INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 25, October 5, 1998, Iligan City, Philippines

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LCHS songbirds showed their singing powess during the Vocal Solo Contest held last Sept. 25 to encourage their talent, boost self-esteem and improve self-confidence. On the High School level, the winners, in the English song contest, were John Lao, 1st place; Rene Dagoc, 2nd; and Catherine Khu, 3rd. While the Chinese song festival was won by Sally Vy, 1st; Cheerine Dy, 2nd; and Sheila Vy, 3rd. On the Elementary level, the winners, in English category, were: Dave De Jesus, 1st; Cookie Chavez, 2nd; and Dave Dingal, 3rd. Chinese category: Honey Oliverio took the 1st place; Dave De Jesus, 2nd; and Haydee Dy-Henry, 3rd. On the Nursery level, Chinese category, the winners were Dane Hermon Paquingan, 1st; and Isabel Ranido, 2nd.

Welcome to the Christian world!
By Janet Lee-Tan (Batch '69)

It was red-letter day last Sept. 27 for alumni secretary Johnny Chen (Batch '83) and his wife Jeverly So-Chen (Batch ' 91).  They are the proud parents of John Iverson, who was baptized at the Corpus Christi Parish Church, Iligan City.  Johnny is the son of Chen Tee and Leonora Tamala Chen of Victoria Bakery, and Jeverly is the daughter of James So (Batch '66) of Iligan Ambassador Commercial.  The godparents of the newest member of the Chen & So Families are Charles Robin Sy (son of Sy Chu Pin); Alan Buenaventura (cousin of Terry Racines); Steward Co (Johnny's batch mate); Ruben Sy (batch mate of Jeverly); Janet Lee-Tan (Batch '69); Rose Marie Patiño (Batch '91); Evelyn Baguio (wife of Barry Baguio, manager and son of the owner of Elena Tower Inn); and Joy Kathleen Siao (daughter of Sergio Siao and a classmate of Jeverly until Grade VI). The guests were later on treated to a sumptuous lunch at the couple's residence. Our cheers to Johnny and Jeverly! And to John Iverson, welcome to the Christian world!

Keeping in touch on LCHS home page
Tue 22 Sep 1998 03:34:00

I'm the father of Benedict Rey Barcenas who is in your school now.  I was there in your school when my son graduated in Kindergarten.  I enjoy the presentation of your LCHS Home Page, and I'm glad that my son is in your school.  Even though I'm miles away from him, I'm happy because he is in the right school with which I can easily communicate on your website.

Renante Barcenas, New York, U.S.A.
dickyam@webtv.net

I like your piece "Bread Line in China" in the Spectrum (Sept. 28, 1998 issue). It just made me proud all the more to be yellow-skinned. But I am prouder because of people like you, who would stand up and be heard - "There are no bread lines in China!".  And that is the truth, China has become one of the economically stable nations in the world. I haven't met you, Aurora, but I know you are a strong woman, firm and brave - recalling your line-of-duty with the GGulf War in the early 90's. In a world as it calls- 'Stand up and be counted', I know there will always be this woman standing by, full-packed and ready. My hand salute, the second time around, to the brave, yellow-skinned gentle Lady! God bless.

Rene Tio (Batch '70), Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
fishers@cdo.weblinq.com

LCHS alumni in distant lands

LCHS may be a relatively small school yet there's bound to be some LCHS alumni stationed today in some nook and cranny somewhere in the world.  In far-flung Middle East, "Tracers" this week tracked down James Chu (Batch '78), who's a medical technician at the King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  In the idyllic town of Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur, there is Ramon "Ham" Balian (Batch '67) who, along with his wife, runs the Thian Tee Commercial.  In Cotabato City, Evelyn "Meh Lin" Sy-Wee runs the Cotabato Foodmart Inc., while her sister in law,  Remedios Tan-Wee (Batch '64), manages Wee-Wee Commercial.  Remedios' younger sister, Ricarda Tan-Lee (Batch '66) is now a resident of Ozamis City, where she helps her husband manage the Sein Construction Supply. We also have Ramona Jo-Yu who's now in Pagadian City, where she runs the Zamboanga Motor Supply with her husband.  In the coastal town of Baybay, Leyte, we have Linda Ong-Galenzoga, while Virginia Ngo (Batch '67) has now settled down in Ubay, Bohol with her husband and children.

