Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 4, No. 15, October 9, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines MINI REUNION Rendezvous in Cebu A rare reunion of former LCHS teachers took place in Cebu City during the recent visit of John Liu, aka Lao Kiat, who taught at LCHS in 1962-64.  He came to Cebu from Manila on the invitation of the Jesuit fathers of the Sacred Heart School for Boys last Sept. 30 and took time out for a dinner get-together with his former LCHS colleagues and students. Among those present were Kho Siok We, Lydia Sy Chona and her husband Edward Tan Chona, Lao Gheem San (a teacher at Cebu Eastern College and sister of the late Wilson Lao), and Charles Sy.  At the gathering, gift packages, compliments of the LCHS-AA, containing the GAH Souvenir Program and GAH t-shirts, were presented to John Liu and Agustin Wu, aka Ngo Nai Kong.  Mr. Wu was not able to attend the gathering but was scheduled to meet Mr. Liu the following day. The small group spent the evening talking about the recent Grand Alumni Homecoming.

EDITORIAL STAFF Charles O. Sy, Editor Henry L. Yu, Associate Editor Correspondents: Iligan - Johnny Chen, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo, Roger Suminguit, & Armi Leslie Te. Cebu - Igdono Caracho. Metro Manila - Marie Janiefer Lee. Canada - Peter Dy & Mikee Lee. Australia - Leonardo Tan. U.S.A. - Ernesto Yu, Alex Rodriguez, & Aurora Tansiokhian. 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

Mini Reunion in Cebu: Photo at left, l to r: Lao Gheem San, Kho Siok We, Edward Tan Chona,
Lydia Sy-Chona, John Liu, and Charles Sy.  Photo at right: John Liu in close-up.  (Spectrum Photo)

LCHS holds songfests
By Armi Leslie Te (3rd Yr., LCHS)

LCHS held its annual singing contest last Sept. 27 with the theme "An Afternoon to Remember." Participants of the contest, held at the LCHS mess hall, came from all levels -- from Nursery to High School, each with its own theme requirement. For Nursery - theme from cartoon classics; Primary level - movie theme songs; Intermediate - popular songs; Secondary - Broadway songs. And the winners, in the Secondary level, were: Jane Dale Racines, 1st place; Armi Leslie Te, 2nd; and Sheila Vy, 3rd.  Intermediate level: Dave Dinggal, 1st; Jamille Racines, 2nd; and Maribelle Longcub, 3rd.  Primary level: Myrlicar Dinggal, 1st; Maureen Lee, 2nd; and Carol Ann de Jesus, 3rd.  Nursery: Lyka Dy, 1st; Khrisline Aguilar, 2nd; and Natasha Tolentino, 3rd.

New Spectrum subscribers

More alumni have signed up with the Spectrum subscription list.  The latest additions are Nelly Co Hammon (Batch '61), Australia; Remedios Tan Wee (Batch '64), Cotabato; Brendon V. Co, Cebu; Jennifer Samson (Batch '94), Cebu; Bernardita Aberion, Davao; Benedict Co (Batch '87), Iligan; Armi Leslie Te (LCHS student), Iligan; Georgina Sy Lee, Cebu; Salvatore Mastrogiacomo, Italy; Linda Ong Galenzoga (Batch '72), Baybay, Leyte; Jimmy Ang (Batch '83), Iligan; Czarina Gebrelle Soriano (LCHS student), Iligan; and John Liu, Manila.

OBITUARY
Masing Uy, 76, passes away

Eliza "Masing" Bernardo Uy died of a lingering illness in Cebu City last Oct. 2.  She was 76 years old. She was the mother of Alfredo "Chiu To" Uy (Batch '61) and eldest sister of Matea Dy.  She was buried at the Cebu Memorial Park after a Requiem Mass at the St. Therese Parish Church, Lahug, Cebu City, on Oct. 5, 2000.

New optometrist
Thu, 05 Oct 2000 08:27:31

Congrats to Marjorie Ann M. Dy (Batch '96) for passing the recent Optometrist Licensure Exams (Spectrum, Aug. 28, 2000 issue).  She is the daughter of Nelson Dy (Batch '71), and granddaughter of Josefina "Panga" Salvador and a niece of RDO Wilson C. Dy (Batch '73).  --Cousins Rowella Dy & Liezyll Hallarsir, via cellphone text message.

