks he received from well-wishers to raise  the sum to P300,000. The cash gifts were donated at P100,000 each to the Iligan Quemoy Association, the Cagayan de Oro Quemoy Association and a socio-cultural association in CdeO.

Planes to fly over Iligan again?

Passenger aircraft may soon ply the Iligan route again. Air Philippines, Federal Express, and Mindanao Express have expressed interest to include Iligan in their flight schedules. Air Philippines plans to dispatch a Boeing 737-200 for the Iligan-Manila route.  These airlines are waiting for the reopening of Iligan's airport at Balo-i, Lanao del Norte. The airport used to accommodate flights to and from Cebu and Cotabato. It was closed for repairs in 1992. The runway has been rehabilitated but lack of essential facilities has delayed resumption of operations.

Calling Fe Quimbo!
Wed, Mar 24 1999 14:33:00

Glad to surf your LCHS web page. Well done! Please pass my greetings to Fe Dy Quimbo. I can't phone her. Has her phone number or area code changed? Please advise.

Donny Chan, Hong Kong
donnyc@hongkong.com

It is as much a blessing to your alumni association as it is to the city that you have a volunteer fire brigade selflessly serving the community ("Unsung Heroes in the Line of Fire" by Alfred Lai II, Spectrum, Mar. 22, 1999 issue). That its efforts in public service have to be hindered by poor firefighting equipment is pathetic. The entire community should help such a group keep its equipment in shape in its pursuit of such a laudable cause. In the ultimate analysis, it is the community at large that stands to benefit from it all. To expect others to help ourselves, we, too, should assume the lion's share of the burden. May your fire brigade prosper and your Spectrum continue to herald its cause!

Fiona Mackay, Ixopo, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
mackay@iafrica.com

No issue on April 5
There will be no issue of the Spectrum on April 5, 1999. The editors will take a few days off as the Spectrum joins the rest of the Christian world in the observance of Holy Week starting April 1 to 4, 1999. The Spectrum will resume on April 12, 1999 with its Special 2nd Anniversary Issue. Readers are invited to join our second anniversary celebration by sending their messages of greetings or remarks for inclusion in the special issue due out on April 12.

The following is the first of a series of batch listing supplied by the Reunion Steering Committee based on available school records and other individual resources. The listing is disseminated here for the information of all concerned in preparation for the Grand Reunion 2000.

BATCH 1956:  Christopher Chua Tek An; Loreta Co; Dy Sik Din; Alita "Chiao Hua" Dy; Leonardo Go; Ngo Pek Sing; Sy Bee Ling; Cresensio Tan; Alim Yap; and Asim Yap.

BATCH 1957:  Andy "Siok An" Ang; Dy Shek Tong; Luis "Chik Ti" Kho; Ngo Ka Dek; Elson Siao; Henry Siao; Newton Siao; Bebe Palang; Asuncion "Asiong" Lim; Sy Ben Chu Eng; Sy Chu Tek; Felipe "Hong Chin" Sy; Sy Kim Hua; Sy Lucing; Dina Tan; Tina Bernardo Tan; and Beatriz "Huy Du" Te. (Continued next issue)

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

To transplanted Filipino-Chinese in New York, the casual echo of NPAs can ring a brand of wicked tingle and churn stomachs into knotty organs. The soothing news is: Unlike the breed of insurgent mountaineers in Mindanao who command seismic terror in everyone's spines when spotted loitering in the backyard, the NPAs of NY (Never Powerful Asian Supermen) are as subdued as neutered Siamese cats and as politically correct as brainwashed scholars of marriage institutions. They are the dominant species of for-better-or-for-worst husbands who are grand masters of one-word responses: Sure, Okay, Please, Whatever, Perhaps. They exude the essence of compromises in the most refined degree, having been graduates of advanced adult education on give-and-give-in strategies to shield one's breathing space against spouse-induced cluster headaches.  Briefly, they are the enlightened ones in the '90s art of harmonious, survival living that ensures intact sets of gonads after each battle of nerves. Trends of reactions like these documented accounts are often a-dime-a-dozen: "I'll give away my NBA pass, dear, so that you'll be on time for the Amazons of America assemblies." ; "Leave the garbage and kids' taxi-service, sweetie. I'll handle them all after I brown the steaks, sort the laundry and walk Fuzzy (an apt name for a female poodle). Gee, these are the elite among jelly fish and seeing-dogs!

What a pity?  Not really. These are wage-earners who head business enterprises, assembly lines, staffs of hundreds and other mammoth corporations. They are workaholics who tackle their jobs with amazing grace and utmost sensibility that only XY-chromosomed mammals with loaded skulls know how to pump out. They punch in grinding hours in labor camps and sponge avidly any call for overtime, just to evade the nagging early-in-home programs! Always, they toil like each moment is the end of the world and good behavior warrants a shimmering paradise with all the first-class trimmings heaven had been renowned for, savoring unrestricted privilege to socialize with fellow fake, swaggering cowboys of their time. These "hunks with halos" don a passive-aggressive personality: the ferocious flipside, of course, dissociates into a mellow-yellow persona once snared in the clutching domestication of their official sergeant-at-arms ("Honey, I'm home. Please hand me the tortures-for-today. I'm aching to spread my superhero cape along the needling tunes of your thunder and whispers.

