INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 31, November 16, 1998, Iligan City, Philippines

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It was a day of pomp and pageantry at LCHS as some 25 campus personalities and talents competed in the search for the titles of "Little Mr. LCHS" and "Little Ms. LCHS" of 1998.  The affair, held last Nov. 6 at the LCHS gymnasium, was a fitting prelude to the school's celebration of its Foundation Day anniversary on Nov. 12.  The candidates, consisting of elementary and high school students, were screened and judged for their personality, talent and intelligence. Winners of the top titles were Beth Baguio (daughter of Barry & Belen Baguio), Senior Ms. LCHS; Dareen Michael Chiu (son of Reynaldo & Linda Chiu), Senior Mr. LCHS; Ardee Joan Tan (daughter of Ann Dee Po & Arnold Tan), Junior Ms. LCHS; and Carl Kevin Sy (son of Charles & Karen Sy), Junior Mr. LCHS.  The winners later joined the city parade on their respective floats last Nov. 12 commemorating LCHS 60th Foundation Day. (More in-depth coverage of the pageant in this issue's Features Section.)

Ernie Yu homeward bound

Spectrum columnist Dr. Ernesto Yu (Batch '65) is scheduled to arrive in Cebu City on Dec. 1. He will be here for the grand homecoming of the Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM) alumni.  While in Cebu, Ernie is scheduled to deliver a series of talks at the alumni grand ball and various medical conferences. One of his lectures is on the misconceptions in the past about the dangers of spinal anesthesia and the new uses of such technique. Accompanying Ernie is his wife, Dr. Verna Yu, a rehab medicine specialist. They will be here until Dec. 17.

LCHS-AA scholarship recipients

The LCHS Alumni Association announced that its past officers under the leadership of past president Dy Sio Te were able to award partial scholarship to two children of our fellow alumni last school year 1997-98. The beneficiaries were Jefferson Wong, son of Jackson Wong (Batch '72) and Elizabeth Lee, daughter of Lee Kee Siang (Batch '68). Jefferson was a third year student when he received the scholarship grant while Elizabeth was then in Grade One.

Warning on Viagra
Thu, 12 Nov 1998 04:53:29 -0800

Greetings to the readers of the Spectrum! I'm the wife of Manuel H. Te and the mother of Maximilian N. Te (Batch '90), Jennifer N. Te (Batch '94), and Jonathan Mark N. Te (Batch '96).  It seems there's a lot of talk these days about Viagra, among men and women, young and old. The curious ones are anxious to try it. The men are excited about it but the women would be happy if the men wouldn't have to use it.  Woe to the inventor of Viagra for he doesn't fear God.  The ordinary man can only pray with a sincere heart. I call on Carlo Bodiongan, Dr. Alex Rodriguez, and Loloy Tan to write about it.  God bless you all.

Jeanne Nacague Te (Ong Chin Chin)
Iligan, Philippines

Chow time with LCHS Alumni

"Tracers" this week embarks on a food trip and tracks down several alumni who are into the food business.  Lilian "Ampao" Ang-Tan (Batch '59) is popular among Iliganons in Cebu for her Quemoy-style bachang and other home-cooked Chinese delicacies. Lilian is the elder sister of Jocelyn and Charles Ang.  She was the first muse of the LCHS basketball team (1957).  Another reliable source of delectable Chinese delicacies in Cebu is Martina Bernardo-Ong (Batch '57).  Her Oriental Food Shoppe, located near the Cebu Chong Hua Hospital, sells hopia from Manila, chay-pao and ku-chay-a (Chinese empanada).  Right beside Martina's food shop is the A La King Cafe run by her brother in law, Clemente Ong, which is famous for its bachang and siopao. Its siopao is almost comparable in taste to the siopao of the Canton Restaurant of Iligan in the good old days.  Marilou Lim-Bordalba (Batch '72), younger sister of Suniel "Boy" Lim, on the other hand, is into bakery.  She runs the flourishing Talisay Bread Maker in Talisay, Cebu, with a branch at Cebu's Ramos street. Another alumni queen of home economics is Mila Miguela Yu-Ong (Batch '63), who caters to numerous schools and canteens in Cebu with her famous home-made pastries and cakes. Needless to say, her products are selling like hot cakes. Edmund Samson's Nankin Noodle House, on the other hand, is famous for its fresh Chinese lumpia, aside from an array of noodle specialties. Goodah!

