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Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School
Iligan, Philippines, Year 5, Issue No.13, September 24, 2001
FIESTA SA ILIGAN
Viva San Miguel!

Iligan City resounds once again with chants of "Viva San Miguel!" as the city celebrates its annual fiesta come Sept. 29, 2001.  The city is abuzz with fanfare and teeming anew with the arrival of returning Iliganons and visitors to pay homage to the city's patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel.  The city government, together with schools and civic organizations, has cooked up a week-long program for the occasion.  City residents are likewise in a frenzy with preparations to welcome homecoming relatives and visitors with the traditional feasts for the eve of the fiesta or besperas.  Lined up for the week are cultural shows, agro-aqua fairs, carnival, sports competitions, street dancing, and beauty pageant.

Commissions for raffle tickets
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)

The LCHS-AA will grant commissions to sellers of its Christmas raffle tickets. This was decided by the LCHS-AA in a board resolution passed during the board meeting last Sept. 20.  For each entire booklet sold, the following commissions will be given:  20% per booklet if remitted to the LCHS-AA on or before Nov. 15; and 10% per booklet if remitted between Nov. 16 to Dec. 15. No commission will be given for remittances made after Dec. 15. 

EDITORIAL STAFF
Henry L. Yu, Editor 
Correspondents: Roger Suminguit, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo & Johnny Chen (Iligan); Igdono Caracho (Cebu);  Marie Janiefer Lee (Manila); Peter Dy (Canada); Leonardo Tan (Australia); Ernesto Yu & Aurora Tansiokhian (U.S.A.); and Charles O. Sy, Editorial Consultant
Founded Aug. 1, 1968. Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni & supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Web site:
www.geocities.com/lchsspectrum
Spectrum welcomes articles, news reports & comments from LCHS alumni, students and readers. For contribution or subscription, contact: Roger Suminguit, tel. 221-2422; Teresita Racines, tel. 221-3253, or Henry Yu, Suite 101, Visayas Community Medical Center, Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City 6000, Philippines; E-mail: hvty@skyinet.net
Miss Iligan 2001 hopefuls
Bets 2001
Top bets for the Miss Iligan 2001 Pageant to be staged on the occasion of Iligan City fiesta celebration.  Photo by Robert Booc (Batch '84), of Kodak Photo Arts Center.
Another "hua kiao" passes away
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)

Yu Yak Ho, father of LCHS-AA assistant PR officer Rodolfo Yu, died at the age of 93 last Sept. 20. LCHS-AA officers, led by President Vy Beng Hong, paid their last respects at the wake on Sept. 21. Interment is set on Sept. 22 at the Pryce Memorial Park, Iligan City.  He was born in Amoy, Fukien Province, China, on Mar. 20, 1908.  He used to engage in business in Dansalan (now Marawi City) from 1950 to 1978, but moved to Iligan in later years. The Yu family residence is adjacent to the former LCHS campus at Roosevelt Ext.  The late Yu Yak Ho was actively involved in various social and cultural activities of the local Chinese Filipino community.  He was caretaker of the Chinese temple at the LFCCC building and the Iligan Chinese cemetery.  He is survived by his 9 children: Cresencia Yu-Alcatcha; Tranquilina Yu-Clemente; Celia Yu-Sasarita; Herminia Yu-Palangan; Editha Yu-Castro; Rodolfo Yu, of Batch '69 (all residing in Iligan); Gregorio Yu, Batch '72 (Manila); Alicia Yu-Nicolas, Batch '74 (Manila); and Felino Yu, Batch '77 (Nueva Ecija).  Two other siblings died much earlier; they were Alberto Yu (Batch '67) and Virginia Yu-Omelig.  Their mother, Mamerta P. Yu, died on Dec. 31, 1981.

Alumnus in the spotlight

An alumnus doctor figured prominently on national television recently.  Wilson Lim, M.D. (Batch '66), appeared on the celebrity program, "The Buzz," over ABS-CBN, hosted by Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda, last Sept. 9.  Wilson appeared in the widely viewed program as resource person during the segment in which the show hosts discussed the health problem ailing movie star Alma Moreno.  A video clip was presented in which Wilson spoke on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the ailment which Alma Moreno has been reported to be suffering from.  Wilson is an Internist in Manila with clinics at the St. Luke Hospital and the Metropolitan Hospital.

