Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 4, No. 1, April 17, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Spectrum marks 3rd anniversary The Spectrum chalks up another milestone in cyberspace. Since its rebirth as an Internet newsletter on April 15, 1997, the Spectrum has woven a virtual network linking up LCHS alumni stationed in different corners of the globe. Started by a handful of alumni interacting with each other through e-mail, the Spectrum has grown in circulation from 15 to 175 subscribers today. The transition of the Spectrum through the years, however, was not without the attendant birth pangs. It had its share of anxieties, trials and tribulations. There were times when an issue could barely take off due to the dearth of news materials; when morale hit its low point as materials missed their deadlines; and when the burden of editing chore exacted its toll on the stamina of the editors.   Yet, one issue after another, the Spectrum persisted and managed somehow to surmount the odds. And each issue sailed away into orbit in cyberspace to reach its readers worldwide without fail. All this comes as a result of the dedication and team spirit of the entire Spectrum staff.  As we set out to carve another year of service to the LCHS community, we present on this page a pictorial of the men and women who make up the Spectrum work force.

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 15 WEEKS to Grand Homecoming

New LFCCCI officers for 1999-2000

The Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industries (LFCCCI) has a new set of officers for 1999-2000.  They are Henry C. Dy, president; Robert Co, executive vice president; Christopher Chua, 1st vice president; Sy Chu Pin, 2nd vice president; Stephen Sy, secretary (English); Jose Lim Teck Hua, secretary (Chinese); Johnny Sim, treasurer; Henry Siao, auditor; Dominic Siao, PRO; Jose Lim Teck Hua, general services; Arturo Samson, asst. for general services; Sy Chu An, arbitration; Jimmy Co, social welfare; and Richard Sy, asst. for social welfare.

LCHS school opening: June 5

Classes for school year 2000-2001 at LCHS will start on June 5, 2000.  Entrance examination for new students is set on April 17.  Enrolment schedules are May 29 - Nursery, K-1 and K-2; May 30 - Elementary (Grade I to VI); and May 31 - High School.  For more information, contact William Payonan, school principal, Tel. Nos. 221-3706 & 221-3782.
 

OBITUARIES

By Igdono Caracho (Batch '66)

Susan Uy Go, 47, wife of Jose "Sammy" Go (Batch '67), died of aneurysm on April 6, 2000, at the Cebu Doctors Hospital. She was laid to rest at the Queen City Garden, Cebu City, last April 9. She is survived by her husband Sammy Go, and children Jennifer June, 22; James Michael, 13; and Katrina Rose, 12.

Esteban R. Uy, 68, eldest brother of Glicerio Uy (Batch '65), passed away on April 8, 2000. He was laid to rest last April 11 at the Iligan Chinese Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Paz Generalao, and children: Eric, Eva, and Edgar.

Alumni news roundup

Grand reunion top honcho Suniel Lim (Batch '66) has recently embarked on his own business venture.  He is now engaged in the supply of silica and shuttles regularly between the cities of Iligan, Cebu and Tagbilaran.  Anyone interested to try his luck to become an instant millionaire? Go visit Peter Dy's (Batch '66) new Lotto outlet, which he recently opened in Iligan City. Tickets are starting to sell like hot cakes. Hala bira! Very much visible in Cebu's society circles these days is Vivina Chiu, M.D. (Batch '61). Aside from her busy schedule as a physician, she is also a director of the Cebu Arts Council, the Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung Foundation, Operation Smile, and several other socio-civic and charitable institutions.  Wedding bells rang last March for Twinkle Uy, daughter of Aida Lim Uy (Batch '61) and Martin Uy. Twinkle exchanged marital vows with Neil Warren Chu, son of Nicolas and Andrea Chu of Ormoc City.  Jesus Dy (Batch '63) and his wife Melania are currently on a two-week holiday swing in Spain, Morocco and Portugal.  They are due back at their home base in Edmonton, Canada on April 23. Hasta la vista!  Children of alumni contemplating to pursue college studies in Cebu may now find an ideal place to board in. Christopher Chua Teck An (Batch '56) now runs a four-storey dormitory along V. Gullas and Manalili sts., Cebu City. This may well be the place in Cebu where Iliganons can call home.

