LCHS Celebrates 60th Foundation Day
By Igdono Caracho (Batch '66) and Alicia Cu-Go (Batch '79)

Lanao Chung Hua School will commemorate its 60th Foundation Day with a flurry of non-stop activities on Nov 10-14, 1997.  The celebration focuses on the theme: Attaining Nation's Economic Progress thru the Students' Ecological Awareness.

The festivities reel off on Nov. 10 with a school parade, field demonstrations, and ballroom contest.  Intramurals will follow on Nov. 11 & 12, involving competitions in basketball, volleyball, softball, dashes, badminton, table tennis, cheering, chess, scrabble, and parlor games among students in various levels.  The closing program and awarding ceremony will take place on Nov. 13 featuring a showdown of popular dance contest champions as one of the highlights.  Activities on Nov. 14 will involve LCHS teachers competiting in friendship games of patintero, tug-of-war, volleyball, kickball, and racketball.

LCHS alumni top guns scheduled to take part in the five-day celebration as guest speakers are Henry Siao, LCHS School Director; Henry Dy, City Councilor; Robert Co, Vice President, LCHS Board of Trustees; Sy Chu An, President, LCHS Board of Trustees; and Sio Te Dy, LCHS Alumni Association President.

Siao Family Reunion in Cebu

The family of Mr. Siao Ching Tin held a lively reunion in Cebu City last Nov. 8.  The affair, hosted by Chu Tek and Rosie (Siao Bian-Bian) Sy at their residence, also marked the 88th birthday of their father, Mr. Siao Ching Tin.

Among the Siao clan who came home from abroad for the occasion were: Elson Siao (Batch '57), who's a district sales representative of the California State Lottery, San Diego, California, U.S.A.; and Teresita "Mei-Mei" Siao (Batch '66), now an ultra-sonographer at the Sharp Health Care Center, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.  Elson arrived with his wife, Belen.  His sons, Bernard and Conrad, are in the U.S.A.  Mei-Mei is married to Charles Go, with whom she has three children.  Also present at the family get-together were Henry and Nene Siao, Sergio and Norma Siao, and their children.

Chua Tek An Wins P500T Windfall

For drinking Lipovitan, Christopher Chua Tek An is richer today by P500,000!  He is the lucky second prize winner of the Lipovitan Mega Raffle Draw conducted in Metro Manila some three weeks ago. The raffle was a national promo program of the Lipovitan energy drink company. Tek An is the public relations officer of the LCHS Alumni Association.
 

I was surprised to learn the Spectrum is published so frequently.  I thought once a month would have been more than adequate.  I also found myself trying to remember names and faces from thirty years ago.  Perhaps some pictures (old or new) would help.  May I suggest that the newsletter do an "in-depth" review or feature on LCHS alumni once a month? You could ask the individual to provide the article or data.  Also, as a project, how about a compilation of biographical sketches of alumni through the years?

Felipe Oh, former LCHS teacher, Troy, Michigan, U.S.A.

Nostalgic Articles
From: ritkydy@scott.net
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 20:15:50 -0800

Keep up the good work! I just recently discovered the Spectrum on the Net. It's full of nostalgic articles relating to the glorious past and exciting present events of our beloved Alma Mater. It's a great way of keeping in touch with old friends and classmates, especially the ones that I missed during my family's trip to Iligan last June of 1996. More power to everyone involved in making this well-conceived newsletter a reality and a great success.

Ritky C. Dy, M.D. (Batch '76), Clanton, Alabama, U.S.A.

Kumusta, Iliganons!
From: walrus9@webtv.net (Ric Bacod)
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 11:04:35 -0800

Hello from San Diego, CA! I'm from Iligan City and was born there. I've lived on Roosevelt Ext. where LCHS was located. Is it still there?  Back in the 70s we used to climb over the fence early in the morning just to play on a nice basketball court (on weekends only).  It's been 18 years and never been back yet.   I'd like to say hi to Doming Tan, Toti Tan, Hua Hoi Tan & Amin, Henry, maybe Cristan Store, Junjun Bagatan, Rafael, Jimmy Bagatan.  If you know any of the Roosevelt guys, please tell them kumusta also.  Hey! I didn't know Khai Lok passed away.  This is a cool web site.  Keep up the good work, dude!  I really missed Leong Restaurant, lechon, bibingka, fresh fish, Hona's siopao, tartanilla, and the whole Iligan City.  Do you know Rowena Casimera?  I've heard she's a teacher at LCHS.  Thanks! More power to you, guys!

Rodel, San Diego, California, U.S.A.
 

Question dangling in my E-mail file: Ernie, do you play golf or you merely gulp?  Shame on you, I have long pledged to alienate myself from religious sports like golf  ("Jesus!", "Help me, Lord").  Gulp?  Never been on liquid diet and just can't educate my time-worn liver on how to degrade alcohol radicals. Briefly, my habitually sedentary life spins around draining sinful calories into my pampered palate and trimming the physical gravity of this eating disorder by viewing raptly, without twitching a fiber, Jake's (health guru) video as he pulverizes himself into an enviable muscle machine.

