INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 30, November 9, 1998, Iligan City, Philippines

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Engr. Arturo Gan Samson (Batch '59), President of the Lanao Chung Hua School Alumni Association, is the proprietor of Samson Electrical Supply, located at 0037-B Gen. Aguinaldo Street, Iligan City. Toto, as he is fondly called by his friends, is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He is married to Eileen Gumahin, a medtech by profession. The Samsons have four children, one boy and three girls. The eldest, Jennifer (Batch '94) , graduated in March 1998 with a degree in B.S. Nursing at Cebu Doctors' College. She passed the Nurses' Licensure Exam last May. The second, Janice (Batch '95), is a graduating student of B.S.B.A. at the University of San Carlos. The third, Jacque Lynn (Batch '97), is a sophomore student of HRM at University of San Jose Recoletos, while the youngest, John Arthur, is a graduating student of LCHS.

List of donors of LCHS-AA scholarship fund
(Continued from last week)

San Cha Trading - P10,000; Mr. & Mrs. So Teck An - P5,000; Mr. & Mrs. Lim Kim San - P1,000; Mr. & Mrs. Henry Lee - P10,000; Jonrich Enterprises, Inc. - P30,000; Mr. & Mrs. Go Chin Bun - P5,000; Mr. & Mrs. Sy Bing Gui - P10,000; Crown Paper & Stationer - P10,000; Iligan CPK Mercantile - P2,000; Mrs. Fe Quimbo - P1,000; Mr. & Mrs. Guardson Siao - P1,000; Mrs. Juanita Jo - P1,000; Mr. & Mrs. Luis Kho - P500; Chang Che Association Class '68 - P20,000; Mr. & Mrs. Sy Chu An - P10,000; Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ang - P20,000; Cromwell Marketing - P2,000; Mr. Jack Dy - P5,000; Mr. & Mrs. Henry Ang - P10,000; Mr. & Mrs. Carlos Dy - P1,000; Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Sy - P30,000; Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Gaisano - P100,000; Mr. James So - P5,000; and Mr. Manuel Te - P1,000.

Web design services
Sat, 31 Oct 1998 20:08:19 +0800

I heard that your newsletter has invaded Iligan City. I congratulate you for your success.  I'm looking for a part time job related to my Computer Engineering course, which is part of our academic requirements for graduation this school year.  If there's anyone among LCHS alumni or Spectrum readers in need of a web page designer, particularly on Animated or Interactive Web Page,  please send me an e-mail.  It will be my pleasure to be of service.

Brendon V. Co, University of San Carlos (USC), Cebu, Philippines
b_co@eudoramail.com

(Editors' Note:  Brendon Co is the son of Sofia "Sio Eng" Vy-Co.  He was formerly connected with the Center for Network Management and Services of USC, where he had extensive experience in web page design.)

Spectrum's Manila correspondent

With this issue, we welcome Geronimo Sy, the latest addition to our Spectrum staff. A practising lawyer in Manila, he is the son of Felipe "Hong Chin" Sy and Bebie Lim Sy.  Geronimo spent the early part of his grade school at LCHS.  He finished his B.S. in Management Engineering in 1991 and law studies in 1995 at the Ateneo de Manila University.  He passed the Bar in 1996.  Among his classmates at LCHS grade school were Romeo Sy, Warren Lim, and Janet Chun of Batch 1987. Geronimo will cover the Manila beat for the Spectrum.

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

After the wedding ceremony, everyone was invited up to the 18th floor. Cocktails were first served at the relatively small lounge while final preparations were being made at the reception hall. The lady with her harp was again the sole entertainer. Less than an hour later and no longer hungry, we were welcomed to the Grand Ballroom. The ceiling was fully covered with tiny lights resembling a thousand stars. On the stage was a 5-man band dishing out some familiar tunes while a lady singer was doing a few Celine Dion's hits with great success. The flower arrangements which guarded the wedding aisle were now the centerpiece of each table. It was very classy.

The mahjong gang of four was once again seated together with their ladies. Suddenly, I thought a pair of reporters appeared before us.  One with the video camera and the other guy was like an interviewer. They were soliciting the good wishes for the newlyweds from a representative from each table. I nominated either one of the uncles, but instead everyone was pointing at me! I was not prepared. I almost panicked. And all I said to the newlyweds was: "Don't believe about wedding being a 3 ringed circus - Engagement Ring, Wedding Ring and SuffeRinng!" And I wished them all the best! It was almost a disaster. I later asked my wife why I was chosen to speak for the group. She simply said because I talk too much.

The reception was dominated by very lively Jewish traditions. Dance to the music of some numbers from "Fiddler On The Roof" and of course "Hava Nagilah." The bride and the groom were then made to sit on a chair which was carried up by about 4 men and hurled to the air several times. This was followed by Joyce parents, Aunt Vicky who was a bit scared, and Uncle Maning who was already a bit tipsy. Whatever few dance steps I learned recently were put into action with my eager partner. The party went on until midnight. I thought I would only witness that kind of reception in the movies. But here I was, a very active participant in a Jewish celebration. A very happy occasion which sadly had to come to an end.

