Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 3, No. 16, October 18, 1999, Iligan City, Philippines LCHS TOPS AGAIN LCHS triumphs in math olympics By Igdono Caracho (Batch '66) LCHS topped again in the 1999 Division Level of the Mathematics Olympics and Damath Contest involving students from 18 public and private schools in Iligan City. Among the LCHS students who brought home the bacon were: Damath Contest - Radi Jed Alibanggo, 1st Year, champion; and Franklin Khu (son of Fernando Khu), 2nd Year, champion. Individual Quiz - Jian Leih Racines (daughter of Julius Racines), 1st Year, champion; Cheerine Dy (daughter of Ben Hur Dy), 2nd Year, champion; and Sheila Vy (daughter of Vy Beng Hong), 3rd Year, first runnerup. Team Quiz - Cheerine Dy, Bryan Cendric Dy & Jefferson Chiu, 2nd Year, champion; Jane Dale Racines, Sheila Vy & Christine Samson, 3rd Year, second place; Sharon Sy, Kimberly Siao & Jerumae Lee, 4th Year, second place;  Meghan Ng, Enjoy Faith Ang & Elbert Eslao, 1st Year, fourth place. The following students will represent Iligan City in the Regional Level competition on Nov. 3, 1999: Jane Dale Racines, Sheila Vy, Christine Samson, Franklin Khu, Jefferson Chiu, Jian Leih Racines, Cheerine Dy, Radi Jed Alibanggo, and Bryan Cendric Dy. Their coaches are Lorena B. Jasma, for 1st Year and 2nd Year; and Sun Lay Dy, for 3rd Year and 4th Year. LCHS stages science fair with a difference LCHS held its annual Science Fair this year with a difference. A science pageant has been added as a highlight to the celebration. The pageant, held last Oct. 1, involved the search for "Ginoong at Binibining Agham '99." Selected high school students vied for the title in a contest of brain and beauty. Sheila Vy was crowned "Binibining Agham '99" and Raffy Earl Tan, "Gininoong Agham '99." Faculty members who were behind the program as science coordinators were Sun Lay Dy, Sally Mejeno, Lorena Jasma, and Linalou Racaza. (More story in Jane Dale Racines' article in "Features Section")

EDITORIAL STAFF Charles O. Sy, Editor Henry L. Yu, Associate Editor Correspondents: Iligan - Johnny Chen, Alfred Lai II, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo, & Roger Suminguit. Cebu - Igdono Caracho. Metro Manila - Marie Janiefer Lee. Canada - Peter Dy & Mike Lee. Australia- Leonardo Tan. U.S.A. - Ernesto Yu, Alex Rodriguez, & Aurora Tansiokhian 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 41 WEEKS to Grand Homecoming

Dy Sun Kang, who died last July 2, was a director of a foundation dedicated to helping poor students. The members of the LCHS-AA Scholarship Foundation condoled with his family on his demise. He was a very active member of the foundation and contributed much to the welfare of the foundation. His wife, Chan Hui Bian, and their children, contributed P10,000 to the LCHS-AA Scholarship Foundation last Aug. 19, the 49th day after his death. On the same occasion, the Foundation chairperson, Dy Guat Ching, personally thanked the Dy family for the generous contribution.

Comprehensive update
Sun, 3 Oct 1999 18:50:04 -0700 (PDT)

Thank you for frequently sending me the LCHS Spectrum. The newsletter is very helpful; it's my most comprehensive update of what is happening in Iligan. Also, the batch list is very informative. I am still very much amazed (and grateful) how you could come up with such an extensive list. By the way, there are a few names that I want to correct in Batch 1990. The correct spelling of my name is just Maximilian (not double L). I know a lot of people are mistaken about this. And the other names are Babatido, Romeo Jay; Dy Carlos, Cristina; and Dy Pico, Aileen. Thank you very much. More power to you!

Maximilian N. Te (Batch '90), Manila, Philippines, maximte@yahoo.com

Open letter from an area coordinator

I just want to make an appeal to everybody to help disseminate information about the upcoming grand reunion. If you have relatives elsewhere who at one time or another attended LCHS, please inform them about the reunion.  I know a lot of people, who are not reached by the Spectrum, are totally unaware of the big affair.

Several weeks back I started calling the people I know who are here in Manila, and I was very surprised to get reactions like "What reunion?"; "Why August?"; "What’s the P,1500 for?"