By Leonardo "Eddie" Tan, Batch '66

Early morning of August 25 and we were on our way to the Miami Airport escorted by the newlyweds. At last we parted with the Dodge Caravan we rented at Orlando. Our United Airlines 727 took off at 7am. 150 minutes later, the Washington Monument and the Capitol came into view. We landed at the newly renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport at Washington, DC. Cousins Josephine and Janet were there to meet us. Both of them took extra holidays just to be our guides. It was only about 45 minutes' drive to their large and wonderful house in Herndon, Virginia. I thought this place being farther north could be cooler compared to Miami. But I was wrong. The heat wave followed us.  Luckily, Aunt Monina had the house air-conditioning fixed just as we arrived. Jackie left that afternoon for Germany.  We met the other sister Judith the following day. It was my first restful day in weeks; I was able to take a very pleasant and much needed afternoon nap. In the evening, Uncle Henry was again excited as the square table was prepared. Aunt Monina was the fourth member of the gang of mahjong this time.

Washington, DC has not changed much since the last time I visited it. Except perhaps for the tenants of the White House. And the heart of the nation had the biggest circus in town, starring Bill, Monica and Ken. So the following day, we were unanimous in our decision to visit a place which we had never been to before. It was the Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington was owned by General Robert Lee of the Confederate Army. After he lost the civil war, he was forced to transfer a great portion of this property to the US Army and was made the burial ground for the many thousands of war casualties. Gen. Lee inherited Arlington from his father-in-law, who was the son of George Washington, the father of the American nation.

Janet was our guide, while Josephine took the kids to a park as they wouldn't be interested in a place like Arlington.  It was around noontime when we reached Arlington National Cemetery.  There was a lot of people and many were tourists like us but everyone behaved with the proper decorum befitting this very hallowed place. Without doubt, the most visited spot of this national shrine is the final resting place of Pres. John F. Kennedy and his first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  It was quite a distance from the main entrance hall. We had to pass by a sea of uniform white crosses planted at regular interval across the rolling plains. And under each cross lies a hero. After almost a quarter of an hour's walk under a blazing sun, we arrived upon the brow of a small hill. I was just awed by its sheer simplicity. The first thing I noticed was the legendary eternal flame flickering at one end. Then the bronze markers lying on their graves. On each side lies their stillborn daughter and infant son. Their graves are fenced by a single length of metal chain. The spot was partly hidden by a semi circular waist-high concrete wall where the highlight of JFK's immortal inaugural speech was engraved with: "Ask not what your country ..." The young American leader was very inspiring and his glamorous multi-talented wife was the most photographed woman at that time. As if the Americans had royals at the White House and dubbed it as "Camelot". It was so long ago, but I was misty eyed for here lies the hero and idol of my youth. The white knight who was the champion of the free world in a cold war against what was then known as "an evil empire."

As we were about to leave the spot, I saw an odd standard white cross on the left side of the graves. As if out of place. It was the grave of Robert Francis Kennedy with just a simple marker and no other distinction. I am not an American but I am very proud of Arlington. Perhaps every freedom loving human being should feel the same way. The place was so serene yet so inspiring. So simple yet so dignified. It was a poignant reminder of the price of liberty and the freedom we all enjoy today. Where the famous and the unknowns are at last together as equals and all heroes of a grateful nation and perhaps even a thankful free world.