New Image.  With this anniversary issue, the Spectrum now sports a new look on its nameplate. It retains the Bernhard MT Condensed typeface which is as robust as the bond that binds the staff. The new image comes with a new dark blue backdrop in keeping with the familiar navy blue of the LCHS school uniform. It is a spin-off of the original color applied by the Spectrum of the 60s. Underscoring the new image are bolder white strokes characterizing the bold initiatives with which the Spectrum shall strive to assert itself in the face of fresh challenges of the new millennium.

In The Beginning.  The Spectrum wasn't born in a day. It started in early 1997 with a handful of alumni exchanging casual e-mails and sharing tidbits about fellow alumni on the Internet. Among the forerunners in this group were Charles Sy, Leonardo Tan, Peter Dy, Mike Lee, Teresita Racines, Alex Rodriguez, Santi Ong, and Rene Tio. As the interaction became more frequent, a consensus was arrived at to make the exchange of information a regular endeavor. From this sprang the idea of reviving the defunct Spectrum. With the speed and facility of the Internet, the concept of the Spectrum as an Internet newsletter soon took shape.  To run the show with Cebu as its editorial foxhole, it was imperative that we enlist the involvement of two able alumni based in Cebu:  Henry Yu, for his extensive writing and editing experience, and Igdono Caracho, for his vast reservoir of knowledge of Iligan and LCHS personalities. Without hesitation, both agreed to throw their hat into the ring and have to this day stuck it out with us in nurturing the Spectrum into the network that it is today.  The rest is history.

Text Messages.   Readers who don't have e-mail can now communicate with the Spectrum by cell phone texts. In keeping with the latest technology that's developing at breakneck speed, the Spectrum now welcomes submission of readers' feedback by cell phone text messaging. Messages may come in the form of remarks or comments on items published in the Spectrum, or news tips on matters relevant to the LCHS community.  Text messages may be sent through Cell No. 0917- 969-5327.

New Subscribers.  As we embark on our fourth year of operation, a few more subscribers have been added to the Spectrum mailing list.  The new additions are Jean Haydee Wang (Batch '99), Cebu; Gay Marie Tiu (Batch '89), Iligan; Gween Marie Tiu (Batch '93), Iligan; Cesar Labrado, Waukegan, Ill., U.S.A.; Florfina V. Gough (Batch '66), Houston, Texas, U.S.A.; Clive Jonathan C. Dy (Batch '98), Iligan; Fernando Douglas Go, Cagayan de Oro; Larry James Ngo (Batch '92), U.S.A.; Loreto Daguma (Batch '96), Iligan; Edward Ryan Sy (Batch '96), Iligan; Joy Honeylet Wang (Batch '96), Manila; Liezl Carolyn Tan (Batch '95), Iligan; and Anna Liza Tan (Batch '91), Iligan. To our new subscribers, we say "welcome to the Spectrum family."

Filling the gap
Thu, 24 Feb 2000 02:29:29 PST

Being away from home is a lonely solitude.  No matter how much you try to adapt to a place, even in the midst of plenty, there is still a hollow part in your heart ... to long for home.  I guess it's the family, culture and friends that you left behind. Just like the salmon and turtles that return to their nesting grounds by instinct year after year, I guess it is the same for us humans, though we always have to rationalize the things that we do even how foolish they might be just to be a homo sapiens. This movement that you started with the Spectrum has somehow filled the gap and made us look forward -- to get to know how our friends and our place are doing.  It makes us look forward for the day the next issue will come and who is on the front page this time. Thanks for the memories and thanks for the news. Indeed, you have made a superb job. It makes me feel at home for a few moments, thanks to you, Mr. Editor! More power to the Spectrum!   --Alex Rodriguez, M.D., (Batch '65), Miramar, Florida, U.S.A., alpacino_8@hotmail.com

I find the Spectrum to be a very valuable tool of communication and information on former classmates and schoolmates. Long lost friendships have been rekindled and new friends have been found through this medium. Articles on past or present school activities, accomplishments and triumphs certainly engender feelings of nostalgia and pride. Pride of belonging to such a fine learning institution. By tapping into the Internet, you have made possible the immediate transmission and sharing of ideas, benefits from which cannot be minimized. Finally, the Spectrum serves as a fine showcase of our talents and gifts which would otherwise have remained hidden and untapped. Let your light shine brightly for others to see and emulate. More power to you all and may God bless you!  --Jesus "Hesing" Dy (Batch '63), Edmoonton, Alberta, Canada, Jesus.Dy@gov.ab.ca