To Henry Yu:  Good day! I really enjoy reading your column, "Sentimental Journey."  Nalingaw gyud ko! Kumusta ka man, our "Man Friday"!  Happy Fiesta in Iligan. Viva Senyor San Miguel! --Sio Hua Vy-Tan (Batch '70), Cebu, Philippines, cristinatan@pacific.net.ph

I suggest that the title of Marie Janiefer Lee's next article be "The Glory at the Top of the Heel." Of course, seeing the picture on the front page  (Spectrum, Sept. 25, 2000 issue) -- the parade of this year's Iligan fiesta's fairest ladies, all of them were on high heels - as in "high," making them no less than 4 inches taller. The dictum "Height is Might" is true in this case. Don't they, the Miss Iligan Candidates, stand tall and beautiful?  I praise you Ms. J, you really know how to pick your topic, and keep it simple. Who would ever have thought of writing about "defeat," er, I mean "the feet?" I would not be surprised if you would heed my suggestion and soon write about heels, clogs, elevator shoes, and bakya. After all, you have started with rubber shoes.  Keep up with being an imaginative writer. The horizon is broad and limitless and you have the skill to launch the quest.  --Rene Tio (Batch '70), Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, fishers@cdo.weblinq.com

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

An extraordinary segment of growing old is you reflexly inch higher in the mammalian maturity scale. Somehow, you steadily acquire a refined sense of perspectives and you learned to set priorities as you saved chronological years. This spreads in the equation, of course, the denominator you fine-tune your intracranial networks as you get bombarded with both sweet and stinky lessons in life.

Am at a phase where I look back over my past half century in this earth and come to revere the positive, and negative maneuvers I have chugged along towards my travel to the twilight zone. Inquire from any limping dinosaurs in the neighborhood about the bumpy byways of life education that is indeed what causes the world to go round and round. Bet you, you'll get a resounding growl of "yes!" one too many to the saying, "Experience is the best teacher."

Thus, I feel like an authority when I told a dear gal, whom I treated as another younger sister, not to rush into the marriage altar if there are lingering doubts that need to be ironed out. Speeding up a wedding process because you are running out of leg room or your fertility years are dwindling should never be a prime factor to thrust yourself into a barrel of water, either lukewarm or scalding. For one thing, you can always freeze your age at 32 and no one would care to dissect your secrets, except perhaps your facial blemishes and sagging flesh that scream for a dab of magic cream and nightly rinse of rejuvenating potion. Specially under Philippine law where divorce is never a legal right.

There is no debating the standard-issue sentiment that sometimes even the most thought-of marital bliss don't conclude in a gleeful curtain call. There will always be an ideal prince (not a croaking one!) who comes along when you already belonged to someone else. In that scenario, you can only murmur and obsess for the what-ifs or just breathe within the boundless scopes of reveries. Definitely, a sorry state like this makes you want to reinvent your yesterday. Nonetheless, nothing can reset the bygone days even if you exhaust the power of your creative thinking. You just have to cherish and exist in the present splendor on the grass and seize the wind from moment to moment.

So, how would you know you snared the right partner to dedicate a lifetime? Adopted sis, listen to the dictates in your heart. It should hum the lyrics "I love you, more every time I think about it." Moreover, you will sense in your inner sanctum when there is no interval in your mind where you rest from juggling in your thoughts the man who can grind rainbows out of rain, who can pen lyrical poem out of the lazy breeze, who can let the moon relay messages when distance is an obstacle to hugging each other's soul.

If you discover your special something, you will fly without wings ...

By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

Good Bye ... H

In just a few more weeks, you'll be going away
It just never occurred to me that this would happen to us
I always thought that these things only happen to "them"
But now it's staring me right in front of my face.

I've called you "a-che," then "ats" until it turned to just "H"
It's always in our letters, cards and texts,
So now that you're going away
I wonder how things will be.

Whenever my office phone line #4 rings
I somehow knew that it would be you
But after next month it would be just all hope
That each time it rings it would hopefully be you.

I always thought that we'd watch each other grow old
And not thousands of miles away from each other
But guess it's how things should be, right?
I just hope that distance won't come between us.

I want to thank you for everything,
For just being there always
It's going to be hard for me
Since I've always leaned on you ever since I can remember.