For the record, I will snub any sex drive inquiries.

In my lazy generation, bombarded by trailblazing technological innovations of the '90s (digital toothbrush, remote gadgets, Web shopping), breaking a drop of sweat is as precious as having a diamond-studded choker gift-wrapped.  In fact, it is a mortal sin to do aerobic walking (full swinging of arms in opposite directions, short of dislocating) without a can of soda and a box of buttered popcorn in each hand.  If this is your cup of tea, infiltrate the ranks of SOB (Society of Obese Buddies).

And you'll have a "whale of a time."

Or I swing free in the starry night with the planetary dorks.

G'day, Mate!
 

After the successful job interview, I lingered awhile in the city and went to a movie to celebrate. This would be my last day being jobless.  I realized that for the first time in my life I would be working for persons or company other than within the family.  I was told that coming to Australia would need some adjustments and to be prepared for a change in career.  I had never imagined I would become a "bank officer."

There were mixed feelings during my first day as a bank employee. I was nervous and excited yet very happy. I reported back to the lady who interviewed me the day before. We were now on a first name basis. Jenny then explained to me my renumerations.  My basic salary would be a little above the minimum wage which was around $8.50 per hour. I was entitled to 4 weeks annual leave with leave loading (paid more during on leave), 2 weeks sick leave, and a rostered day off every month.  The bank would contribute to my super-annuanuation fund.  Aside from this, I would also enjoy the subsidized canteen, be entitled to a discounted home loan rate and many other concessions on numerous bank services. But above all, I regained my self-esteem!

I started my training with one of the 12 tellers.  They were all very friendly and I felt very welcomed. I was the most senior in the section in terms of age. In fact I was receiving more income than my supervisor mainly because I was around 12 years older than her.  My training lasted 3 days.  It was quite easy with only simple arithmetic involved and with the aid of a computer terminal.  On the fourth day, I was left to myself in the cubicle and serving the customers on my own.  In a few weeks' time, I would become a trainer myself to new staff.

Our branch was in the bank's main building in the state of New South Wales, situated right in the heart of Sydney's Pitt Street, Australia's version of Wall Street. I counted no less than ten other branches within a radius of 500 meters from our location. The foyer of the bank building itself was half the size of a basketball court. It has 3 double-door entrances but I immediately noticed something was missing: there were no security guards at all!

Life as a bank officer was not stressful and, at times, quite relaxing.  Everyone from the big boss down to the cleaners were all on a first name basis. It was here that I got a new nickname "Leo".  Goodbye to "Eddie" and "Loloy".  On the average, not more than $5,000 cash would pass our counter. Some executives would even queue for ten minutes during the busy lunch breaks just to withdraw five dollars!  However, I experienced a very embarrassing moment when I answered the telephone one morning. I just could not understand what the lady at the other end was mumbling about. To her, I was just hopeless when finally she said: "Could I speak to someone who can speak English?"  What! I was not speaking Visayan!  Her brand of English was just too difficult to decipher.  After this incident, I developed "phonephobia."  Whenever the telephone rang in our section, I saw to it that I was a kilometer away.

After a few months, I became one of the outstanding bank officers.  My duties included servicing the ATM and at times acting as interpreter! I happened to be the most accomplished linguist among the staff.  Students from Peking would speak to me in Mandarin.  Businessmen from Singapore would use Hokian.  South American travellers could be understood with my few units of Spanish. Filipino sailors were very glad to converse with me in Tagalog.  A Boy Scout from Davao was surprised when I spoke Visayan to him.  But the most rewarding moment came when an American tourist with her family, after having been served at my counter, commented aloud: "I like this guy! He's the only person I ever met here in Sydney who can speak American English." And I was blushing with pride.

The management then realized that I was more effective as foreign currency teller with my smorgasbord knowledge of some languages.  However, I impressed my new supervisor Sarina even more one afternoon when a young Japanese tourist was cashing her traveller's cheques and she had to countersign them. When I presented the cheques to Sarina for checking, she complained that she could not check the signatures as oriental characters were too foreign to her.  I assured her the customer's signature was genuine.  Sarina challenged me if I could read the characters.  They were easy as they were the same as Chinese.  I told her: yes I do.  In fact it meant "bridge over the blue moon." She thought I was just joking.  She went to the counter and asked the Japanese lady if her name was indeed what I told Sarina.  The Japanese customer smiled and bowed repeatedly, saying: yes, yes, yes!  My supervisor then told me: "Leo, I don't know what we'd do without you."
 

"Those school girl days of telling tales and biting nails are gone.
    But in my mind, I know they will still live on and on. But how
     do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to
        perfume?  It isn't really easy but I'll try..."

Remember these lines from a very popular song taken from the movie of the same title?  I bet you do!  This was sang by Lulu in the mid-60s.  To Sir with Love--the movie starring Sydney Poiter.  It was showing then at Rajah Theatre from Nov. 3 to 13, 1965.  I was then in first year high school at LCHS under Mr. Julian Narciso as our class adviser.