Some of them were people whom I know so well.  I just couldn't figure out why they gave such a very apathetic reaction. Some of them even think that I'm earning some commission for every person who registers.  Some think that August is not the right month, and that they should have been consulted before the dates were finalized.  Others even hesitate to return my call thinking that I'm trying to sell them something.

Wow! All the while I was thinking that most people would be as excited as I am to attend such a once-in-a-lifetime affair.  Just seeing your batch mates is exciting enough. How much more seeing those people who are batches ahead of your class?

I know everyone behind the preparation of this reunion is working on a voluntary basis.  Each one also has a family or a job to attend to. So please make their jobs easier.  If you must decline the invitation, please do so with a little tact.  The only thing that keeps us going is the hope that the more people that will come, the more complete the whole LCHS family shall be.  A discouraging remark is the last thing we need.  Just remember that we are inviting each one of you to come, hoping that you'll have enormous fun seeing old familiar faces and old friends.  I know that the committees behind the preparation are doing everything possible to make the affair a success.  You have to find it in yourself whether being there with these people we used to know would make you happy or not.  Don't attend if you expect others to tickle you at the reunion just to make you laugh.

It's just so frustrating to get answers like "mag-unsa man ko didto?" Well, we're just here to inform you about the reunion, and inviting you to come.  If your reaction to the invitation would be like the one mentioned, then maybe you just have to wait for year 3000 to catch the next grand homecoming.  Maybe by then you'd see the reason why there are reunions, and that nobody's trying to make you spend more than what's due. In other words, this reunion is for each one of us and nobody's gaining any monetary profit from this event.

I know times are tough and the registration fee isn't something we can just pick up from the street, so to speak.  But everyone can pay in installment. If you could spare P100 a month, then before you know it you're all paid for the reunion.    If there's a will there's a way.

Marie Janiefer Q. Lee (Batch '87)
Grand Reunion Area Coordinator, Metro Manila, Philippines

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

Notice lately the jarringly entertaining inflow of the female persuasion (Marie Jan, Marie Jo, sis Evelyn Yu-Go, Army Major Aurora T.) in our newsletter? The spectral presence of their literary juices is a definite breath of fresh air. They spark an intriguing chemistry, a buffer to all these macho talkers from the beer-generation who are, in essence, prisoners of love and devoted as dogs.

With gals generating their tender inner voices and down-home wisdom to such standard-issue sentiments as fairness in choosing marital partners, a kid's innocent echo of motherly love, a teenage daughter’s longing for dad’s hugging consolation; and other reams of surefooted philosophical and hilarious entries such as an anecdote on Pinoy jeepney drayber, adventure in the military outdoors, food for tooth ... Spectrum's atmospheric mix is a fabulously fluid thing, an engaging read doubly spiced with feminine intellectual twists and turns.

There's just a large pool of daily facts in life that caballeros like me normally narrate in cowboy language while the opposite gender, relying on her maternal instinct and intuition, infuses the needed estrogen injection to the subject matters and revs up these once colorless bits and pieces into grrrl-power serenades and dreams. Guess it is time for all cavalier Adams to break out of the fraternal stupor and manly claims of biological supremacy, and pay tribute to the soft spots in their chests. Or start mumbling verbal grace about things that mellow down the most resistant among tough-as-nail ladies' hearts, like massaging passion on the lovey-dovey allure of chocolate and roses. Why do you think I sometimes pattern my journalistic circus via heart’s dictates?

Aha, being strapped in marriage claws for almost twenty five years has reflexly inscribed on my forehead Eve's amazing and magical ways to unravel the emotional anarchy of question-mark male souls. And if my dear wife reads these bubbly talks about her tribe that I have been slurping in and out of my big mouth, she'll surely vibrate in joy and blast me with days of blessed peace in spite of my bed-rocking snores at night. She will have cooing whispers pumped into my ears, blown kisses splashed on my cheeks before and after work, coy glances splendidly sprinkled during gemlike moments of love in the afternoon, a forever-and-ever farewell stamped on my occasional canned-goods diet ... and no more of the regular couples' stuff of what starts out as a minor skirmish of opposing views flares up into a Kosovo crisis.

My ladies, you've always got a natural winning manner to charm and appease the lords of the jungle. I mean, those apes with so-so IQ whose claim of acute amnesia during birthday and wedding anniversaries you understandably write off as a diabolically lame excuse but pardonable offense due to those space cadets' housefly-life-span memory capacity.  Mademoiselles, the world would have been dark without your glow, freezing without your warmth, lonely without your caress, dry without your tears, scattered without your mind, boring without your laughter ... and lifeless without your life. Sweetie Pie, cheers for lighting up my fire with a warm trickle of euphoria and for making me laugh my head off. There is no way I'll trade you for all the tea in China.