Alumni son to wed on Sept. 30

Gilbert Chua will exchange marital vows with Shirly Limquiaco of Cebu City on Sept. 30, 2001. The wedding will be held at the Sacred Heart Church while the reception will be at the Cebu Grand Convention Center.  Gilbert is the eldest son of Victoria "Siok An" Kho-Chua (Batch '64) and Vicente Chua.  He is connected with Pru Life Insurance Corp. of UK.  Expected to grace the happy occasion are the brothers and sisters of Siok An, namely Kho Siok Yong, Robert Kho, Luis Kho (Batch '56), Kho Siok Wee (Batch '57), Siok Bin Kho-Yamamoto (Batch '57) from U.S.A., and Kho Siok Tyng (Batch '68) from Taiwan.

RogerTracers
By Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

Hala Beer-a!
The fiesta festivities in Iligan City officially begin on Sept. 20 when devotees, led by Mayor Franklin Quijano, Rep. Tikbong Badelles and other ranking city officials, carry Señor San Miguel down from his altar in a religious rite locally known as "Pag-naog ni Señor San Miguel."  This marks the onset of the week-long celebration and the 9-day Novena up to Sept. 29.

Celebrating fiesta in their own beer-y special way are LCHS-AA immediate past prexy Arturo Samson and his "Hala Beer-a" buddies, namely Fiscal Eduardo Cueto, Angging Deleste, Edu Diago, Jorge Racines, Boy Wong, Willy Yap, and new Maratel-PLDT branch manager Buenaventura "Boy" Bering.  The group will mark the occasion with a feast of lechon, papa-it, kaldereta, sinugba and kinilaw at Macey Grille, their favorite hang-out, owned by Terence Gaite, son of alumni adviser Manuel Gaite.  Needless to say, when this group gets together, magbaha na gayud ug beer sa Iligan!  The group is also looking forward to its counterparts from Cebu to join them in the fiesta celebration, like Roderick Ngo, Charles Sy, Igdono Caracho, and Eddie Rodriguez. Hala beer-a! Nag-paabot mi diri!

These days signs of festivities are visible all over Iligan.  The main streets and side streets are adorned with buntings and streamers, while sidewalk vendors are enjoying brisk business selling maskara, pito and kalo. Other fiesta highlights are the agro-industrial exhibits, races, and sports competitions.  During the presentation of Miss Iligan 2001candidates last Sept. 16, the major sponsor Dunkin Donuts represented by its shop manager Dennies Du, accompanied by Roger Suminguit, presented a special award to candidate No. 8, Miss Mary Grace Diez as Miss Dunkin Donuts.  The special award consisted of a sash, bouquet of flowers, and cash prize. Maybe something round was one of the criteria?

Among the array of week-long festivities are: basketball, IPSC shooting, mountain climbing, golf first aid demonstation, urban racing, billiard, athletics, volleyball, dama, Panit-Bucog II traveling art exhibit, carnival and parlor games, IBCI industrial booth display, Lumad Higaonon dances, Banda Señor, ground breaking rites of Integrated Bus Terminal, daily diana, mardi gras and cheering competitions, agri-aqua fair, 3rd all-breed dog show, cultural show (Lumad), silent drill, cultural show (Muslim), Balik Iligan, Higaonon cultural show, walkathon, Suroy sa Iligan (Tartanilya Express), Kasadya, Little Miss Iligan, Comedya, ballroom dancing, Oista sa Lasang, procession, and Pagsaka kang Señor San Miguel.
 

OCTOBER CALENDAR

It’s the last quarter of the year. Three more months and we’ll be saying goodbye to the year 2001 – the first year of the New Millennium. So, what’s up this October aside from being the Rosary Month and the Oktoberfest among the Germans?

1 –  Mooncake Festival or “Tiong Chio Chiat” (August 15 in the Chinese calendar)
8 –  Spectrum issue number 14
10 –  Double Ten celebration or “Chap Gue Chap Dit
22 –  Spectrum issue number 15
25-27 –  Midyear Convention of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel
31 -  Halloween
Henry Life's Journey
By Henry L. Yu, M.D.
Batch '69

A Tribute to Teachers

On the occasion of Teacher’s Day on the 28th day of September, I dedicate this column to all teachers – past, present, and future – you who formed part of who we were, who we are, and who we will be.