I just want to say good bye to you this way
Cause I won't be able to say much when we come face to face
You know how I love you
I just hope you'll find the fulfillment that seems to be so elusive here.

In the new place you'll call home
I wish you all the luck and all the best
I know you'll make it there
It just wouldn't be the same here with you so far away.

So, good bye H.
I hope you'll find what you're looking for
In that very far place called Vancouver.

The people of Sydney was the recipient of the International Olympics Committee's "Olympic Cup" for staging the 27th Olympiad, which was the best ever modern Olympic summer games as declared by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The weather was almost perfect except for some light rains in a couple of days. The sporting venues were within striking distance of one another and in picturesque settings. About 90% of all tickets were sold, which in itself was a new record. And as if by miracle the public transport system, like trains and buses, were running flawlessly. But it was how the people of Sydney embraced the Olympic spirit that won the heart of every visitor in the past two weeks. The athletes, sporting officials, newsmen and tourists from every corner of the world were in unison in praising the warm welcome and the very friendly manners of all the Sydneysiders.

For the magical 16 days of September, I had the privilege of being in the epicenter of world's euphoria. It was a pity that a fraction of the local population left the Olympic city and spent their holidays somewhere else. Their main concern was that the city's traffic would grind to a halt and it would be unbearable. How mistaken they were indeed! They never know what kind of fun they missed. The traffic was flowing better than at any normal times. Everyone was encouraged to use the public transport systems and business establishments close to the sporting venues were told to stagger their business hours or even close during the games.

Modern Olympics has also embraced globalization. Judging from the names of some of the athletes, we could no longer be sure which country one represents. This is also very true with their coaches and officials. Imagine the German women's volleyball team is being coached by a Korean. So with the American team, which had an oriental-looking coach. The gold bemedaled Australian sailing team is being coached by a Ukrainian who just four years ago was still coaching the team from his home country. The Russian champion swimmer, Alexander Popov, was trained at the Australian Institute of Sports.

It was a very touching moment to see the North and South Korean athletes marching together in the opening ceremony. And this would be repeated in countless occasions when they would cheer for each other during the competition. It was even unimaginable to witness an athlete from Chinese Taipei being cheered enthusiastically by red flag bearing mainland Chinese. But what really impressed the athletes from lesser known country was the sense of fair play of the Australian spectators. They may cheer loudly for their own home team, but they never booed the opponent; they would even applaud when the rival team made a goal or scored a point. However, this goodwill of the Australian crowd was denied to one single team -- the men's basketball Team USA. This was no Dream Team but still star-studded with NBA players. They were mean, arrogant, and disrespectful to their opponents, which was perhaps the way they play in the NBA. But this was the Olympics. They got booed all the time and the crowd went into frenzy when the Lithuanian team almost snatched victory from them with only 2 points difference in the quarter final!

I learned a lot about Olympicism during the Sydney 2000 Games. One of these was about the closing ceremony, where before the athletes would march into the stadium separately by countries just like in the opening ceremony. It took a Chinese-Australian boy in 1956 to change that tradition. During the Olympic games that year in Melbourne, Australia, that young boy wrote to the International Olympic Committee and offered his simple suggestion of letting the athletes of the world mingle together and enter the stadium as one in the closing ceremony of the games. The IOC took up the suggestion and since then it has become the tradition signifying that we may come from many different countries yet we become closer and more united as one global family through the Olympics.

By Aurora H. Tansiokhian, M.D., Batch '58

Today, happiness was walking on Bunn Hill with the crisp air of September on my face.

Today, happiness came not as a simple pleasure to scientist Wen Ho Lee, on his release from prison. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "it was an abrupt end to a prolonged case of shame" referring to the Justice Dept.'s callous indifference to a suspect's civil rights.

Mr. Lee, 60, a naturalized American born in Taiwan, was a nuclear research physicist at the U.S. Dept. of Energy Los Alamos National Laboratory before he was fired in March 1999.  He was indicted last Dec. on 59 felony counts on "suspicion" of spying for China.  Mr. Lee was supposed to have compromised the "crown jewels" of US nuclear weapons by downloading top secret national defense data into unclassified tapes and passing that data to mainland China.  Prosecutors misled U.S. District Judge James Parker so he denied bail.  Mr. Lee was kept in solitary confinement, allowed to exercise an hour a day with his legs shackled, the lights kept on his cell 24 hours a day.