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

Freemasonry was never a secret society until the Papal Bull banning its members in 1738. Before that, the secrecy they had was only the details of the ceremonies, such as the handshakes and thair charitable deeds. But after 1738, to avoid conflict with the Catholic Church, many of its Catholic members left the fraternity. And those who stayed on with clear conscience kept an incognito profile. Thus it was the church which unwittingly made Freemasonry a secret society during this period. It was indeed ironic that Freemasons were then no longer allowed to set foot in the various churches and cathedrals which their operative forebears religiously built!

The Catholic Church not only failed to stop Freemasonry but it could also have been instrumental in some ways in spreading it. With more men growing curious about things being banned, the more the membership of the fraternity grew. By this time, its members were no longer confined to the cream of society but to the emerging middle class that was a by-product of the "Industrial Revolution" which began in the mid 18th century. This was also the era which produced modern philosophers such as Voltaire, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jeremy Bentham, Andre Descartes, Emmanuel Kant and many more. They radically changed social perceptions and it was dubbed as the "Age of Enlightenment." Their philosophies somehow vindicated Freemasonry to seek and speak for the truth, thereby neutralizing the effect of the papal bull.

In the late 18th century, the world had two great successful revolutions which were inspired by Freemasons - the American in 1776 and the French in 1789. It is believed that about half of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence were Freemasons. The French motto "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" sounds very masonic. And these events started the separation of the Church and State. Simon Bolivar, who liberated most of Spanish America was also a Freemason who got his inspiration from his North American brethren. Dr. Sun Yat Sen might have been influenced by the moral lessons from Freemasonry in writing his "Three People's Principle."

Last year, the Philippines witnessed the grand Centennial Celebration as a nation. It once again focused the heroes who gave their ultimate sacrifices that their people may enjoy freedom and liberty. We saw the colorful and symbolic floats of Philippine Freemasonry with the motto: "Freemasonry - Cradle of Heroes, Builders of Nation." Andd followed by the names of Rizal, Bonifacio, Luna, del Pilar, Mabini, Aguinaldo and many more. The designed of the Philippine flag in fact got its inspiration from the Masonic apron!

Freemasons are taught to seek perfection morally. But as mortals, they have their own weaknesses and faults. They don't pretend to be perfect but would strive to achieve perfection. Freemasonry is a moral science which does not interfere with one's faith in one's God, nor with the duties to his country, nor with his family obligations.

Today, almost three centuries after Pope Clement XII, the Catholic Church has accepted changes and has been modernized with the open minded leaders such as Pope John the 23rd and the present Pope John Paul II. It seems that "In Enimenti", which was never rescinded, is no longer in effect but not entirely forgotten. There are still a few churchmen who wanted to hang the papal bull as a sword of Damocles swinging above the head of Freemasons. Could they not shake the hands of Freemasons who after all these years bear no sinister plot nor any secret intention against the Catholic faith but only their friendship and charity and, most of all, their complete loyalty, obedience and belief in the same God the Almighty?

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

Roger Suminguit's Tracers (Sept. 6, 1999) on former teacher Mr. Fidel Fuertes with his picture made me smile and warmed my heart.  He remembered me!  How come he still looks so young and I look this old?  He was already a grown man when I was still an awkward, serious, singleminded girl with thick glasses. Now it seems I have caught up with him. But it's okay, because "come what may, / I have had my day" (J. Dorr).

For him to witness and remember the first English High School graduating class is wonderful.  I thought nobody remembered but the members of that class.

"There can be no harm / In just remembering -- that is all"  (K. Mansfield).

I look back and I can see us girls in the swing close to the toilets during breaks. I remember the late Yao-Yao (Honorata Tan), cousin Perla Bernardo (Bee Giok), Elena Uy, Sio Hoon Tan and the nightingale Paciencia Chiu (Phek Dian).  "Santa Lucia" was Phek Dian's and my favorite song.  She sang and I accompanied her on the piano during school programs.  Where are they now?