By Henry L. Yu, M.D.,  Batch '69

San Mondarte (Diong Diong) - My classmate in Chinese who used to watch the sunset with our barkada at the Iligan pier after class dismissal in the afternoon. He lived with the family of Lim Chay, the only boy among a sibling of all girls (Tining, Elena, Lolita, and Elizabeth). He got married to another classmate of ours in English, Proserpina (Paping) Siangco, the girl who used to live with the family of Grace Po.
Suniel (Soon Bin) Lim - Another consistent honor student and a very active member of the Student Council. He once worked part-time as administrator of the school canteen. I remember most his curly hair. When asked how he did it, he said, "You massage egg into your hair."
Santiago (Ching Guan) Ong - His Chinese name sounds almost the same as mine (Ching Kuan). He was fun to be with and could talk of anything under the sun.  He is the younger brother of Tonga, Hym Hym, Po Hua, Gongti, Aurora, Susan (Yu Hua), and elder brother of Linda.
Antonio Leo (Hon Tian) Te - He was that chubby fellow with Vaseline-laden curly hair who used to play with us in our backyard.  One time he poked my finger with a sharp object that made it swell to require an antibiotic.  He was my classmate too since Grade I and supposedly a part of the THJLA group but decided to join the Grizzly Club when we were in high school.  A very good singer.
Marietta Kwan - She is the auntie of Jimmy Ling, Remedios (Boy Toy), Johnny (Hay Toy), Helen, and Jerry (Tata).  She is the younger sister of Nang Petra Ling, owner of King Sing Bazaar, our neighbor from the time I was born until the mid-70s. She was our teacher in Chinese Arithmetic.
Dy Sio Te - She was the classmate of my brother Ernesto or Tak Kuan. The sister of Bebe, Siok Dian, Gonge, Sun Lay, Chiok Hian, Sun Kang, Ang Sun Chi, who owned Dy Cham Shoe Store.  She was a very active student during her time, a member of the drum and bugle, and also a majorette.
Kelly Dy - He is the son of Dy Sun Kang. One of the handsomest guys in LCHS, a very courteous and nice fellow.  He is the brother of Jane, Ritky, Juvy, and Jocelyn.  One time I chanced upon him at Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu when he had an accident in 1978.  That was when I was yet an intern assigned in the Department of Surgery in that particular hospital. (Continued next issue)

The long wait is over.  The search for the "Little Mr. & Ms. LCHS 1998" finally culminated at the LCHS auditorium last Nov. 6. The show started at 2 p.m. with the parade of campus beauties.  This was followed by a production number presented by all 25 candidates who danced to the jolly tune of Ricky Martin's "Maria." The ladies wore colorful and captivating costumes reminiscent of Copacabana.

The formal attire competition was accentuated with a centennial touch. The boys wore barong Tagalog while the girls wore colorful, Imeldific-like long gowns.  Another number promptly ensued showcasing the individual talents of the candidates.  Some sung Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" while others displayed their dancing prowess with numbers that highlighted a nationalistic mood. The interview portion was a blast. Candidates were asked questions like: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and "Suppose you were scolded because you have done wrong, would you hate your mother, or would you ask for an apology?  Why?"

After everything was said and done came the moment of final reckoning.  The winners were Ardee Joan Tan, "Junior Ms. LCHS of 1998"; with Rachel Lim, as 1st runner- up; Chastine Gayle Co, 2nd runner-up; Catherine Co,  3rd runner-up; Maxine Alexis Yap, 4th runner-up; and Chemabelle Claire Jasma &  Edda Jasmine Lim, as Princesses.  Carl Kevin Sy, "Junior Mr. LCHS 1998"; Zake Roland Magallon, 1st runner-up; Kevin Bill Taongan, 2nd runner up; and Gil Michael Regalado, 3rd runner-up. Darreen Michael Chiu, "Senior Mr. LCHS 1998"; Jemuel Labradores, 1st runner up; Irvin Michael Kuan, 2nd runner up; and Katke Ong, 3rd runner-up.  Beth Baguio, "Senior Ms. LCHS 1998"; with Kathrina Alexis Lluch, 1st runner up; Myrlicar Migneonnette Dingal, 2nd runner up; Natalie Ong, 3rd runner up;  Jennilex Go, 4th runner up; and Diana Jean Lai, Alona Mae Uy & Karen Andrea Chua, as Princesses.