On behalf of Batch 1983 and the Dy Un Suy family, we would like to congratulate Lorraine Dy Yu for graduating as one of the top five from the College of Medicine, Mindanao State University. She is the second daughter of Doris Dy and Guansan Yu and the granddaughter of Benito and Fabiola Dy. She plans to specialize in Obstetrics and Gynecology.  --Marie Josiefel Q.  Ello (Batchh '83), Iligan, Philippines, mjqello@eudoramail.com

Thank you so much for including my commentary on Dr. Ernesto Yu's article, "Live for the Moment," in your Spectrum newsletter. To be included as one of the friends of LCHS makes me feel special. It makes me feel like I finally belong to a group of like-minded and open-minded individuals. A Chinese proverb says: "A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses."  Like I said, you and your staff have devoted time, thought and effort to put things together for your association's newsletter enthusiastically and happily, asking for no reward; only to spread knowledge and information for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone. I'm sure everyone is happy and grateful for what you're doing.  --Cle S. Estrera, Jr., M.D. (CIM '72), Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.A., clems3ra@rcn.com

The Spectrum would not have accomplished anything without the unselfish dedication of the editor and the staff, who volunteered their valuable time and effort that we reached this mileage.  I salute them all for a job well done.  Happy Anniversary!  --Mike Lee (Batch '66), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, mnmm@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

Our heartfelt condolence to Sammy Go and family. Although I accidentally met Susan once two Decembers ago in Cebu's Dimsum Place, I immediately made the impression that she was responsible for Sam's preserved youthful looks and smile. It is at this sad juncture in our lives that we ease our pains from friends who stay by our sides during such moment of grief. Sam, just tell me if there is anything else I can do? Our prayers are with you during such painful occasion in your life.  --Ernie Yu (Batch '65) & Verna Yu & family, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A., Ernstyu49@aol.com

To Sammy Go & family: Please accept our heartfelt condolence and our prayers be with Susan, you and the children.  Please also extend our prayers and sympathy to the family of the late Esteban Uy. --Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65) & family, Miramar, Florida, U.S.A., alpacino_8@hotmail.com

Our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the wife and children of Esteban Uy.  Our prayers are with you always.  --Greg Dy (Batch '57), Mary, GJ & Geraldine Dy, Burr Ridge, Ill., U.S.A., gregdy@juno.com

Our deepest sympathy to Mrs. Esteban R. Uy and family.  --Mike Lee (Batch '66) & Nancy Lee, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, mnmm@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

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

What subgroups of thinking mortals, even those with grossly deficient arithmetic skills, don't know that 36 months is the same -- a numerical twin! -- as three years? Granted the mathematical translation is not as mind spinning and brain-teaser as buddy Bert Einstein's monumental equation E = mc2, I still choked on some kind of mental sluggishness and bewilderment.  It's more like recovering from the sting of a stun gun, realizing that our Spectrum gazette has managed to collect (Again! Bravo!) another milestone trophy for circling the publication orbit. Three solid years now, my man. Yes, math retard, same as 12 months times three!

To breathe healthy oxygen that long must be a shot of pure adrenaline to the editors-neighbors Charles Sy and Henry Yu whose sure-footed dedication and rains of sweats and tears till the wee hours made them appear frequently as white as cows being milked. The tireless duo knocked down and vaporized all the recurring distractions and kinks that could randomly abort the biweekly flights of our alumni newsletter from its Villa Salud Subdivision launching pad in Magellan's island of Cebu.

It doesn't take a mouse to smell the cheese in this special anniversary issue: the editorial office is swinging in sweet time, enjoying quiet pleasure. A feast for everyone's ego and a feather to everyone's cap: writers, contributors, technical consultants, subscribers and readers. In essence, we all savor the significance of being in this Cloud Nine together - all for one, one for all. Everyone exudes a misty, undefinable star quality that insures stable vital signs to our alumni printed medium. Like pieces in a puzzle, every displaced block has a reserved spot to occupy in order to tack solution to the mystery.