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

Jocelyn Ang's maiden literary roar smashed my planet head-on with a gentle cycle of charmed hours exhausted serenely in the company of one's thoughts and dreams. Distilling the current oozings of her creative output, I deduce that she treasures the glory days of her distant past and froths with delight in recalling her smiley-but-now-wily old homeboys who waded in short pants with her in "hunting for dinosaur eggs." Gosh, was it really that ancient a time when our umbilical cords were severed from each other? Joyce (American short for "Ang Kaw"), I salute the superb integrity and churning mechanics of your mental vault for '60s memories. Here's my personality profile update: I have molted out of my bashful shell (my signature trait in grade school) many moons ago; In fact, I'm now classified under non-stop blubber who's deficient in beet-red color pigment. The one occasion that I erupt in blushful rashes and tics is when my dear wife limits my potential to become a loose "boboy" on the dinner table.

At any rate, your thoroughly invigorating feedback was a stirring testament that our alumni newsletter prevailed in infecting some lives. The bottom line is we unload weekly our barely sputtering intracranial processes, yet remain swirling in the dark as to whose worlds are we serenading and swaying (or frying?). The only crossroads that we can stop and talk for awhile at, obviously, variable time zones are thru cable talks via e-mail dispatches or Letters to the Editors. This way we mutually benefit from the digital revolution of the Spectrum.

By the way, Joyce, the music that precipitated from your emotional resonance still drifts with innocent juice. Thanks for making my day.

By Charles O. Sy, Batch '67

There are two things that manifest themselves when we are coming of age. Receding hairlines for some.  Facial wrinkles for others.  In my case, my hair speaks for itself.   I used to have a thick crop on my pate. But then that was many many hairs ago. ---o--- Baldness must be a modern invention. During the stone age, baldness was totally unhaired of. ---o--- Nowadays I can't afford to watch hair-raising horror films.  I have none to raise. ---o--- My barber once offered to sell me a wig.  But I had to decline.  I couldn't afford toupee the bill. ---o--- I once complained to my barber why he was charging me twice the price of others for a simple haircut.  He explained that he was charging P50 to cut my hair, another P50 to look for it. ---o--- Last week I responded to a wanted ad for a macho dancer.  They turned me down saying the ad had a typographical error. They were looking for bold dancers, not bald. ---o--- As far as I'm concerned, hair lost is hair gone forever.  I just have to learn to live with it from hair to eternity. ---o--- Army veterans have gray hair because it is said that old soldiers never dye. ---o--- All told, I guess having less hair is better than having more wrinkles.  An aging friend with facial wrinkles once consulted a fortune teller.  The fortune teller opted to read his face instead of his palm.

After a few months of planning, we finally boarded our United Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles at around 10:30 a.m. of August 13. The 747 aircraft was about 90% full and some passengers in the economy class were in better luck for having the 4-seat middle stretch all to themselves where they could even lie down. There was a minor delay for our departure due to airport clearance. We were finally airborne at around midday.

Most of the stewardesses serving in our section were in their fifties. Now I understand the meaning of "flying grandmas." A few of them were a bit overweight and I wondered how they would fit in the very cramped lavatories of the plane. But like all grannies, they were very caring and friendly.

An hour after being airborne, we were served lunch. I chose beef steak and the stewardess whispered to me, "And don't ask me where is the meat."  Quite puzzled, I opened my lunch and it made me understand. Just a matchbox size of meat floating on a bowl of gravy. How did they know I was on diet?

After a movie and three hours after being airborne, the sky was getting dark and soon a sunset was on the horizon. Another movie and a snack and I felt very sleepy. It was a couple of hours later that I woke up. Another movie was about to start. When the final movie came to an end, the sun was about to rise again. Time for breakfast and California coast was already in sight. We touched down at Los Angeles International Airport at 8 a.m. of the same day of August 13. The entire flight took exactly 13 hours. After the immigration and customs formalities, we waited at the United Airlines domestic terminal for our flight to Orlando, Florida. This terminal was still being renovated and the air-conditioning was not functioning well and it was really hot and I felt very uncomfortable. We left Australia on a winter weather and were greeted here with the worst heat wave. My 2 young nieces and nephew were restless and agitated. I brought them to the McDonalds and ordered some burgers for them, only to be told that they were still in the breakfast menu. I must be suffering from jet lag as my feeling was as if it was early evening already.

Our flight for Orlando took off at 10:30 a.m.  I fall asleep throughout most of the flight after lunch was served. I did not even bother to watch Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage in "City of Angels." Our Airbus took almost 5 hours to reach Florida where we landed at 6:15 p.m. and still it was August 13.  It was indeed the longest day.

By Alex S. Rodriguez, M.D., Batch '65

Nowadays, some viral infections have to be reckoned with as what we have seen in these last 2 - 3 decades. Once upon a time people would just say nothing to worry because it's just a viral infection. But not today because as we grow smarter, so do the other microorganisms.