Nine months after he was branded a threat to national security, he was set free with an apology from Judge Parker who said that the government's actions "embarrassed our entire nation".  The government was unable to sustain a single allegation that he acted "with intent to harm the U.S."

The LA Times wrote: "It was an ordeal by slander, based not on tangible evidence but almost on a bigoted assumption: China was spying, surely it must be doing so through ethnic Chinese."

Anthony Lewis wrote in the NY Times that "It Did Happen Here" and the government's motive was politics.  Defending itself against Republican's accusations of being soft on China, the Democratic Clinton administration took a very hard line against Mr. Lee.   "To let the terrible weapon of criminal prosecution be used in a politically convenient way is a hallmark of tyranny".

However, this time the checks and balance of the 3 branches of government did work, thanks to Judge Parker's character and courage.  Thanks also to the fourth estate, the media, primarily CBS 60 minutes' Mike Wallace for interviewing Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Publisher Stephen Schwartz who revealed that the government absolutely did not have a case.

The lack of public outcry from Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans disturbed me. I believed that this case would not have happened if we had more political power and clout. We should learn from the vocal Blacks and Latinos.  This case is a wake up call and a call for action for Asian Americans.  Who would have thought that in this land of the Bill of Rights this could happen?  We have to be more politically involved and keep the government on notice that we will not tolerate racism.  Next time, it could be you or me!

Till next time.

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

Today, we take a sentimental journey back into our student days, when the world was more peaceful and simpler in many ways, when there was less pollution, less congestion, less traffic.

As students of the 60s, we were a breed of conservative and naive individuals who lived on the "less than more" behavioral patterns: less demonstrative, less outgoing, less independent. We preferred keeping our talents to ourselves. We didn't show and share them with other people. That's why during the election for class officers, we would decline the nomination for us to be president or secretary, and blushed no end.

Our world revolved around the home-school-home routine. We would prefer to stay home after class rather than join our barkadas somewhere. Yes, we locked ourselves up inside our room to do our homeworks, to listen to "Diego Salvador" and other such radio dramas over DXIC, or read Junior Illustrated Classic comics.  Suroy or la-ag were the terms equivalent to today's "gimmick" or "happenings." But then back in the 60s, there were less of these suroy sessions as Iligan during those times was a simple city with fewer places to go. Weekends would see us doing any of the following:  (1) went to our classmate's house to play chess, Chinese checker, or dama; (2) dropped by Tan's Refreshment Parlor for an afternoon delight of halo-halo (special or ordinary?);  (3) went to see black and white, double-program movies either at King, Queen, Century, or Premier Theater;  (4) slept like a log the whole Saturday afternoon and woke up to the aroma of  pan de coco or sinugbang mais;  (5) went to the city plaza to listen to the Amateur Singing Contest;  (6)  bowling at Jacqueline's or Sampaguita Lanes; (7) swimming at Timoga, Saray or Kanaway Beach; or  (8) simply stayed home to listen to the never-ending stories of our elders: of how much fun they had dancing the Fox Trot, of how they survived and recovered from the ruins of World War II, their own student days, their songs, dances, fashion, lifestyles, among many other stories told and retold in long plays.

In school, we would memorize all those bek diam and bek shia, sometimes to the point of not even understanding what we were memorizing as in si-si-diam-diam. We were a group of obedient students who politely followed the "do this and do that" instructions of our elders without any question mark, but a period or an exclamatory point after. We always greeted our visitors with a coy smile and a chim chio, our teachers with “ho cha-ki” or “ho eh-po” with matching bowing of our heads, or received with our two hands each time somebody gave us something (be they angpaw, siopao, cuapao, or ampao).

 So that was our world. Our time. The fabulous 60s. Life then was very simple. We had fewer choices in practically all aspects of life. Our toys were made of simple materials, our foods less sophisticated, and our clothes line truly a representation of the Maria Clara era.