Where do we go from here? Which path do we need to cross, especially after the New Millennium LCHS Reunion this August? If Charles guards his inborn right to keep female admirers' reproductive organs idle, and thus set aside the regular precious and quality hours to flash a cyberspace spectrum; if Aussie Loloy still needs an outlet for his justifiably radical outlooks and keen observation on the defects in different cultures; if Army Col. Aurora blasts her wit and wisdom with pinpoint accuracy more often, like her pistol training; if brod Henry aims to inject a nostalgia epidemic with his usual slow, sentimental drags on the passing scenes of yesteryears when we were a bunch of beardless adolescents; if Jen's heart notes need to pierce together lovely thoughts for everyone to ponder and chew on; if feature writers like Rene Tio, Marie Jo Quimbo, sis Evelyn Yu, Agape Larry Sy, Alfred Lai, Roger Suminguit and others long to chip in the occasional echoes in their lives; if our unpaid correspondents in Iligan (Terry Racines, Johnny Chen, Vinson Ngo), Cebu ( Igdono Caracho), Canada (Peter Dy, Mike Lee), Florida (Alex Rodriquez) keep the stream stocked with fresh news and updates ... we will continue to fly the kite to new heights. My take is, Spectrum, true to its name, will be a dashing rainbow in our separate lives. A light that overpowers the darkness that once enveloped us all. Consequently, suit yourself for the Spectrum's shuttle ride to discover another season of LCHS Alumni happenings. Brave the new waves with us and witness more glittering spectacles behind the present bright vision. Remember, the love you take is equal to the love you give.

Dare to dream?

By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

My son Jacob graduated from preschool last month.  Since the last day of their exams they had to go to school to practice their graduation songs.  They had one song in Chinese, another one in English, then a thanksgiving song in English, and a bible verse which they had to memorize in Chinese.

The afternoon of March 23 was the schedule of their general rehearsal and so I decided to visit and watch them.  I know most of his classmates since they were in Nursery; that's why I always love to see them whenever I had the chance.   Every time I  see them it always makes me wonder how fast they have grown up.  They all looked so cute and adorable.

It was only on that day during the rehearsal that I heard their graduation songs for the first time and witness the choreography that went with it.  I had so much fun watching them with their heads swaying and their feet stumping.  I thought their teachers would be pleased with them for the effort they put in each number.  But the teachers seemed dissatisfied with their performance.  They wanted the kids to sway their heads in the same direction and to stump their feet at the same time -- in military fashion.  In other words, the teachers wanted them to synchronize their movements.

The kids were asked to repeat their number over and over again.  It was already visible that the kids were tired.  I was thinking that if they asked the kids to repeat one more time, I was sure my son would have staged a walk out.  They would have to chase after him once he did that.  Because I would not stop him at all.  I might even open the door for him.  How could they expect 5 and 6 year olds to do what the professional performers do?  I really wanted to grab his teacher and tell her that she did not have to make it perfect.  The kids were cuter and more adorable as they were.  I'm sure, as parents, we would be more amused if we see them as they are and not the synchronized robots that his teachers wanted them to appear.

That afternoon I was glad I went to observe their rehearsal.  The kids were at their unguarded moment.  Though they swayed their heads to different directions and stumped their feet to each his own way,  I had so much fun.  How I wish the other parents were able to see their kids, too, that afternoon.  Though they were imperfect in their teachers' eyes, to me they were just perfect!

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

It is very interesting to know that the first message that went through the wire was: "What hath God wrought?". It was sent by the inventor of the telegraph himself, Samuel Morse, 156 years ago. It was between the first ever telegraph line between Washington, DC and the city of Baltimore with a distance of 65 kilometers apart.

Thus began our modern day electronic communications. From then on, more cities were connected by wire, crisscrossing the boundaries of different countries. The telegraph wire traversed rough and rugged terrains over vast continents and dived under the oceans that eventually completed the wiring of Planet Earth. When Australia was finally connected to the rest of the world in 1872 the news being printed in Sydney's newspaper were no longer the half year old news coming from mother England conveyed by word of mouth of travelers or posted letters, but the instantaneous event dispatched from London just a couple of days ago now coming via the telegraph wire! Imagine the horror of Australia still having King William IV in 1837 as the sovereign monarch when more than six months ago he was already dead and succeeded by Queen Victoria. It changed the life here in Australia. Businessmen and farmers here seized the great advantage of the quick travel of news. Drought or bad harvest in the old country could mean good prices for the Australian commodities.