Back in LCHS in the '60s (and even now), we always celebrated Teacher's Day (or Confucius Day) every year on September 28 to pay tribute to all our teachers who have painstakingly taken the time to inculcate in us the rudiments of being the good students that we should be.  Albeit it's November now, I still deem it the right time to honor our teachers because for me, they are supposed to be remembered every day of our school days and beyond that.  In short, our remembering them is timeless, it knows no specific occasion or era.  For truly, without their mentorship, there could be no doctors, architects, lawyers, professors, businessmen, etc. among our LCHS alumni.

So, to make a roll call of our teachers, I'd like to start with our Grade I mentor: Miss Tagaro (sorry, but I really cannot remember her first name.  Will somebody help me please?). She was that petite, dark beauty, who taught us our Pepe and Pilar, Nena, Bantay, etc.; how to spell words correctly; how to write legibly.  In short, the ABC and the 1,2,3.  Grade II: Miss Corazon Alpuerto.  She was that tall, lanky and ethnic beauty who was regal in many ways.  Her pinangko hair and her pastel sheering dresses are what I remember most in her physically.  Grade III: Miss Anacorita Campugan.  She was short with curly hair, spoke good English, and strict to a point.  She taught us the Sarungbanggi dance number which we presented during the Linggo ng Wika at LCHS on August 19, 1962.  Grade IV: Miss Concepcion Yap.  She was a beauty to behold, fair-skinned, simple in many ways, without makeup.  I remember her because she was the one so worried that afternoon in 1963 when I was accidentally hit by the siatong or kundisi which I played along with my classmates.  She brought me to the faculty room for emergency treatment of my nosebleeding. Grade V: Miss Josefa Demeterio.  She was short with teased hair, always wearing high heels to match with her tight eyelit miniskirt.  She loved me for being so good in Sulating Pangwika or the Pampaaralang Balarila or the Diwang Kayumanggi of our time.  She called me the "Balagtas of our Class."  Grade VI: Miss Josefina Tan.  She was a cynosure of all eyes whenever she was around or passed by a crowd because she was truly a beauty titlist, having been crowned "Miss Iligan" during the City Fiesta in 1966.  We loved her for being so approachable, understanding, and speaking our lingo. She was also a movie fan of Susan Roces and the Sampaguita Stars '66, the Beatles, and Matt Monro, among others.
 

Replied the Kuwaiti woman: "Land mines!" --Contributed by Larry V. Sy (Batch '72), Burnham, Illinois, U.S.A.

Chinese Dialogue
Mrs. Ying asks Mrs. Yang about her son in college: "E si-thak sih-meh?"
Mrs. Yang answers: "Sai ko-lo khih!"  (Psychology)  --Contributed by Roderick L. Ngo (Batch '70), Cebu, Philippines

My years of teaching at the LCHS have indeed left traces of unforgettable memories even if I have almost reached the twilight stage of my life.  How could I ever forget those young minds who were only at their early teens when I first met them in school?  Seeing them at the apex of their success either in business or profession gives me a gratifying feeling of fullfilment.  I consider it my achievement as a teacher.  For me, the real essence of teaching is giving what you know and how this is used by the learner as he gradually passes on from one stage to another in his life metamorphosis.

I have various encounters of many among my students who are now professionals and successful businessmen.  In silence, I thank the Lord for the good news.

I enjoyed listening to the views of Robert and Edwin Co of CPK.  Oh! despite the hectic schedule in their business, they read a lot and could come up with their honest critique on our present political issues.

I met Guido Samson of Iligan Educational Supply a month ago. He had a lot to share on Princess Di's short but colorful life and his views on different 1998 presidentiables are impressive.

I have also frequent visits at FK Mart.  Fernando Khu and Siu Tin Vy-Khu were two of my serious students in Biology. They're indeed the biological pair in real life.

Suniel Lim is now a manager at Lian Hong Co., Inc. To recall, he was an achiever during his student days. Could you remember his award-winning oratorical piece, "The Highway Man"?

My recent meeting with Teresita Racines, now a Math professor at MSU-IIT and Elsa Lagrosas, head of Lab Department of Dr. Uy Hospital, has made me a decade younger.  We talked on many problems confronting our educational system.  However, it was just a chance meeting and limited for I had to go around to monitor the review classes of Science and Technology.

I have heard good news of my students who are now outside Iligan.  One of them is Charles Sy, now in the print media.  Good news.

Before I close, may I ask the readers who were under the LCHS class of Mr. Jose "Pepe" Chio to say some prayers for the repose of his soul.  He died in an accident last Oct. 23rd. He was my brother-in-law, having been married to my youngest sister who also taught at LCHS in the late 1960s. Thank you.

(Editors' Note: Cristanta Alcover-Ayson  is now head of the Science & Technology Department of the Iligan National High School.)