Teachers are considered our second parents primarily because they are the ones whom we are with half of our waking hours, eight hours a day, five times a week, twenty days a month, or ten months a year till another school year is over and another comes along. Year in and year out, during our student days, they were always there for us – during flag ceremonies, in the classroom, during P.E. periods, the flag retreat in the afternoon before dismissal, school programs, intramurals, and other such significant occasions in our lives as students of the universe.

The life of a teacher is one that entails full concentration and true dedication to his craft, a career he vowed to practice in utmost honesty, dignity, and in exemplary ways. He has to be in his best elements even amidst adversities besetting his personal life. He has to set good examples to his students, to do only what is proper and becoming within the context of morality and the code of ethics. And if only for these, he deserves a standing ovation, our sincere thanks and admiration for being the great teacher that he is.

Teachers are the most important professionals in the world. But the sad reality is such that despite the nobleness of the teaching profession, they are not paid as high as those others who also underwent 4 years in college to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. People in general look down at them as one of the lowest forms among the B.S. degree holders. We often hear such comments as “teacher ra” or “teacher lang” which implies nothing but a belittling of sort of one profession that is supposedly the most significant among the professionals we have in our midst. Most of us take them for granted, forgetting the fact that without them there could be no doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc. from among the students that we all have been once upon a time. We often commit the mistake of not including them in the list of people to be acknowledged and to whom we should be thankful for, they who brought the best in us, taught us lessons about life and living, guided us both in the curricular and extracurricular activities, etc.

Whoever thought of the idea of honoring teachers on a special day like Teacher’s Day should be congratulated for, as they are the people who know what the word gratitude means. Teacher’s Day is indeed a perfect time to pay tribute to all our teachers who painstakingly took the time in molding our young minds, to prepare us to meet the demands and challenges of the professional world that we will have to face as we go thru life’s many journeys.

So, to the following teachers of mine in grade school (1959-1965): Miss Tagaro, Miss Corazon Alpuerto, Miss Anacorita Campugan, Miss Concepcion Yap, Miss Josefa Demeterio, and Miss Josefina Tan.  To my high school teachers (1965-1969):  Mr. Julian Narciso, Miss Lourdes de la Cruz, Miss Catalina Daan, Miss Nonela Wong, Miss Chona Serrato, Miss Teresita Maulas, Miss Teresita Lim, Mr. Sergio Giner, Miss Crisanta Alcover, etc., and to all my college instructors at Silliman University (1969-1973) and my mentors at the Cebu Institute of Medicine (1973-1978). To you all:  Thank you so much for showing us the rudiments of learning, for the joys, the fun, and sharing with us our seasons in the sun, for inculcating in our young minds the adorable virtues of true Christian living by indelibly imprinting in us the Good Moral and Right Conduct, the professional ethics, among others, that served as our guide in our quest to be the good professionals and noteworthy citizens of our country and the world. Whatever or wherever you are now, thanks be to you, Ma’am. Thank you very much, Sir. To you all be the honor and merits of what we have become today, from here to eternity.
 
Mixed Bag from Bunn Hill
By Aurora H. Tansiokhian, M.D.
Batch '58
Aurora

I Raise My Flag

“A tragic accident” I thought after the first commercial airline crashed into the 110-story 1 World Trade Center in Manhattan.  “An attack on the USA” I immediately said after a second plane smashed into the second of the twin towers.   The Pentagon, the citadel of the U.S. Defense Department and military command, was also hit.  Mercifully, courageous passengers diverted a fourth plane to crash in a non-populated area.

I was in shock. My heart sunk.  An attack on the USA mainland was inconceivable.  This is worse than Pearl Harbor where the victims were mostly members of the armed forces for whom death is an occupational hazard. The enemy then was obvious and we knew where they were.  This time the direct victims (about five thousand) are mostly innocent civilians.  Most frustrating of all, we do not know for sure who and where the enemies are.

What would make people do such wicked acts towards the USA?  Who are these people?

We do have a prime suspect, Osama Bin Laden, exiled from his native Saudi Arabia, who lives in Afghanistan. He is a fundamentalist Islamic extremist who hates us because we are seen often as an unquestioning ally of Israel and because of our Middle East policies.   He detests us because of our values and our “corrupting” lifestyle.   He hates us for stationing our “infidel” troops in Saudi Arabia where Islam’s holiest shrines (Mecca and Medina) are located.