But man, by nature, never stops improving and is constantly in search of more efficient and better ways. So while traveling the Telegraph Road, we stumbled upon the wireless radio. And we could hear each other by telephone. Then came the box called television that revolutionized our way of home entertainment as well as news. With the Space Age came satellite communications which bounced the radio and television signals to any corner of the globe. Then we, the Chinese, found out that we no longer needed to decode the Chinese character with four figure numbers but could send the original letter conveniently by facsimile or fax. And now it is almost common for everyone to have a cell phone and talk to anyone anywhere. And now we find ourselves traveling further on the Information Highway with the same goal of delivering precious messages through the World Wide Web of the Internet.

Closer to home, three years ago, we discovered that we could receive fresh news from Iligan and interesting stories about friends and former LCHS classmates through the Spectrum.

Before the "second coming" of the Spectrum, we were always in the dark as to the happenings back home and the whereabouts of our friends. We only relied on letters posted by mail which took weeks to reach us, or the occasional long distance phone calls which were then quite expensive. Whenever an Iliganon came around visiting us we were always eager to ask for some news. But the situation has changed now. The LCHS community is very much alive today not only in its hometown of Iligan but globally in every corner where an alumnus is on-line! In a way, the Spectrum has become the CNN of LCHSians with its network of alumni as its reporters. Sometimes my folks at home would even wonder why I am better informed than they about events in their own backyard! Such is the impact of the Spectrum to many of us for the last 3 years. I would say without being accused as blasphemous that the Spectrum is what "God hath wrought."

On this 3rd anniversary, I would like to propose a toast to our editor for a job well done and for giving us this Spectrum which has brought so much pleasure to LCHS alumni, especially to us who are now living in faraway places. The Spectrum has narrowed the distance. It miraculously cured our homesickness. I know it would make many of us happy to see our editor, Charles O. Sy, receive a special award for this achievement during the Grand Homecoming this August, if not as one of the recipients of the "Outstanding Alumni Award."  I am speaking as a member of the LCHS-AA and I know this nomination is being seconded by many of our Spectrum subscribers.

May this Spectrum have many more anniversaries to celebrate!

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

My l6-year old Webster defines April as "the fourth month of the year having 30 days." April is the month when the heat of the sun is just terribly penetrating, enough to scorch one's flawless skin. But the young ones love it nonetheless by swimming or sunbathing in the many beautiful beaches that the Philippines can offer.  When we were kids in the 60s, we too loved the sun and the sea. But as today's midlifers, we have become solar-phobia, dreading the heat, for fear of adding more hyper-pigmentations to our astringent-laden faces. April is the name of the lady drug agent who covers me with samples weekly. There's the "April Sale" promo of the many department stores here and about. There's "April Love," the theme song of many a lovebirds of the 50s. There's "April Fools" observed every lst of April. Indeed, April means many things to many people.

Through the years, we have created truckloads of memories of this particular hot summer month -- the many thrilling adventures of fun and laughter, and the dramas of life in tears wiped dry with a hanky or a scented tissue paper. April brings forth certain memories which are hard to forget simply because they prick the very core of our heart each time we take a nostalgic trip down memory lane towards the bygone days of yore.

So what is it all about, April? My very own Memories of April start with the song "April Love" originally sang by Pat Boone. It was the top tune when I was a lad of 5 in l957, when a big fire razed practically one fourth the size of Iligan as a city on May 23. I  remember we were settled in the LCHS campus as refugees along with other homeless families. Then there's April 3 of each year when I turn one year older. No, wiser would be a better term. There's also April 6 of each year when Visayas Community Medical Center (the hospital where my clinic is located) celebrates its anniversary, the same year I was born (l952). So whatever the age of the hospital, that's how old I am. I remember April 1, l968. That was the time when I was reprimanded by our school principal for the editorial expose which I brazenly wrote for the LCHS Campus Keepers.