Comrades, pardon me if I soiled your inner souls. It's just the ideal medium to advertise, in words short of prose, the exclusive club for guys of your persuasion. This could be the vital fuel to spark your open-enrollment drive. I'm pretty sure there are millions of macho-men-with-marshmallow-hearts camping out there under the shade of monk-patterned silence. Visualize this multitude of saints breaking out of the closets and lighting up the skies with flying hulks with no stinging toxins when downed by their bedroom mates! OK, champ, need to curtail this nonsense. I understand you still have to tie your beloved's shoelaces, show her the money, and arm-wrestle all her shopping mall sensory experiences. Am I a potential recruit or a honorary member of this fraternity? Boy, you’re really choking me to unveil my mask?

Precious, should I answer this question?

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

Since this is graduation time back home, perhaps it would be appropriate to write something about some courses of study our new batch graduates may pursue in college.

If we take the writers of this Spectrum as our guide, we will arrive at the conclusion that medicine is the most popular choice among the products of LCHS. With that, we also produced many nurses and med-techs and, to a lesser extent, some physical therapists. As most of us come from merchant families, no doubt the study of commerce in its varying fields are very much a favorite too.  Since we are also quite good in mathematics, we thus find many of our alumni finished in many branches of engineering. How many lawyers do we have? No doubt computer science is leading the field today. And a handful like me took up architecture.

What is architecture? We were told that it is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings.  It sounds simple yet it is very interesting. As an art, we were taught the golden rules of proportion and scale which were handed down to us from ancient Egyptian civilization. And by science, we have to learn the latest technologies in construction. And with that, the modern day building materials which will influence the many facets to the building design. And above all, today's man or woman is the greatest factor that will be involved in the planning of a home. A decade ago, we had not considered a computer room in the design. The kitchen in the future may only have a microwave oven as we change our lifestyle into a pre-prepared food society. These are just but a few of the different aspects of architecture.

To be an architect, one should have an unlimited imagination with a crazy but creative mind. We now realized that many great landmarks of architecture around the world were thought to be crazy ideas at first.

One of my professors said that as an architect, we should aspire to make a perfect plan and work very hard on it. He added that we should lead a life with a philosophy of: Work as if you are going to die tomorrow but plan as if you are going to live forever.

The late Senator Gil J. Puyat was once a keynote speaker of an architects' convention and he emphasized how important drawing is to break a language barrier. He told an anecdote about one of his travels to Paris with his wife. One day his wife had to visit a beauty saloon and he just waited by sitting around in one of Paris famous outdoor cafes. All of a sudden, a very beautiful young French lady appeared and took the seat beside him. Of course our senator was surprised and speechless about his luck. He waved to the waiter. He was shocked to learn that there was no way he could communicate to the waiter or to the very attractive young lady as he doesn't speak French. So he got the pad of paper from the waiter and drew a bottle. The waiter nodded and he returned with a bottle of wine with two glasses. After a few drinks, Puyat again summoned the waiter and he drew a chicken. The waiter later returned with a platter of delicious fried chicken. Later, our gracious senator gave the pad of paper and pen to the lady perhaps to let her order what she wanted. The lady drew something and to his great surprise it was a bed! Sen. Puyat asked the architects in the convention: "How on earth did that lady in Paris know that I am the owner of House of Puyat which is in furniture business?"

Architecture is great if it is really for you. I thought I had it. Sadly what remain are a few memories.

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

The Philippine Star March 15, 1999 issue: "Finalists in the 18 regular categories of the 47th Annual Award for Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) set April 18, 1999 at the Manila Hotel were recently announced." The streamer that hang at the entranced of the hospital prominently states: "47th Anniversary Celebration of the Metro Cebu Community Hospital." Another streamer states: "Rustan's celebrates 47 Years."  Loud, clear, and in bold letters. So, what does the FAMAS, Metro Cebu Community Hospital, and Rustan's have in common with me? All of us are celebrating our 47th this year (1952 - Dragon Year). Mine happens to be on the 3rd of April.

How time really swiftly glides away! Not too long ago, I was just a lad of 7 running around the neighborhood back in Iligan. I was then a grade one pupil at Lanao Chinese High School under Miss Tagaro. It was a time when I was starting to learn my ABC and my 1-2-3, Pepe & Pilar, Nena, Bantay, "Ten Little Indian Boys," "My Nipa Hut," the different flowers and fruits, or dancing to the tune of "Leron Leron Sinta" during our school program. Ten years later (in 1969), at 17, I was a high school graduate, very excited to start college life at Silliman University where I finished my Pre-Med in 1973. I had my M.D. from the Cebu Institute of Medicine. The year 1979 saw me as a PGI (postgraduate intern) at the Southern Islands Hospital and Medical Center (now Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center). I was 27 then. I took the Philippine Medical Board Exam after which I went into the 6-month postboard rural health service required then of us before we could finally practise our profession, of course after passing the medical board exam, which I did on Dec. 13, 1979 - the day the result was released, as published in the national newspapers.  At 28, I was a resident physician at the Metro Cebu Community Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine. And as the proverbial saying goes, "The rest is history."  There was no turning back. I was a licensed doctor, ready to practise my profession - to cure illnesses, to save life, and serve humanity.