President George W. Bush, my Commander-in-Chief, has authorized the activation of reservists to help in the defense of the “homeland”.   Although Congress has not formally declared war, the administration has announced that we are at war with terrorism.  This is a war not like any other.  It has no borders.  It may be the longest war yet.

Regrettably, Arab Americans have reported harassment and assaults in the wake of the hijacking.  Fortunately, most Americans do not condone these acts.  We do not want to relive the unjust and shameful internment of the Japanese-Americans in “concentration camps” following Pearl Harbor.

How might America respond?  Former Secretary of State Henry Kissenger has written these words of advice for the Times Post News Service:  “An attack such as Tuesday’s requires systematic planning, a good organization, a lot of money and a base .... [T]he government should be charged with a systematic response, that one hopes, will end the way that the attack on Pearl Harbor ended - with the destruction of the system that is responsible for it.  That system is a network of terrorist organizations sheltered in capitals of certain countries .... [A]ny government that shelters groups capable of this kind of attack must pay an exorbitant price. [The response, concludes Kissenger] we should do calmly, carefully and inexorably.”

We also need to understand what it is about America’s behavior, especially in the Middle East, that creates a fertile soil for terrorism.

I can only raise my flag and ready my duffel bags.

Till next time.
 
Ernie moody BLUES, 14221
By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D.
Batch '65

TEXT-ing Your Patience:  The Philippines' deep-rooted fascination in an inexpensive way (one peso per hit) to hi-five and hug someone thru texting is, I initially advanced, weird and pathological. How could one mask the main intent of possessing a cell phone (lip service by airwaves) with mere finger twitches on the keypad to relay abbreviated, mostly mispelled words?  Indeed, the art of deciphering this brand of hieroglyphics could handily challenge the tensile strength of one's patience. Nevertheless, lo and behold! the thrill of instant communication plastered me steaming hot with insane anticipation and throbbing excitement in no time at all.  The idea of shaking anyone within the Pinas (text word) archipelago and be caressed back before my heart finishes a racing cycle is really something magical and exhilarating. I got hooked on its simplicity in a wink, especially when text-professor comrades kicked off my vacation mornings with lovely endorphin-releasing texts that can outdo the brightest sunrise there is. And the manufactured jokes and one-liners? Gosh, it will tickle you pink. Oftentimes, to the endpoint of breaking in a blush for the stunning impact of the punch lines with sexual connotations. The enchanting daily specials cheered my blood cells to float with a wide grin. Visualize that as a daily feature in a new convert's waking hours and you'll comprehend why I can't believe how cheap and easy to bump into solid happiness. A word of caution to my Asian American brethrens:  Refrain from translating the cost in Philippine currency into dollars and cents or you'll flood our US phone companies with hate mails for offering inferior merchandise at an astounding price tag.

To all TXTm@tes: Mis u todo X 2 nd tnx 4 ur luv.

Afterthoughts - America Under Attack:  Having survived all the prickly what if and who knows what in my recent sojourn in the Philippines via Japan, I could not believe the horrific act of terrorism committed in our very own American soil. Not in my lifetime, I thought, will I ever be a witness to a rerun of Pearl Harbor (unlike episode #1, the present Kamikaze Squad has no permanent address). Everyone in my side of earth takes short, stabbing breath, nursing some form of disbelief and anger, and can't avoid shedding silent tears for all the innocent lives lost, dreams fractured and family plans redesigned. Such magnitude of assault to our territory makes the Abu Sayyafs' circus in Mindanao appear like a drop in the bucket. This illustrates what uncivilized evils are lurking right in our own backyards. The excruciating fear and trauma inflicted on everyone's psyche are too gripping and devastating to construct into mumbo jumbo cybertalk. The live TV coverage on the aftermath of barbarism says it all. It is not an attack on America, it was an ambush on the very tenets of democracy. Tragedy of all kinds, either in small, sporadic skirmishes in the jungle of Basilan or the gigantic catastrophe like ours, carries the same implication: It is a threat to peace and the sanctity of life. Moreover, crisis of this intensity solidifies a nation of diverse opinions into one voice: Rally behind the President in stamping out these coward irritants. Knowing how my people, in a common bond of severe emotional strain, conduct themselves when pinned to the ground by scare tactics that cost thousands of casualties and when skinned alive out of their civility, I hope those radical dorks are securing the best steel head and body gears that money can buy or they are burrowing way deep in subatmospheric pressure. Dark clouds are in their skies. They just dug their way to an early grave.