As the seniors went home, the young cousins continued their partying in one of the night spots in Miami till early morning, then went straight to the airport for their respective return flight from whence they came.  It was already early Monday morning and some had work commitments and others had schools to attend. Uncle Denny and Aunt Carol went back to West Virginia while Aunt Monina and cousins Josephine, Janet, Jackie and Linley returned to Virginia. Uncle Henry and Aunt Leoncia, who came from Manila, were visiting them too.

It was only the Australian 8 and Uncle Maning's relative who were left with Aunt Vicky in Miami that Monday. It was spent again in another "mills" with factory outlets. Once again I found the "toothpick" thing at the food court! I did not have a shopping list, but since I was already in Miami, which was closer to Havana, I thought perhaps I could find a bargain priced Cuban cigars as presents for my friends in Sydney. But they were not as cheap as I thought. I learned that these cigars were in much demand in the nation's capital, Washington, DC, which incidentally was our next destination the next day.

By Henry L. Yu, M.D.,  Batch '69

Mr. Luis Yap - He was our bespectacled teacher-in-charge in Grade V Chinese class who wore an all-black attire (in reverence to his father's death) in 1965. He was so good at drawing, who taught me the fundamentals.  He caught me once cheating in class. He was the one who guided and motivated me to perform well in our Chinese class.
Adelfa Tan - My classmate in English class from Grade I to second year high school. She lived across LCHS and was our second honor in class. She was Tan Bee Hua in Chinese.  A superb dancer and my constant partner.  She transferred to Iligan City High when she was in third year high.  She gifted me with a blue rosary in 1967 for whatever reason that I have not known until now.
Rene Tio - My classmate in Chinese who wore an all-black attire (shirt and short pants) in reverence to his father's death when we were in Grade V under Miss Perfecta Uy as class adviser.  His family lived across LCHS where they had this Singko Diyes Store that sold many of our favorite snack foods.  He is the brother of Jimmy, Florcita (Otay), Lily, Lok Long, and Tata.  They are the children of Nang Suwa.
Bonifacio Khu - One of the best basketball players of LCHS.  He is the brother of Fernando (Lando), Susan (Hoy Chu), Felisa, etc.  Bonny, as we called him for short, was a man of few words, but precise in his acts.
Dionesio Chiu - He was my classmate in Chinese who formed the lead part of the Grizzly Club of Rudy, Antonio, and Kee Siang.  This group was a frequent sight at the St. Michael's College. Dioney is the brother of Remedios, Vivina, Ange, Junior, and Vicky.
Using Lee - Was my classmate since Grade I. A silent type with deep thoughts. He is the brother of Kee Siang.
Benny Kao Hok - Another classmate since Grade I both in Chinese and English. Frail-looking Benny is the brother of Henry (who was very good at basketball and other sports).
Delia Dy - My classmate in English class since Grade I, who sported a Pocahontas hairdo (salapid), wearing eyeglasses in black plastic frame. She was so good at Arithmetic and other mathematical problems. She formed part of the barkada of Betty Bernardo and Chiok Hian Dy. (Continued next issue)

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

Treatment. Traditionally, all hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients are advised to restrict their vigorous physical activity, since it sometimes causes potentially life threatening arrhythmias. However, recent studies at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute show that patients can be separated into high and low risk groups on results from diagnostic tests of their heart's electrical and blood flow abnormalities. As a result, some athletes are considered at low risk for dangerous arrhythmias and can resume competitive sports.

Various drugs are used to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy like the Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, specific antiarrhythmic drugs and diuretics. For patients who do not respond to drug treatment, insertion of a pacemaker or heart surgery may give relief. Pacemakers are ordinarily used to maintain a minimum heart rate.

However, in this case, the pacemaker is used to change the pattern and decrease the force of the heart's contraction. Heart surgery usually involves removing part of the thickened septum (wall between the two ventricles) that has caused the obstruction or valve replacement, as the case may be. The only known definitive treatment for this condition is heart transplant.

Course of the disease.  In most patients, the disease and its symptoms remain stable. A few people may improve over 5 to 10 years. Numerous other patients may be restricted in their physical activity for the rest of their lives, as well as need continual medical treatment and regular careful evaluation by a physician. However, cardiomyopathy can have an unpredictable course because of the chance of sudden death. About 4 to 5 per cent of patients die each year, most from cardiac arrest caused by an abnormal heartbeat.

In other words, there is no easy answer to this condition. What matters as of this time is longevity of life. Death is inevitable but to this patient, death sentence is rendered without question.

America is back in the 'space' carnival mood. With Astronaut John Glenn in TIME and Newsweek cover pages, another limelight after decades-old space heroism as the first American to orbit the Earth, battling the Russians in short-lived space supremacy to himself. After more than 30 years in different dimensions of U.S. space technology, Glenn joined the team of the space shuttle Discovery.