Viral hepatitis used to have 2 etiologic agents namely the A & B. When you get it from infected food (fecal-oral route) then it is Hepatitis A;  if through blood transfusion, then it is B virus. Lately, 3 were added namely D, and Non A Non B, or C.

Hepatitis A is the most common type which is eliminated by the feces. The virus is spread primarily through the oral ingestion of food, water, and shellfish that have been infected by fecal contaminants. This is usually mild in presentation, and individuals may be unaware of its occurrence. This accounts for roughly 20% of the sporadic cases of acute viral hepatitis. This is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis among travelers. No carrier state and does not lead to chronic hepatitis, but fulminant hepatitis can still occur which may result to death.

Hepatitis B is a more serious form of hepatitis and is spread primarily by blood, blood products, and body fluids or secretions. The virus can spread through percutaneously (skin), through mucous membranes, or through contact with infected fluids, or from mother to neonates during pregnancy. Hepatitis B causes roughly 60% of the sporadic cases of acute viral hepatitis and is the leading cause of hepatitis in intravenous drug users, male homosexuals, and medical personnel. Hepatitis B can be dormant, carrier state, and it can result in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or cancer of the liver.  (Continued next week)

Chinese Translation
Q. How do you say "i-page mo si nanay" in Chinese?
A. Beef mami!

Circus Attraction
Son:  "Pops, would you like to come with me to the circus?"
Father:  "Sorry, I'm busy."
Son:  "My friends told me a naked woman is riding on an elephant.  Well, I am definitely going.  It's been quite a long that I have not seen an elephant."

Everybody knows that there is a kind of flower called "Forget Me Not." But do you know how it got its name? 

In May of this year I had a tour of Europe with some friends. When we were in England, the lady tour guide pointed to some lovely flowers by the riverbank and told us that those were the world famous flowers named "Forget Me Not." And she proceeded to narrate to us its legend.

It is said that a long time ago in a small, beautiful village in England, there was a pair of young lovers.  One day they had a walk  near the riverbank in the town's outskirts.  The girl saw across the  river some beautiful flowers with light blue petals surrounding  a round shaped golden pistil at the center.   She exclaimed, "What a beautiful flower!"    The boy responded immediately, "I'll get it."  And he jumped  into the river.

The girl tried to stop him because the surge of the river currents was very strong , but she was too late.   After a while the boy reached the other side and got a bundle of the then unknown flowers. As he swam back, he was too tired to reach the girl. So with his last strength he threw the flowers to the girl and shouted," Forget me not!" before he was carried away by the currents of the river.  When the girl saw that the boy was carried away,  she, too,  jumped into the river.

From that time on, people used those last words of the boy to name the beautiful flower "Forget Me Not."

The American Occupation.  In May of 1898, U.S. warships arrived and barricaded Manila bay. There were occasional mild confrontations. It was until August when the American navy was finally able to enter Manila Bay. The U.S. battle ships shelled the city with bombardments until, the Spaniards surrendered to the American forces on August 13. The Spanish governor general transferred to Iloilo and ordered all the soldiers of Iligan to also transfer to Iloilo.  At the same time, all the camps were ordered dismantled.  In the midst of the chaos, rumors quickly spread about a group of renegade soldiers planning to enter Iligan and loot all the stores.  Everybody was terrified and nervous.  Business activity was at a standstill.  It was only in December when the peace treaty between the Americans and the Spaniards was signed that everything returned to normal.

Exodus to the Mountains.  At the height of the turmoil, most of the people of Iligan sought refuge in the mountains. After packing up all my things, I took a boat to Misamis. There were 30 men and women with me aboard. On our way at midsea we were battered by a heavy rain. We only had straw to shield ourselves from the downpour. We were so wet and everybody was shivering with cold. After reaching Misamis, I was sick for 6 days.  As soon as I recovered, we walked through rivers and dense mountains to reach Oroquieta. From there we rode a steam ship bound for Cebu.

The Cebu Uprising.  In Cebu I came to learn that during the American barricade, the natives of Cebu Island were also up in arms against the Spaniards.  Outnumbered, the Spaniards retreated inside the Cota.  From inside the Cota they ordered their warships to fire at the advancing natives.  The natives retreated temporarily because they lacked firepower.  The Spaniards later thought that the Chinese in Cebu were involved in the revolution. They burned the entire Loto street where the residents were mostly Chinese. Aside from properties destroyed, there were many dead and injured. It was a massacre, a heartbreaking event.  Such was life in a period of unrest and uncertainty.
 

Editors' Note:  The author, Sy Hock Yian, was the grandfather of Charles and Nelson  Sy.  The foregoing article is an excerpt of his memoirs written in 1937, entitled "Looking Back at Sixty Six," published in the book of the Sy Clan Family Tree.