I cross my fingers on this while in Spain.

FeaturesStar

Fiesta Extravaganza
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967

Time was when fiesta celebrations in Iligan City were never complete without the carnival fair or feria. As a child I never failed to visit the carnival during the city fiesta year after year.

Back in the 60s, the playground at the Iligan City National High School, along Gen. Wood St., served as the perennial site of the carnival. Complementing the festivities were the agro-industrial fairs at which scale model exhibits of local factories were among the crowd drawers.  There were also trade fairs showcasing local products and delicacies like tira-tira, ibus, bucayo, and siakoy, among others.  But what drew children like us to the site were the main carnival attractions. These were the carousel or merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, octopus, roller coaster, among a host of other rides that offered fleeting moments of thrill for adults and children alike.

The rides, however, did not really appeal to me as much as they did to other kids. While my friends were screaming their lungs out with every ride, I would often wander off to try my luck in games of chance, such as pinball, kago-kago (dice), bingo, and the shooting gallery.  What little pocket money I had was often spent and lost in the bets. But my losses were compensated at times by my winnings in the "jumping horse" game, from which I would proudly bring home a drinking glass or a can of pineapple juice as consolation prize. I was drawn to the "jumping horse" game so often that I was able to memorize the nightly spiels of the game master, such as, "Otra vez llamada, atensyon paminawa, i-pusta na ang kwarta, para makadaug ug grasya!"  Well, for whatever it's worth, that was better than screaming myself hoarse at the top of a cranky Ferris wheel.

The circus, too, was an all-time favorite.  The biggest circus that came to town was the Sheum Circus in 1961, headed by renowned Chinese ringmaster Sheum Siong Hok.  It was the first time for many of us to see live wild animals like Bengali tigers, lions, and elephants, not to mention the amazing performers in flying trapeze, trampoline, and other death-defying stunts. It was also from the musical accompaniment of its high wire act that we first became familiar with the song, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom Wine." And, of course, as in every circus, there were also the perennial clowns.  But I was never amused by their silly antics, having already grown accustomed to many of our own clowns in government service.

I could never forget the freak shows that always came with the carnival.  The sights of midgets and people with physical oddities being presented as "dwarfs," "snake man," or "frog lady," and other eerie characterizations gave me goose bumps whenever I went in to watch them in their makeshift tents.  I remember once while watching one such show starring a pair of Siamese twins, the show's operator, a mean-looking, over-sized woman, caught my attention.  The sight of her endlessly munching popcorns so fascinated me that I spent more time watching her than the Siamese twins. Apparently annoyed, she signalled to me from across the tent with a dagger look admonishing me to stop staring at her.  She would have chased me out of the tent if I told her that I had mistaken her for the "freak" of the show.

Another sidelights of the festivities were the musical and cultural programs at the city auditorium by the side of the carnival.  A crowd favorite among the nightly presentations was the "Chinese Night," with performers representing the local Tsinoy community.  It was an occasion for students of LCHS to show off their talents. Live music throughout the week-long programs was provided by the city orchestra.  The band treated the audience to a repertoire of ballroom music like "Moonlight Serenade," "Rhapsody in Blue," "In The Mood," and other great music of the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra.

The highlight of the city fiesta, then as now, was the religious procession.  Devotees from neighboring towns mingled with city folks in the solemn procession in honor of the patron saint, San Miguel.  To children like us then, the attraction of such event was the reenactment of the battle between San Miguel and Lucifer that formed part of the procession. Amidst chants of "Viva San Miguel," men dressed up as centurions engaged themselves in simulated skirmishes with men whose faces and bare bodies were painted with soot to portray the forces of evil.  While some of my playmates squirmed at the sights of the men in soot, I often wondered why these protagonists had to blacken themselves with soot when their faces were terrifying enough even without the soot.

Today, fiestas for me have taken on a new attraction. These days I am drawn to a fiesta mainly for the feast instead of the feria. Maybe fiestas have changed.  Or maybe not.  But to all children, old and new, a fiesta, like Christmas, will always have a special meaning in our hearts year after year.