The "good boys" in the class were Mr. "Trumpet" Kim San Lim, paisanos Jaime Sy (Handumon) and Manuel (Ban Doy) Sy, Rufino Dy (Booc), and Tonga Dy, The "naughty ones" were Guardson Siao and Eddie Ang.  Guardson and Eddie teased me to death.  I remember one would pull my chair back when I stood to answer a question hoping I would sit on space and fall when retaking my seat.  They also called me names descriptive of how I looked and where I was from (Initao).  I was the only one among the girls they targeted.  Maybe it was because I had higher grades?  Anyway, no damage done and no hard feelings.  It even strengthened my resolve to excel.  But, "memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth but not its twin" according to B. Kingsolver.   My perception was my reality.

I remember our teachers.  Miss Epa from Initao, Miss Llanos and Miss Zozobrado.  Mr. Fuertes did not teach us but he taught my sister Santas’ (Santing) class.  She remembers him as a strict and good teacher who made history class very interesting.  "I am from Toledo, Cebu not Toledo, Ohio," Santing remembers him telling the class.  She was quite disappointed that he mentioned our class and not her class which was his first class.

Sir, as class valedictorian, I am taking the liberty to extend our thanks and love to you and to all our English and Chinese teachers.  We owe all of you a debt of gratitude.  Thanks from the bottom of our hearts.

Till next time.

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

Popular barkada groups were aplenty during our days. Among them were the Alaber Brothers (Alex Rodriguez, Alberto Bernardo, and Ernesto Yu); Grizzly Club (Dionesio Chiu, Rudy Co, Antonio Leo Te, Lee Kee Siang); THJL (Timestocles Tan, Henry Yu, Jimmy Wong Ling, Leopoldo Tan); JEL (Janet Lee, Edna Choa Tan, Leodegaria Lagrosas). There was also the group of Teresita Siao, Vy Sio Tin, and Perla Yu; the group of Betty Bernardo, Delia Dy, Charita Sia, Adelfa Tan, and Dy Chiok Hian. The list continues ad infinitum…

There were two school organs: Scholastic Gazette (1965) with Victor Chiu as editor; and the Campus Keepers (1968), of which I was editor along with Emelita Lee. And what about those presidents of the LCHS Student Council? There were Sergio Siao, Wilson Lim, Vy Beng Hong, Roderick Ngo, etc. They were better known as Hak Sing Chi Tee Huoy leaders.

Certainly, I can go on and on with the list of the campus stars of our time. Some blurred, some vivid, and others slipping from my aging memory. It's been some thirty years or so ago, remember? And with the passage of time, we can no longer totally rely on our memory. Well, some good things never last; nothing is made to last. Through the years, we experienced the aging process, just like our decaying teeth, with matching laugh lines and wrinkles now appearing blatantly on the once-smooth and flawless skin that was ours in the 60s: the thick black hair, the inexhaustible stamina, the face that refreshes. That was all of yesterday. Today we live in remininiscences of the bygone era -  the songs, the dances, the frivolities, fun, laughter, and tears that we once experienced to the max. Gone are those days of "roses are red, violets are blue, sugar and spice, as sweet as you."

But the fact still remains: We all came from the same school which has made us engineers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, businessmen, architects, etc. We were all taught by our teachers who once made LCHS their home, helping one another in the mission and vision of our alma mater, to raise us as responsible and good citizens of our country, collecting honors for our school, and living up to the standard of the one and only Chinese school in Iligan - the legendary Lanao Chinese High School.

What now after three decades or so? What has become of the Campus Stars of the 60s? Yo! Thank God, we are still around. We are all still the stars in our own little ways,  the so-called starlight, starbright. And forever we will remain stars of our families, professions, and in our crusade against drug addiction, pornography, and other detrimental aspects affecting the world we now live in, with our children taking our place in the sun. Then we pause and ponder. How fast time really glides away! It seems like only yesterday when we were there, on top of the world, singing a tune or two, dancing to the beats of the era, amidst a world and time that were ours alone as Iliganons, as LCHS students, as the Campus Stars of the 60s. As the song goes, "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away; now it looks as though they're here to stay, so I believe in yesterday… Yesterday, I'm not half the man I used to be …"

And that, I believe, is enough for the record.

I am a born dreamer and an achiever. As a child, I used to dream to come and live in America, and here I am! I used to dream of driving a nice, fancy car, and I've got one! I used to dream of having my own home, and I've got my home! I used to dream of traveling to different places, and I had been to many places! So far, I made my dreams come true. Yet there are other dreams more important than material things that I wish SOMEDAY would come true...