It has been 21 long years since I graduated from medical school.  So, what has eventuated since then?  For one, the rigid training that I got from medical school, the Postgraduate Internship, and the residency training, all have paved the way for me to become what I am today. But looking back, I couldn't certainly be what I am today if not because of the solid foundation which I got from our beloved LCHS - the place where I spent the formative years of my being with my teachers in the 60s. To this day, I am ever grateful to our dear alma mater not just for the diploma but for the lessons in life, the adventures of youth, the camaraderie among classmates and friends. Decades may have passed, but the memories will forever linger in the inner recesses of my being an alumnus of LCHS, SU, and CIM, my being a doctor, a husband, a father, and a patriotic citizen of a beautiful country called the Philippines.

As I celebrate my 47th year, I thank the Lord for giving me the chance to have reached this age. I thank my parents for bringing me into this world. I thank all those who have been part of my young life. Without them, there could be no Dr. Henry Lim Yu today.  I am happy and proud to be 47. Indeed, one's birthday is a celebration of life; a time to look back and improve one's outlooks or principles, to countercheck what should be done or what should not have been, and try to live each day as it comes along, keeping up with the glorious past, of the beautiful memories, and trying to be better each day as I approach the sunset years.

Truly, there is joy in reminiscing. We may not be able to bring back exactly the hands of time, but for always we try to live in the assurance that somewhere over the rainbow, a bluebird flies , that for every rain that falls, a flower grows. And if only for that, life is beautiful. And I want to live more.

With thanksgiving in my heart, I celebrate my 47th birthday. To all those who have been part of my life the past four decades and seven years, thank you for the memories. God bless us all!

Jokes from the Internet: Taglish words in a sentence

Affect: Maria is wearing affect diamond ring.
Adieu: If you are adieu, the Arabs will kill you.
Devastation: Every morning I wait for the bus at devastation.
Decanter: You can order that medicine over decanter. --Contributed by Jesus Dy (Batch '63), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Have you ever been asked to introduce a guest speaker? If you haven't, chances are you will be - sooner or later. The prospects are as varied as the occasions that may arise. It may be at your club induction ceremonies, a national convention, an office forum, a bible study session, a product presentation, or a business conference.

A speech of introduction serves as an important prelude to the speech of the guest speaker. It sets the audience in a proper mood for the speech that will follow. It directs the attention of the audience to the topic that will be discussed.  It tells them why the subject should be of interest to them and cites the reasons why the speaker is qualified to speak on the subject.  This is the role that a speech of introduction plays. Without it the audience would not know what to expect and it would be difficult for the speaker to arouse audience interest. A handy guide to a speech of introduction is the acronym "T-I-S."

T is for Topic. Tell them what he will talk about. I is for Importance of the subject. S is for Speaker. Why he is chosen to discuss it.

In order to deliver a good introduction, however, you must prepare for it. Nothing beats being prepared for the task at hand. In preparing your speech, it is best, whenever possible, to meet the speaker before hand in order to establish familiarity as well as to obtain the materials that you need. Get his full name and learn to pronounce it correctly.  You will be committing an ignominious faux pas if you mispronounce, or worse, forget his name when you finally present him. Find out what the speaker plans to talk about and present the topic to the listeners. Never discuss the substance of his speech at length.  Obviously, if you present your own ideas on the subject, you might as well be the guest speaker yourself.

Since you will be giving the speaker top billing, learn about his special qualifications, the specialized studies or experiences he has undergone that make him an authority on the subject.  In most instances, the speaker's qualifications are so varied that he can talk on almost any topic under the sun.  In that case, pick only those that are relevant to his subject for the occasion. You don't have to read everything enumerated in his bio-data. Doing so is bound to bore the audience to death. By the time the speaker's turn to speak comes up, he might be greeted with snores instead of applause.

Where the speaker happens to be a friend, it will help for you to add a few of your personal insights into some aspects of the speaker's credentials relevant to the topic. Nothing works better than giving a personal touch to your introduction. It also reinforces your qualification to speak about the guest speaker.

How long should the speech of introduction be? Long enough to cover the subject and short enough to arouse interest.  A two to three minute speech is about the ideal. A little longer is permissible.  However, one that is almost as long as the main speech is definitely taboo.  Remember, your job is to draw the attention of the audience to the speaker - not to yourself.

Guided by this time-tested approach, the next time you are presented with the task to introduce a speaker, don't panic or react as if you've seen a ghost. Take it and deliver it with aplomb. Your turn, Mr. Introducer.