Today, as parents, we often reprimand our children and complain about their kind of music and dances, their choice of recreation, their way of dressing, their etiquette, among other litanies, with them saying, "Si Mommy sab oy" or "Come on, Dad."  Ideally, we should not, because there is really no point comparing our generation with theirs. The world has gone high tech. Time has changed. It's a whole new world of instants (xerox machine, fax machine, foto-me, beeper, e-mail, ATM, text, cellphone, credit cards, touch card, fonkard, and other cards). Compare we should not, but then for always, there are just things we ought to preserve and practice to the letter at all times, anywhere, anyhow, things like: Respect for our elders, courtesy, obedience, humility, diligence, patience, etc. As in olden times, we should not forget how to say: tou shia, houy sin, toy pou chu, ho cha-ki, ho eh-po, or ho am. The customary chim chio should always be part of the protocol, as well as the bowing of heads when we greet our teachers, or using our two hands in receiving something from somebody, among the many valuable lessons taught to us since time immemorial. Yes, there are just things which should not change in this world as time goes by: Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC). These reflect our total personality, our kind of breeding and family upbringing. Truly, "Good manners make a man." They make students, whether of the 60s or the present Y2K generation, go, grow, and glow. For always. Forever. For a lifetime.
 

TRIVIA

Q.  Why is it called a "wake" when people visit and gather around someone who died?
A.  In old England, lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey.  The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days.  Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.  They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days.  The family would gather around, and eat and drink, and wait to see if they would wake up.  Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

It is said that everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.  Yes, He sets the right time for everything.  He sets the time and place of our First Grand Alumni Homecoming; He sets the time for us to save so that we will have enough money to spend for this reunion; He sets the time for us to make this sentimental journey back to a beautiful place where we first saw light and to an institution where we first learnt the basics of education.  In the process, He also sets the rare opportunity for us to be reunited once again with our dear friends, schoolmates and teachers even only for a brief time.  I know that what God allowed to happen these past few days will forever be imprinted in our memories.  You can't add anything to it or take anything away from it. The memory is simply there for us to relish and cherish.  And so to Him goes our eternal praise and gratitude.

Since to everything there is a season, then to every beginning there must also come an end.  As fittingly as we have begun, the time has likewise come for us to conclude a memorable evening of meaningful ceremonies and fellowship.  Let me hasten to add, though, that I'm only closing the first chapter of tonight's program.  More is yet to come.  More fun, more music and dancing, and the grand raffle draw are in store for everyone right after this.

The three days that we have spent together have been most fulfilling.  Our 1st Grand Alumni Homecoming has successfully brought home our fellow alumni from different parts of the world. And for three days, we saw former classmates being reunited, old friendships revived, old memories retold, and old ties renewed.  In like manner, new friendships were made, and a sense of pride in our alma mater reborn.

Even if only for these, this grand homecoming has accomplished its purpose.  We have all of you to thank for -- you who came all the way from your new stations in life just to join us and share these rare moments with your fellow alumni.  By your presence alone, you certainly made our day!

And so as I bring the curtains down for the first part of our program, for and on behalf of the LCHS Alumni Association and the Steering Committee, I wish to extend our profound gratitude to the following wonderful people without whose support and cooperation this affair would not have been a success:

To our fellow alumni and former teachers - thank you for taking time out from your busy and hectic schedules just to be with us.  Most of us come from different parts of the Philippines like Manila, Cotabato, Cebu, Dumaguete, Leyte, and Cayagan de Oro.  Some flew over from as near as Taipei to as far as Canada and the U.S.A.

To Charley Sy -- the prime mover of this homecoming.  We have a lot to thank him for. He was the one who initiated the idea of holding a grand reunion.  The idea, which was conceived some three years ago, was then just a dream shared by a few writers and readers of the Spectrum.  However, it did not take long before the idea was officially accepted and adopted by the LCHS-AA in 1998.  He designed and developed a series of communication links on the Internet, like the LCHS Chat Room and the LCHS E-group, where alumni from all over the world could participate freely in the discussion of issues relating to the homecoming.  A lively exchange of ideas followed and soon enough everybody was talking about it.  Also, I wish to especially thank Charley for the painstaking efforts he has put into in coming up with this very impressive and priceless souvenir program -- a collector's item indeed!  Already there are a few alumni who expressed interest in buying a couple of copies to be given to relatives and friends who missed our reunion.

To the prolific writers of the Spectrum for whom I hold deep admiration and high esteem -- for the invaluable help they extended by consistently drumming up support for the GAH in their respective columns.  Thank you Ernie, Henry, Loloy, Janiefer, Josiefel, Aurora, Terry, Dono, Peter, Mike, Alfred, and of course, our legendary and still good looking editor, Charley.