I remember the many graduations of my life which took place in an April month: l959 kindergarten; l963 primary (grade one to four); l965 elementary (grade five to six); l969 high school; l973 college; and l978 from my M.D. It was also in April when I got married. That was on the 7th, fifteen years ago. My sister Evelyn and her daughter Karen left for the U.S.A. on April 1, l991, and since then have not visited the Philippines. For one who had an intimately beautiful brother-sister relationship, it broke our hearts. Parting was a little death. April 21, l992 was the death of my favorite uncle Cresing, he who taught me how to sing "It's Now or Never," how to play the ukelele, harmonica, bowling, badminton, among many others. He has indeed played a very influential part of my life as a youth, of what I have become today.

April l5, l997 was the day the LCHS Spectrum was reborn. It was a pet project of Charles O. Sy, an idea he brought up to me one sunny Sunday afternoon 3 years ago. Certainly I didn't have any second thoughts of joining the staff as his associate editor. I personally feel that this could be a very good vehicle to reconnect and be in touch with fellow LCHS alumni worldwide through the Internet.  Indeed a bright idea coming from a brilliant webmaster. Through the Spectrum, we have successfully gathered around fellow alumni with unlimited journalistic talents who write regularly for our publication. Through the Spectrum, I came to learn of other LCHS alumni who are also April-born (the likes of Loloy Tan, Janiefer Lee, Johnny Chen, the Chus, etc.), updates on the what and where (not the wash and wear huh!) of fellow alumni worldwide. Through the Spectrum, we are able to communicate by just a touch of a finger with the secretariat of our alumni association with regards to the organization and preparation for the 1st LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming which all of us, loyal and proud alumni all over the world, have been looking forward to with much gusto and excitement since its conception. THE SPECTRUM TURNS 3 YEARS OLD TODAY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING!

Other memorable events that took place on April were:

APRIL 21, l959 - It was when my ritual passage to manhood took place at the age of 7, performed by Dr. Angel Cuyugan, our family doctor.

APRIL l2, l967 - I wrote my first poem entitled "Summer Rain," when I was l5, at a time when I was in the brim of learning more about "the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees, and the thing called love." (Remember this song?)

APRIL l9, l970 - My first time to be a baptismal godfather at l8, too young but not too old to know the real meaning of life and living.

APRIL 20, l975 - My first time to go up to the "summer capital of the Philippines" where a smorgasbord of fresh strawberries, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, and other green veggies abound.

APRIL 25, l985 - My first trip to the U.S.A., when I had to pinch myself to really believe that I had finally arrived at the place of my "promdi" (as in "from the province") dreams.

APRIL l7, l988 - My first time to be a principal sponsor in a wedding at 36, when I started to realize that indeed time was running short and that I was not getting any younger. It seems like only yesterday when I was the cute ring bearer and now here I am a ninong of "My Friend's Wedding." Pushing 40 was vehemently a joy to behold. As the proverbial saying goes, "Life Begins at 40."  And mine began in l992.

Until then, April. Thank you for the memories...

Life is like a rope where it has two ends: the birth of a child at one end, and her death on the other, with the journey on Earth in between, which is her life. Her life is filled with people and events. As the earth revolves around the sun, so does life involves a change. Life can be unpredictable -- no human knows what tomorrow brings. It can be like a flip of a coin -- head or tail?

It would be awesome to fly freely like an eagle and decide what we want, where, when and how. But sometimes life can be in a no-choice, no-win situation. Just like a rope, life can be so flimsy - you want to hold on, but it has to go. It breaks your heart like piercing thorns and spins your mind like roller coaster for a long time. Anywhere you go and anything you see and hear would bring back memories so vividly like it just happened yesterday. And tears start streaming down from your cheeks, sadness and emptiness envelope your heart and soul. You want to talk to her and hold her close to you, but she's not there anymore. She's gone.

You will miss her tremendously.  So will the rest of the people in her life. But as her life ends, so does her own misery. She's finally FREE from her pain and suffering. Our Heavenly Father embraces and welcomes her on her return to His glorious Kingdom where she is safe, happy and at peace forever and ever. Imagine her with the angels singing joyfully in Heaven without having to worry about this earthly world of ours.

Just like the song "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust," we will all go, but not at the same time. Everyone has her turn and only God knows when. So, good-bye for now ... till then!