Another space event that jolted America and the whole world occurred in 1969 - first human CONTACT on the moon. When Apollo 11 neared the moon in July 1969, the editors of The New York Times felt their coverage of the first step on lunar soil should go beyond headlines and photos to embrace an achievement shared by all humanity. So they asked Pulitzer Prize winner Archibald Macleish to write a poem. The day after Astronauts Neil  Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. walked on the moon, the front page contained these words: 

        You were a wonder to us,
        Unattainable, a longing past the reach of longing,
        A light beyond our light,
        Our lives - perhaps a meaning to us ...
        Our hands have touched you in your depth of night.

That day, through the hands of others, we touched the moon.

In the Scriptures, the apostle John wrote some memorable words, too, about an even more significant historical event - the visit of God's Son to the planet Earth! He wrote:

        That which was from the beginning,
        Which we have heard,
        Which we have seen with our eyes,
        Which we have looked upon,
        And our hands have handled,
        Concerning the Word of life ...
        We declare to you! (1 John 1:1,3)

John touched Jesus. And today, so can we. As surely as John held Him in the flesh, we can grasp the Son of God through faith. In faith, in fellowship, in times of greatest need, we can say, "Our hands have touched You."  CONTACT!

It was the nucleus of our childhood frolics. The main hub that embodied the spirit and passion of our youth. Within its confines echoed the hymns of our passage to adolescence.

The old Iligan public plaza was a landmark that would have been Iligan's premier historical relic today had it not been demolished in 1965 to give way to a more contemporary scheme of park structure.

A People's Park.  The plaza, nestled in the heart of the city, was second home to many of us in as many activities conceivable. It was a people's park through and through. Pretty much like a minuscule version of London's Hyde Park, the plaza played host to a thousand and one other forms of leisure for city residents.  It was the most popular haven for early morning strollers and Sunday promenaders, a lucrative marketplace for itinerant peddlers and hawkers, and the most affordable destination for lovers' rendezvous.  Its vastness offered free air space for us to fly our home-made kites. The benches under the mango and mabolo trees were also the regular venues for family gatherings on moonlit nights.  The concrete lamp posts in the park provided kids like us a convenient station for games of catch-and-go.  One could never lay claim to being an initiated plaza regular if he had not experienced the "electrifying shock" of his life derived from touching a short-circuited lamp post while at play.

Movies at the Park.  The plaza was the center stage of public ceremonies, political rallies, evening zarzuelas, religious assemblies, and assorted cultural extravaganzas.  It was also the converging point of our annual Independence Day grand parades.  Occasionally, the plaza served as arena for free outdoor movies staged by promoters of such products as Fighter Cigarettes, Cortal, and United American Tiki Tiki, among others.  Attractions like these were big events in our childhood days. They gave us a good excuse for a night out at the park.  There we squatted spellbound for hours on the park's neatly manicured lawn, watching the western sagas of Robert Taylor, Allan Ladd and John Wayne unfold on a propped up screen.  It never bothered us then that the movie came with frequent commercial intermissions.  To us it was enough that we were treated to a free movie. At a time and place when television was nonexistent, that was already quite a bonanza.

Rainy Days at the Park.  Rains at the old Iligan plaza were like manna from heaven. Every so often when water accumulated on its grounds after a prolonged downpour, we never missed the chance to stage our safari for crickets, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and bullfrogs, which were aplenty during rainy seasons. Wading barefooted in the temporary pool the morning after the rain was an adventure too good for any kid in town to pass up. It was the kind of fun to die for. And never mind the tongue-lashing we would inevitably receive from our mothers when we trooped back home drenched, ravished and looking like we had been to a war.

A Sanctuary for the Distressed.  While it was conceived, first and foremost, as a center of recreation, the plaza was also a sanctuary in times of calamity.  Its wide open space provided safety for families seeking refuge in the great earthquake that struck the city in 1953.   I remember that terrifying day when Mt. Hibok-hibok erupted on Camiguin island. The city shook with such intensity that drove families to scamper out of their homes in fright.  Lugging only our blankets and some basic provisions like jugs of water, we, as with many other families, sought refuge at the plaza.  Having been forewarned about imminent aftershocks, we camped out at the plaza throughout the night in hushed terror interrupted occasionally by the cries of babies,  murmurs of prayers and chants of "tabi Apo." We were instructed to keep still and stay down whenever the earth moved.  Otherwise, a fall caused by the tremor could result in insanity.  An insane folklore, no doubt, by today's convention.

A Refugee Camp.  In 1957, when a big fire razed a large part of the city to the ground, the plaza again came to the residents' rescue with its vast open space. The park became a refugee camp for the fire victims.  For months it was full house at the plaza where residents with no alternate sites on which to rebuild their homes had set up shops to eke out what little they could for a living. The whole park was transformed into a sea of makeshift lean-tos. Other families sought temporary shelter at the LCHS campus. Others, like our family, were billeted at the city's several copra and rice mills.  The communal quarters provided for each family at the milling complex were extremely cramped but at least we were certain of one thing: rice there would be bountiful.  (Next topic: The Kiosk)