To the students and teachers of LCHS through the able guidance of their principal, Mr. William Payunan -- for providing us with lively and colorful entertainment during the Barrio Fiesta night. I was particularly impressed by the lion dance presentation.

To the Lucio Tan Group of Companies which consists partly of the following firms, namely, Fortune Tobacco Corp., Advanstar Corp., and Asia Brewery, for the very generous donation of P50,000; Pioneer Insurance & Surely Corp. -- for donating 250 pieces of those very beautiful and useful convention kits.  I would like to especially acknowledge the efforts exerted by fellow alumnus Stephen Sy, for facilitating the approval of our request; The Iligan Bankers Club -- for the kind donation of P30,000 which has been used to defray a part of tonight's meal expenses; Lupel Marketing -- for the commemorative ball pens;

To Kagawad Henry Dy and other officers of the Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. -- for the timely assistance they have given in conducting backfilling and leveling works on our campus roads.  I know it had cost the Chamber quite a sum to undertake such activity.  And I would like to thank him also for lending us the electric fans, which made our stay in the gymnasium bearable; Mr. Sy Chu An and the members of the Board of Trustees -- for conducting immediate repairs on some portions of our gymnasium to ensure its safety and comfortability.  We wish to thank him also for allowing us the use of the entire school facilities which served as the venue of our reunion.  Likewise, I would also like to cite the efforts made by Mr. Sy Chu An for facilitating the approval of our request with Mr. Lucio Tan; Mr. Johnny Chen -- for the beautifully designed logo of the homecoming and also the equally beautiful forms used in the reunion, like the registration form and the flyers.  I would like to thank him and the Iligan Net for providing me access to the Internet for free;

To Nestle Philippines -- for generously giving us delicious iced tea, micasa balls, and streamers; Universal Robina Corp. -- for providing us the biscuits, candies, and streamers; Edmar Marketing -- for the two cases of delicious biscuits; Nissin Monde Corp. -- also for the biscuits; Lian Hong Co., Inc. and Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Chu -- for those very useful memo pads; Rosanna & Varp Belmonte -- for giving us those very nice and informative INFOMAP; the City Tourism Office -- for the assistance they have extended, especially in guiding us through the city tour; the local PNP Command -- for providing us the necessary protection during the entire duration of the homecoming activities; Pepsi Cola Bottling Corp. -- for their kind donation of 15 cases of soft drinks and streamers; Mr. & Mrs. Benjohnson Siao, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ang; and Mr. & Mrs. Victorino Tan -- for the very delicious lechons; Mr. & Mrs. Fernando Khu and Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Gaite -- for providing with those sumptuous lechon baka; Advanstar Corp. -- for the tasty punch which you served for three days and the streamers as well;

To the various companies who have shown their support by way of advertising in our Souvenir Program.  Special mention should be made to the following alumni for the tremendous job they have made in the solicitation campaign.  They are Edmund Samson, Maning Gaite, Richard Sy, Sy Bing Gui, Vy Beng Hong, Roderick Ngo, and Franklin Siao.  To the different area and batch coordinators -- for their efforts in trying to locate the whereabouts of our alumni and consequently encouraging them to attend the reunion.  I would like to especially mention here the kind and warm hospitality extended to us by Corazon So Tansambin, Roderick Ngo, Igdono Caracho, and again Charley Sy, when we conducted our attendance campaign in their respective areas.  And last but not the least -- to all the hardworking men and women in the different committees.

Please accept my profound thanks and gratitude for making this Grand Alumni Homecoming a moment we will all cherish and remember for a long long time.  Thank you and may God bless us all! 

Here under the stars, I write this essay. Here in my room, I stay wide awake, listening to the deafening silence of the night, and the constant ticking of the clock. There are just nights like this when my insomnia sets in, as if to remind me that it's still around -- sticking with me through the end.  On nights like this, my imagination soars.  And so I write.

I like the sky tonight -- it's full of stars. Brightly twinkling stars, like children in the skies. They bring a smile to your face whenever you see them. They are my favorite heavenly bodies and seeing just one of them is enough to make my day.

To a lot of people these stars are nothing but decorations in the night sky. They are there merely to twinkle and give light. But to a few people like me, they mean a lot more than that. You can't imagine how it fills me with so much joy to see stars in the sky. It draws me closer to nature, and to God. I always wish on the first star that I see. And all those wishes just came true! I have this belief that what I wish on them will easily reach Jesus. They are my first-class messengers!