My heartfelt condolences to Sammy Go & family and Bonnie Dy & family, two families I remember well while growing up in Iligan as the youngest of the Yus! May God bless you, comfort you in your grief, and give you the strength to go on with what lies ahead in life.

In his article "Forgiveness and Understanding" (Spectrum, Mar. 20, 2000), Leonardo Tan wrote: "So God told Abraham to go to his Egyptian maid who bore him a son who was named Ishmael. But in later years, God made it possible that Sarai in her old age now renamed Sarah was able to bear Abraham a child too and he named him Isaac."

The story of Abram (God later renamed him Abraham) started with a covenant with God: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  The only way that Abram would be a great nation was to have sons, but his wife Sarai (God later renamed her Sarah) was barren. Abram was 75 years old when he set out with his family and his possessions to obey his God. In Genesis Chapter 16, it says: Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children. but she had an Egyptian maidservant name Hagar; so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." And Abram agreed. He was 86 years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

As we can see from the quoted verses, God was not the one who told Abram to sleep with Sarai's maidservant Hagar. The problem was that Abram and Sarai did not WAIT on God, but took things in their own hands.

The outcome of the world today because of this action is quite clear in the Middle East. As God hates sin, it is also the nature of God to love. And He loved Abram and continued to bless him. God fulfilled His covenant with Abraham by blessing him with a son by Sarah, named Isaac. When Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old and his wife Sarah, 90. Subsequently, Ishmael and his mother Hagar had to be sent away by Abraham, in Sarah's prodding. But God heard Ishmael's cry in the desert, took care of him and promised to make him into a great nation too. Ishmael's descendants are said to be the Arabs, while Isaac's the Israelis. The Bible has the answer why there are unending grudges between these nations, half-brothers yet both blessed by God.

Something to think about:  God heard Ishmael's cry in the desert, left under a bush thirsty, while his mother cried hopelessly nearby, who could not bear to watch the boy die. Now, Ishmael's descendants, the Arabs, are gushing with oil for the thirsty world.

Beautiful Bible story, I would encourage the Spectrum readers to read further Abraham's story starting with Genesis Chapter 12 onward. The Holy Bible has something to say about our world today.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary, it is said, is that little "extra."

As the Spectrum marks its third anniversary, we take pause and ponder on how that little "extra" has brought us this far. The mileage that we have covered is no great leap. But it is no less a feat that we clinched by the sheer sweat of our brow.

The reprise of the Spectrum in 1997 was not envisioned to last this long.  Not by many of us; least of all, the skeptics amongst us.  It was meant to run only for a year. To test the waters, so to speak. Even within such time frame, many never expected it to go the distance. Yet, somehow we now find ourselves on the threshold of our fourth year.  All because of the little "extras" that came to play in the course of time.

Starting out with only five, a number of extra hands gradually rose to the occasion to bring our editorial staff to fifteen today. The reinforcement added firepower for the Spectrum to fill its pages to the brim without letup. From 15 our readers have risen to 175, giving the Spectrum 160 extra reasons to carry on without fail.

That we have reached this far is an affirmation of the extra efforts exerted by the men and women in the staff to keep this newsletter on course. Theirs is the spirit of volunteerism that unmistakably defines the character of this newsletter.  That we should continue to train our sights beyond the horizon is a tribute to our readers from whom we draw our motivation.  Without them, the Spectrum would have extinguished its reason for being.

As we add another chapter to our newsletter, we enjoin our readers once more to lend us their extra hand. To help breathe life into our pages with their insights and inputs, comments and announcements, news tips and scoops, and everything else that we hold dear as members of the LCHS community. We need our readers, too, to help us stir the brew.

As the song of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band so aptly puts it: "If we ever want to see the rainbow, we all have to stand a little rain."  The Spectrum staff is poised to go that extra mile.  Are you?

The ride of a time long gone
 

Remember this familiar cantankerous vehicle?  Who doesn't? It's the LCHS school bus that had endeared itself to the heart of all LCHSians, young and old.  All of us, at one time or another, rode in this vintage Chevrolet behemoth, driven by the affable Nicomedes Namario, to and from school, to class picnics, and other distant places during excursions.  Shown posing in front of the bus is Antonio Leo Te (Batch '69). This fellow certainly knew what could one day become a treasured relic. Photo, taken in 1966, comes courtesy of Igdono Caracho (Batch '66).