Envy and Jealousy
By Cle S. Estrera, Jr., M.D.  (CIM '72)
(First of Two Parts)

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have."  -- Hyman Judah Schactel

Rich Man, Poor Man
Have you had the experience of feeling resentful toward the rich or to people with money?  Was it because they had more and you had less or you had none?  If so, do you still feel that way?  And, do you think, really think, it's justifiable? Many of us probably had that feeling sometime in our life, but we grew over it. For those of you who still have that feeling and particularly those who think it's justifiable, please read on. Now, have you ever wondered why, even in a civilized society and in these days and age, there are still so many people who resent and even blame the rich for the problems of the poor? Or resent and blame those who have for the problems of those who have not. In fact, they sometimes make you feel guilty with what you have. It makes you wonder whether it's intentional just to make you open your wallet. But try as you can to give not because you have to, but because you want to, or you just feel like giving.

When a society glorifies the losers, it is hard to be a winner. Many seem to have the affinity for the underdog mentality and the Robin Hood syndrome. Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, but the rich he stole from stole their money or treasures from both the rich and the poor through confiscation and other forcible means. In the modern days, however, particularly in a free civilized society, the rich become rich not at the expense of the poor nor by taking advantage of others, but by creating and producing what others are willing to pay for, or by providing services that are needed or desired by others. Everyone has the same chance to make his own worth. Of course, there are those who make their living and are making more money by cheating and taking advantage of others. But they are the exceptions, not the rules.

The difference between the rich and those of us who are not, is that the rich use their intellect solely toward creating and producing something of value and then recycling the money they make toward creating and producing more while wisely investing part of that money to make more money. Many of us live from paycheck to paycheck, spend most of what we earn, and satisfy ourselves with the thought of retirement sitting under the sun doing nothing. There is nothing wrong with that if it's the choice we make. But we should have no reason to resent those who have more nor shy away from them simply because we have less. Just like anyone of us, except for a few, the rich also work hard. Only they have the guts and the willingness to take risks and perhaps they just have a way of making Lady Luck smiles at them. Although we may have the brains, we don't have enough guts to go against the grain and we could not make Lady Luck smiles at us. While the rich think of constantly being able to create and produce, we think of finally being able to rest and relax. Life is different for everyone. Although money is not the same as happiness, it can certainly buy the things that can make us happy. But then again, an ancient wise man by the name of Horace once said: "He will always be a slave who doesn't know how to live upon a little."  (To be continued)


Bisaya Eh …
By Marie Josiefel Q. Ello
Batch 1983

One day the phone rang and it was answered by my officemate, Nong Amado, a true blue Cebuano, who hails from Balamban, Cebu. It was a call from our head office in Diliman, Quezon City asking if we have already arranged for a vehicle to meet a couple of their employees at the airport in Cagayan de Oro City and Nong Amado answered, “O, may susugat na sa inyo.”  After awhile he was puzzled why the person on the other end was silent and hurriedly said his goodbyes.  Just couldn’t imagine the face of the person on the other end who was only asking for a vehicle but ended up “masusugatan.

A group from Internal Audit Division of Diliman came to our office to check the newly purchased computer. As they were counter checking the serial numbers in the equipment against the one in the invoices, they noticed that there was no serial number indicated on the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) but there was one in the invoice.  So they were asking if we could have changed the AVR, they were kind of accusing us that somebody might have brought home the original AVR and replaced it with another kind.  Since audits are very touché, my supervisor remarked “Ganyan na yan pagpalit namin.” So the auditor replied, “O pinalitan n’yo talaga.”  They ended up arguing that we didn’t replace it while the auditors were adamant that one of us did.  The auditors said that they would come back the next day to give us time to look for the AVR with such serial number. As we were recalling the events I noticed that when my supervisor said “pagpalit” he meant “bought” from “palit” which means “to buy” in Cebuano and the correct term should have been “pagbili.” So the next day, when the auditors came, my supervisor corrected himself and said “Ganyan na yan pagbili namin.” And that settled everything.