Such a lovely night! It's so silent though. Seems like I'm the only being alive at this hour. Save for those constantly barking dogs.

Catching a glimpse of a book which I recently finished reading, my thoughts bounce back to its pages. It's about a 16-year old junior who drops out of school having passed only one out of four subjects.  You'll learn more about life as you go through the pages of this book. There was this one scene when the boy had a conversation with his former teacher. The teacher told him that when you fall, you don't feel or hear yourself hit the bottom -- you just go falling deeper and deeper. And then it would be very hard for you to climb back up. Whew! Makes me ponder about life!

Our future depends on ourselves.  What you will be experiencing in the future, may it be good or bad, can only be attributed to you. You reap what you sow, you get what you give. And in the end, there will only be you left. Only you that will stand and face the challenges of life. There will only be you who will take risks and make decisions. Only you.

Life is hard.  Most of the time you stumble, sometimes you fall. But don't let these lead you to the dark, endless pit of failure. When at times you fail, gather yourself back up and begin again more intelligently. God gives us opportunities. That's why there's failure, in order for us to appreciate the beauty of success. 

A 16-year-old girl just delivered a baby. She's undecided whether to breastfeed or bottlefeed the baby. Her mom wants her to breastfeed and is very adamant about not offering supplement and pacifier to the baby. But the baby won't eat and is very fussy.  The young mom is getting frustrated and exhausted, but grandma wants her to breastfeed! What should the 16-year-old mom do?

A sophomore college student just gave birth to a baby girl. Her boyfriend left her as soon as he knew she was pregnant. Her parents abandoned her. She has nobody to turn to and help her out. She wants to keep the baby, but she can't afford to raise a child at this time -- she works and goes to school full time. It hurts her so much to sign the adoption papers, but what future can she give to her daughter when she herself is still struggling to make both ends meet?

A 44-year-old woman finally got pregnant after 12 years of marriage. She and her husband were so thrilled about it, they didn't want any amniocentesis nor sonogram to be done because they wanted it to be a surprise! The baby finally came after 9 months and it's a boy. When the baby is taken out to her mom's room for the first time, all bundled with blankets to keep him warm, the mom with all smiles on her face opens her arms as the nurse hands her the baby. The mom kisses his cheek, whispers gently to his ears the sweetest words you've ever heard -- no doubt at all this new mom is filled with so much love and joy for her little one. The dad looks happy and amazed staring at his wife and son. What a perfect family portrait captured in time. Then the most unexpected, unwanted news comes: The baby has Down's Syndrome. "Why? Why us! We waited this long to have our son -- all we wanted is a perfect, healthy babyy!"

All three different situations, supposedly a happy occasion with the birth of a child, ended up to be a stressful, confusing, disappointing new beginning that affected many lives and the future they look forward to. Smiles turned to tears. Hope into despair. All these three moms desire for what's best for their babies, and it's not that simple and easy to choose between "wants" and "needs."

"I want this, I want that...." You must have heard these famous phrases a million times everywhere -- at work, in school, when you work out at the gym, go shopping, see a movie, dining in a restaurant, at home with your family. It's part of interaction. People have different tastes and perceptions. There's nothing wrong if you want something or someone -- we all have dreams and wishes in life. What makes it hard is when you want so many things all at once or you don't know exactly what you really want. If you live in the world of idealism then you can just dream forever.

Are "wants" and "needs" the same? No. Wants are what your heart desires, while needs are what keep you alive, they are necessities. It would be nice to have both. However, sometimes we have to choose between "do I want it or do I need it?". Sometimes you make the wrong choice because of wanting it so much even if it's not intended for you. It's like forcing your head between two bars to get in. Sometimes you get impulsive and want ASAP like flipping channels with a remote control, and forget that there's time for everything (right or wrong timing). Sometimes you want to play scientist and experiment "cause and effect." And sometimes you can just be plain dummy.  Here are some friendly tips to help yourself find out whether what you want is what you need:

(1)  Give yourself time to think about it.  Set a time frame -- you don't wanna be too slow neither.&nbssp; (2)  PRAY about it.  (3)  In a piece of paper, list down what you want and divide it into two columns: Pros and Cons.  (4)  Tally all the Pros and all the Cons, which one has higher score = what you need.

Think wisely and be realistic.  Good Luck!