The winners later joined the parade around the city on their respective floats on November 12, 1998 marking LCHS's 60th Foundation Day.

The event was a huge success. The activity was made possible through the undying energy of the organizer,  Ms. Remy J. Alibangggo; Choreographer cum Director, Mr. Randy Salcedo; Pageant hosts, Mr. Anacleto Dolar and Ms. Megebeth Obina; the LCHS faculty & staff; parents and the participants.

The search for "Little Mr. & Ms. LCHS 1998" was an unforgettable experience for the students. The friendly competition has earned for them not only a deeper sense of self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence but also a new motivation for their respective talents. This sense of recognition goes a long way to boost their awareness of the fact that everything is possible with perseverance, hard work and belief in one's self.

Amateur Hour.  The centerpiece of the old Iligan plaza was the white kiosk, a hexagonal structure of massive concrete. No single edifice in the city could match the kiosk as the center of  free recreation for the masses.  Not a Sunday ever passed without an amateur singing contest staged on this spot by the only radio station in existence then, DXIC.  Having lived within earshot of the park, I grew accustomed to the repertoire of the same old songs dished out by the contestants week after week.  The amateur hour, with Orlando "Lani" Padilla as perennial host, introduced me to such songs of the era like Diomedes Maturan's God Knows, Johnny Mathis' A Certain Smile, and Jerry Vale's Go Chase a Moonbeam.  Every so often on occasions like this, I would sneak out of the house after a quick evening meal to merge myself shoulder to shoulder with the multitude of spectators. It was not really the sheer love for music that drew me into the multitude.  It was the adolescent thrill of rubbing elbows with some barrio lasses amongst the crowd that mattered.  Since then, whenever I hear the song "Go Chase a Moonbeam," what I would invariably conjure in the recesses of my Freudian fantasy was: "Go rub an elbow!"

Playtime at the Kiosk.  For many of us, it was the kiosk that was the vortex of our orbit. The grooves on its concrete floor served perfectly as baselines for our game of patintero (known elsewhere as tubig-tubig). The thrill of the game came when the more audacious playmates, hell-bent on advancing to the next base, would balance themselves precariously on the outer ledge of the kiosk, way beyond the reach of the opposite team. I tried to imitate the same feat several times, and promptly fell off to the ground below in just as many times.

The kiosk had a staircase each on its front and rear sides.  Its steps often served as race tracks for our home-made miniature wheels fashioned from used Marco Polo thread wheels. Gears were carved out of the two sides of the wooden thread wheel, one side of which had a piece of cut candle wax attached to it with a rubber band. The wheel ran like tractors when the rubber band had been recoiled with an attached nipa broom stick. A product of simple yet indigenous craftsmanship that we don't see anymore in this age of electronic gizmos.

A lesser known attraction of the kiosk was the balustrade of the staircase.  It was our favorite lounging place.  Kids like us often raced against each other to be the first to occupy the balustrade. The concrete balustrade provided cool comfort upon which we would lie around on our back to gaze at the stars on moonlit nights.

Iko & Maganda's Domain.  Underneath the kiosk was the basement that served as a favorite hideout in our game of hide-and-seek despite its awful stench.  But we soon steered clear of that site altogether.  Not because of the stench.  But because the basement had become a shelter of two of the town's hobos we knew only as Iko and Maganda.  Not a single soul in our group ever dared stray anywhere near the basement whenever the couple was holed up inside. It was, without question, their bailiwick. What could they be doing together in there?   We never knew. We couldn't care less. Besides, there were too many other things yet for us to discover, and many more innocent fun to explore in this carefree stage of our life.  Come to think of it, Iko and Maganda, too, were entitled to their share of fun at the park as much as anybody else. Paradoxically, their presence best defined the plaza's paramount reason for being: a haven for people from all walks of life.  (Next topic: The Rizal Monument)

This week's "Flashback" features a vintage photo of the members of Batch '69 taken during their Junior year at the Juniors Seniors Prom on Mar. 23, 1968 at the LCHS auditorium.