I believe that everything happens in life, happens for a reason. At times, we stress ourselves out trying to find the answers to our questions and we demand an ASAP response. Life is not like a remote control ... good things happen to those who wait patiently. We can dream and hope, but let God take care of the rest - allow Him to navigate your life. I believe that God has plans for each one of us in His time.

I always remember what Papa used to tell me: "Life is like a wheel - sometimes you are up there, and sometimes you are down here." Up to this day, my eyes get teary whenever I think about it. But after the storm, here comes sunshine. Nothing in life is permanent! I'm a much better person now than what I used to be many years ago. That's because I made wrong choices and mistakes in my life - I learned the hard way! Every failure I had made me stronger and wiser. Life must go on, it doesn't stop when you make mistakes. Keep on dreaming because dreams do come true. Someday I may be able to share with you all the dreams that are yet to come ... God bless everyone!

As we were having our class get-together recently, an idea was proposed by Jimmy Ang to post on the Web and share the good times and bad times that we of Batch '83 had during our school days. The idea caught fire and everybody in the group jumped in with their inputs of ideas and memories. Here goes...

The Good Times.  When we were already high school seniors, everything was different. We became wiser and crazier too. One time our 4th year class adviser required us to bring fresh bougainvillea flowers to school. Among the class only one student was able to provide, namely Johnny Chen. The rest of us had nothing to bring. Instead craziness was in our mind. I remember William Chiu was the platoon leader of our mass escape to secure some flowers. The guys were rounded up and our operation was soon underway. In William's Ford Fiera, we proceeded to City Hall and raided its bougainvillea garden. And voila! we brought to school a whole bunch of the flowers, enough to provide every classmate who did not have any, plus lots of mangga fresh from "our" plantation at City Hall. That's not all. A few days later, we were told by our class adviser to beautify our garden and adorn it with bermuda grass for our school's garden competition. Again our operation was set in motion. We brought back lots of bermuda grass, and lots of fresh papaya fruits this time from two places, the City Hall and the circle off the Medical Center.

The Bad Times.  Our Math teacher was Ms. Aberion. During her class almost everybody would feel sleepy and hungry, and only Jojo, Johnny and Juvy were listening religiously to the discussion. That was because our Math subject was on the last hour before lunch. Looking back, we regret not having been able to thank Ms. Aberion for the effort she made to help us pass the NCEE exams 100%. We were being tutored every Saturday until the day of the exams. This time we of Batch '83 would like to say it deep from our heart and on the World Wide Web to our dear teacher, "Maraming salamat po" for everything you taught us and the precious times you shared with us.

Each year LCHS holds a Science Fair for its students to share their talents, interest and knowledge in the field of science. At this fair, students present their investigatory projects and hold a science congress at which they defend their projects. There are also science quizzes and games included in this annual affair.

Last Oct. 1, LCHS celebrated this event with something new. It staged its very first "Search for Ginoong at Binibining Agham '99." This is a pageant where high school students put their best foot forward in a competition of brain and beauty. The first batch of students to enter this pageant were: 1st Year students - Enjoy Faith Ang, Jean Leih Racines, Raffy Earl Tan, and Elbert Louie Eslao; 2nd Year student - Jefferson Chua; 3rd Year students - Sheila Vy, Carissa Ong, Ghelbe Garay, and Jeremy Ling; 4th Year students - Mae Kimberly Siao, Sharon Sy, Prince Dane Chan, and Rene June Dagoc. Like all beauty pageants, the program featured the casual wear, sports wear, and formal wear presentation. It also included a talent portion where the contestants gave performances that showcase their talents related to science. They were also grilled in a question & answer portion on the subject of science. And as in any pageant, there were prizes aplenty. Jeremy Ling and Sheila Vy won as "Best in Casual Wear"; Raffy Earl Tan and Sheila Vy, "Best in Sports Wear"; Rene June Dagoc and Mae Kimberly Siao, "Best in Talent";   Jefferson Chiu, "Mr. Photogenic"; Mae Kimberly Siao, "Ms. Photogenic"; Jefferson Chiu and Carissa Ong, "Best in Formal Wear".

After awarding the special prizes, the major awards followed. Second runnerup was awarded to Enjoy Faith Ang (female category) and Rene June Dagoc (male category). The first runnerup went to Carissa Ong (female category) and Jefferson Chiu (male category). The title of "Ginoong Agham '99" went to Raffy Earl Tan; while the title of "Binibining Agham '99" went to Sheila Vy.