IN THIS ISSUE: News | Editors' Notes | Features | Spectrum Staff Box

New Alsons Training Center in Iligan
By Igdono Caracho

The giant Alsons Group of Companies inaugurated last May 23 its new Technology and Research Center in Mapalad, Dalipuga, Iligan City, with Dept. of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary William Padolina as principal guest.

The three-building complex houses the Skills Training Center, the Product Research Laboratory for Cement, Concrete & Plywood, and the Refractory and Ceramic Technical Research Facility.

Top government officials and leading businessmen in Iligan were among the distinguished guests present during the inauguration and blessing.

LCHS Alumni Make Their Mark in New York
By Terry Racines

Dr. Anita Co-Siu, LCHS alumna and sister of Edwin and Robert "Toto" Co, was recently elected president of the Philippine Chinese American Medical Association (PCAMA) in New York, U.S.A., for the year 1997. Anita's husband, Dr. Jose Siu, together with her brother Dr. Francisco "Titoy" Co, were among those elected to the Board of Governors of the PCAMA for 1997.

Drs. Jose and Anita Siu have two children, a boy and a girl. The son, John Siu, is the president of VitaLink Inc., an international trade company while the daughter is also a doctor of medicine. She is a resident physician in Internal Medicine, North Shore Hospital, NYC, U.S.A.

Meanwhile, Gerald Co, son of LCHS alumni Allen and Ellen Co, passed the recent Civil Engineering board exams. He is a graduate of University of San Carlos, Cebu City.

Gerald's mother, Ellen, is the eldest sister of Rudy "Nonoy" Co while the father, Allen, is the brother of Edwin and Robert Co.

Ed Samson Heads Architect Group

LCHS alumnus, Edmund G. Samson, was recently elected president of Architecture Batch '82 of the Cebu Institutute of Technology (CIT). The election took place during the grand reunion of the class at the El Salvador beach, Danao, Cebu, last May 25.

Edmund, younger brother of Arturo "Toto" Samson, runs a successful construction firm in Cebu City called EDSA Construction.

Boy Lim's Daughter Weds

Cherrie Ann Lim, eldest daughter of Suniel "Boy" and Socorro Lim, exchanged marital vows with Joon Mosqueda last May 31 at the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish Church, Cebu City.

Cherrie Ann is a computer programmer of Systems Standards, Inc. (SSI) in Cebu City. The bridesgroom, Joon, is the son of Manuel and Pacita Mosqueda of Cebu City. He also works as a computer programmer in another computer firm, Questronics, Inc., in Cebu City.

Among LCHS alumni standing as principal sponsors were Dr. Arthur Dy (proxy for Leonardo Tan, who is currently in Sydney, Australia), Gil Lim, and Marilou Lim-Bordalba.

This issue of the Spectrum comes with photograph in its HTML edition. The photo is displayed along with this issue's feature article by Gloricita Racines. Unfortunately, due to graphics limitations in e-mails, the photo is not included in our regular e-mail dispatches. Readers who wish to view the HTML edition can either log-in on the Net and access the LCHS Spectrum on either one of the following web sites:

http://www.iligan.com/
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/2972/

Or, they may subscribe to the LCHS Spectrum-html edition by sending us an e-mail with the following message:

"subscribe to Spectrum-html edition"

Alumni-subscribers to the HTML edition will receive their copy of the HTML versions by e-mail attachment along with their regular copy of the regular e-mail edition. The HTML file can be viewed with Netscape or Internet Explorer.

As we go along, more photos will be included in our HTML edition as often as necessary. However, they will be kept to the minimum per issue so as not to burden upload and download time.

Echoes from the Past

In this issue we feature another flashback to yet another chapter in the annals of LCHS. The ensuing article relives the year when class reunions were in vogue; when LCHS alumni, home for the annual Christmas break from their studies in different parts of the country, all looked forward to a get-together with their classmates back in Iligan. The following is an excerpt of the article published in the LCHS Spectrum, January 1969 issue.

The whole afternoon till eve of the 28th of December, 1968, was pouring with rain yet, in spite of it all, the LCHS first-year classroom was filled with merry and lovely faces, and more of them were still arriving. Happy greetings were exchanged while tumultuous laughter intermingled. The ladies arrived in glamorous fashions (no longer the Maria Claras we used to know before?) and foremost among them was Lilia Chin, who approached us with her stunning beauty a la Silliman University style.

Out there, we saw Peter Dy and Deborah Debalucos busily roasting the barbecues. At precisely thirty minutes past eight, Aurora Ong, Khu Chai Tin and Robert Co began dispensing the plates. And in a while the room was filled with a medley of recollections, gossips, and lively banter.

We scanned the room from corner to corner and ah, there they were! Sitting just beside the superstar of the class, Josephine Jane Go, was Suniel "Boy" Lim. With Boy's uneasiness reflecting our watchful eyes, we turned around and saw Vy Siu Tin and Teresita Siao chatting along with her guest from Manila, Norma Kho. From amidst the moonless night came Igdono Caracho. He was rather late, having just got off from work at Lanao Milling Corp. Very eagerly, Leonardo Tan joined Igdono to discuss some business of their own.

Closely huddled in a corner were Lolita Lim, Corazon Tan, Aurora Ong and Elena Lim. Understandably from their nook and cranny echoed the all-too-familiar chatter. In due time, Sergio Siao, class president, stood up and started the ball rolling with a brief yet touching speech. After which Wilson Lim introduced a variety of games he just brought back from Manila, to which Corazon Tan and Miguel Ong fell victims to a dance of the "Horse". Next came the "candle dance" in which the pair of the evening, Sergio and Norma, came out winners. The prize was presented by our grade-V teacher and special guest, Mr. Pedro Campugan, to the winning and winsome pair.

Games over and now came the music and off went the lights. Toto Co and Deborah Debalucos led on, followed by Corazon Tan and Ernesto Chiu, Ruben Lee and Lilia Chin even as Suniel Lim busied himself clicking away with his Canon camera. In a dim corner we spotted Pablito Tan and Teh Yu Siong eyeing the dancers as though they were members of the board of judges.

>From outside the classroom came guests like Victor Chiu, Richard Go and Romulo Tiu. Bienvenido Lim immediately sprang into action and greeted the guests. Seen in another corner were other party guests Ernesto Yu, Alex Rodriguez and Remedios Go, a pretty lass from Cagayan de Oro. With Remedios around, who else would come along to offer a dance but our dashing gentleman, James So?

At about twelve midnight, shortly after we exchanged gifts Dy Sio Te barged in to invite the whole class to join their party at the LCHS auditorium.

Everything was in full swing. Yet even at the height of the excitement, somehow we still missed the presence of Virginia Wong, Ricarda Tan, Lina Chiu, Lorna Sy, Emma Yap, Johnson Yap, and Lolicita Samson. We all knew that had they been present they would certainly have cherished such a moment in time.