This time three of my officemates went to the Head Office for an official business. As they were riding a jeepney to the office, they noticed that as one pays his fare the driver would ask “Saan galing?” to determine the fare.  The usual answer is “Kasasakay lang.” So when they paid their fare after being asked by the driver one of them answered, “Sakay sakay lang.” They were puzzled why some of the passengers were looking at them and seemed to be asking “What?” Again one of them bought cigarettes from a sidewalk vendor when asked how many he wanted, he answered, “Ah gitna ng kaha”… Oops,  he meant  half a pack.  After office they went to SM Megamall as Dodong wanted to buy a watch for his son. He wanted to bargain with the saleslady so he asked, “Patawarin mo naman ako.” The saleslady was puzzled and she replied, “Ha? gumawa ka muna ng kasalanan.”  So Rene, who is from Nueva Ecija, corrected him saying,  “Wala na bang tawad?

It’s kind of weird or ironical to think that Tagalog is our national language when many of us from the Visayas and Mindanao regions could hardly speak it correctly without “Tagalogizing” some of the dialects.  What do you think?
 

LCHS ALUMNI DIRECTORY (19th of a Series)
The LCHS-AA, in coordination with the Spectrum, is currently updating its alumni database -- in preparation for distribution in the next GAH. The directory is presented here by batches, based on initial inputs. If you have any correction or additional data, please e-mail the Spectrum at: charlesy@i-cebu.com.ph

BATCH 1973
Angelina Andaquig, 9 B. Labao St. Ext., Iligan City, tel. 221-6607; Rene Bernardo, Castrund Enterprises, 11-C Mercado St., Poblacion, Iligan City, tel. 221-6410; Ningning Chiu, New Hock Chua Commercial, Aguinaldo St., Iligan City, tel. 221-3249; Victoria Chiu; Chong Bing Chiu; Elaine Co, No. 4 Ganes Apartment, Quezon Ave. Ext., Pala-o, Iligan City, tel. 221-6229; Orlando Gonzales; Paz Khu, Iligan Fortune Upholstery, De Leon St., Iligan City, tel. 221-3132; Gloria LeeMaria Isabel Lee; Evelynia Ortiz; Celina Portugaliza, Roxanne Eatery, Cabili Ave., Iligan City, tel. 221-6459; Gil Portugaliza, Villaraya Subd., Lawa-an, Talisay, Cebu, tel. No. 272-9119; Gloria Quilat, Zamboanga City; Lea Quilat (deceased);  Jorge Racines Jr., 87 Racines Store, Quezon Ave., Iligan City, tel.. 221-3253; Jovencio Samson, 6187 N.W. 181 Terrace Circle North, Florida, Miami, U.S.A. 33015, e-mail: nosmas99@bellsouth.net; Victoria Sim, Lanao Milling Corp., Tubod, Iligan City, tel. 2216342; Victor Sim, Lanao Milling Corp., Tubod, Iligan City; Rogelio Suminguit, Global Techno-Environment Consult, Inc., Quezon Ave. Ext., Pala-o, Iligan City, tels. 221-2422, 492-1003, cell 0917-3305322; Romeo Suminguit, Tan Lam Glass Palace, Inc., Quezon Ave. Ext., Pala-o, Iligan City, tel. 221-3255; Stevenson Tan, Taiwan, e-mail: et000179@ksts.seed.net.tw; Antonio Tiu; Anastacio Uy, 0012 Woodpecker St., Isabel Village, Pala-o, Iligan City, tel. 221-5230; Rosita Yee, Lugait, Misamis Oriental; and Joseph Wong Yit, 353-a Cadiz St.,Villa del Rio Subd., Bacayan, Talamban, Cebu City, e-mail: joseph@helpmate.mozcom.com.  [Next issue: Batch 1974]

Present Tense

TERROR IN OUR MIDST
WTC1WTC2

The unthinkable has happened. The catastrophe was too enormous to be ignored.  The big bang was heard, and the aftershocks felt worldwide.  In the aftermath of the horror and the chaos, the whole world has come to realize that even a powerful country like the U.S.A. could fall prey to the treachery of organized terrorism.  The destruction of the very bastion of American military might and the twin icons of its economic superiority on Sept. 11, 2001 underscores the reality of terror in our midst -- wherever we are.  How can one now lay claim that the Philippines is a dangerous place to travel any more so than it is in the U.S.A, or any where else in the world today?  Even as we light a candle for the victims of the carnage in the U.S.A., let us do so with the prayer that peace shall reign supreme not only in the U.S.A. but also in other countries long stricken by the grips of terrorism such as our own shores. 1