Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School Vol. 4, No. 19, December 4, 2000, Iligan City, Philippines LCHS-AA DONATION Sodium light, digital phone for LCHS By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73) The LCHS-AA donated one set of sodium lamp lighting fixture worth about P10,000, and one digital telephone set (compliment of Samson Electrical Supply) to LCHS.  The donations were turned over to LCHS officials represented by Henry Siao, school director; and William Payonan, school principal, in a simple ceremony last Nov. 12. The turnover was attended by Arturo Samson, LCHS-AA president; Suniel Lim, GAH 2000 chairman; and Roger Suminguit, LCHS-AA acting secretary. The items were among the facilities purchased and used during the GAH on August 3-5, 2000. Alumni kid shines in Taiwan By Vinson Ngo (Batch '83) Kaitlyn Q. Ngo recently won the Mental Arithmetic and National Abacus Award in Taiwan.  She is the 6-year old daughter of LCHS alumnus Lyndon Ngo (Batch '82) and Vicky Que-Ngo of Manila. Kaitlyn spent her Nursery years at LCHS. The Ngos have lived in Taiwan since 1987.  Lyndon is a sales agent for Asia Pacific of a computer company in Taiwan. He also owns a trading outfit dealing in wheel casters. He is the son of former LCHS teacher Ngo Chin Bon.

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

Rodolfo Yu (Batch '69) has been hopping in and out of Iligan lately on a dizzying spree of speaking engagements.  He participated in the English Language Teaching Methodology seminar at the Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City last Nov. 16. He spoke at the CSC-ARMM Communication Skills Development Program, Iligan City, last Oct. 23-27; and the Technical Writing Seminar at Alsons Cement Corp. in Dalipuga last Oct. 19.  He was adjudicator in the recent Debate on Gender Issues at the MSU-IIT, and the All-Iligan Inter-varsity Debating Championships at the Iligan City National High School. He was also adjudicator at the 2nd Mindanao Parliamentary Debate Championships, Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City; and resource speaker at the Leadership Seminar for Rotaractors sponsored by the Rotary Club of Iligan-North. Rodolfo is an English instructor at the MSU-IIT.

This year's jubilarians: Batches '50 & '75
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)

Year 2000 is the year for Batch 1950 and Batch 1975 to celebrate their 50th and 25th Jubilees, respectively. And what better occasion to celebrate their golden and silver jubilees than this December?  This is the time for them to gather their batch mates and rekindle old memories of LCHS in the spirit of Christmas. Meanwhile, the LCHS-AA Christmas party is set on Dec. 30, 2000, at 6:30 p.m., at the LCHS gym. All alumni are invited. Attractive raffle prizes are at stake. Raffle tickets are now on sale. For more info, contact the ff. area coordinators:  Roger Suminguit, tel. 221-2422 (Iligan); Rene Tio, tel. 725-264 (Cagayan de Oro); Roderick Ngo, tel. 232-8281 or Charles O. Sy, tel. 412-4088 (Cebu).

LCHS-AA holds vigil for Andaquig

LCHS-AA officers and members held a vigil at the wake of the late Maria Andaquig, who died last November 16 in Iligan City. She was the mother of Aida (Batch '71), Alfredo or Hok Hay (Batch '72), Angelina (Batch '73), Jaime (Batch '75) and Jose (Batch '78).  She was laid to rest in Iligan City last Nov. 19.  Jaime Andaquig and his wife, Lolita Cabili-Andaquig (a CPA graduate of MSU-IIT), flew in last month from Australia to Iligan.

By Roger Suminguit, Batch 1973

Close encounters with alumni

My close encounters with our fellow alumni often come during special days, such as the city fiesta, All Souls' Day, a wake or burial. Moments like these usually offer the chance to meet many alumni we have not seen for years. Occasions like these give me the rare opportunity to exchange pleasantries with our alumni and obtain updates on information about them which I can share with our Spectrum readers. I always open the introduction with: "Have you visited our alumni web site?"

Last Nov. 2, I was able to meet Giovanni Co (Batch '71), a successful businessman in Cagayan de Oro City. Henry B. Lim (Batch '71), now also a successful businessman, runs a hardware store in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.  Henry's sister, Dr. Elvira Lim-Suezo (Batch '74), is a now dentist in CdeO.  Their family hails from Biga, Luga-it, Misamis Oriental.  Another successful alumna who is now residing in Zamboanga City is Gloria Quilat-Tan (Batch '73), of California Bakery.  Her sister, Leah Quilat, died a few years back. Two brothers are now residents of General Santos City tending a thriving piggery farm. Among Gloria's batch mates and close friends are Elaine Co-Bartolome, who is now connected with Maranao Telephone Co., Inc., Iligan City; and Arlene Co (Batch '72), who is now residing in U.S.A with her sisters, Sherly Co (Batch '70) and Elizabeth Co (Batch '64). Their elder sister Nelly Co (Batch '61) lives in Australia; she was in Iligan a month before the holding of our Grand Alumni Reunion. Two alumni based in Taiwan came home for a vacation recently.  They were Rodrigo Cayubit (Batch '69), of Patag, Manticao, and Remedios Suminguit-Shu (Batch '76). Aida Lim Uy (Batch '61), manager of Fortune Travel International, was in Sydney, Australia earlier this week.  She acted as travel guide for two basketball teams from the Philippines participating in the World Chinese Overseas Basketball Tournament held in Sydney.  Some 85 teams from all over the world took part in the tournament.

New alumni engineer
Thu, 30 Nov 2000 19:43:22 +0800

Our congratulations to new alumni engineer, Hilton Neil O. Sy (Batch '95), who recently passed the Licensure Board Examination for Civil Engineers given on Nov. 19, 2000.  Hilton is the son of Samson Sy and Aurora Ong-Sy (Dy Giok Hua), of Batch '66, sister of Mike Ong.  Aurora is a former Chinese Kinder-I teacher at LCHS. --Engr. Arturo G. Samson (Batch '59) & Eillen G. Samson, Iligan, Philippines

To Ernie Yu: I was impressed and touched by the revelation of your "warmth" side, in your last column ("The White Coat," Spectrum, Nov. 20, 2000). As they say, only the strong can afford to be gentle. Your hospital patients are in good hands, having you for a doctor who dispenses love that heals and warms the aching heart. There's a line that goes, "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you get out from this world, what matters is what you give. And what we can give that lasts is love." My best regards to you and Verna. --Meriam Tio, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, fishers@cdo.weblinq.com

I just returned from a 3-day convention in Angeles City. I am so grateful for your kind words, especially the support and concern you showed through the Spectrum. I am just lucky and blessed that my work throughout the years has been appreciated by my peers. But I would like to clarify that I did not go to Taiwan to seek higher education (Spectrum, Nov. 20, 2000). I graduated from Cebu Chinese High School (now Cebu Eastern College) in 1960, and proceeded to Manila to take a summer class at Chiang Kai Shek College, after which I went home to Iligan in June 1960 to start teaching at LCHS. Thanks again for your support. --Kho Siok We (Batch '57), Cebu, Phiilippines, ksw@pacific.net.ph

My heartfelt congratulations to teacher Kho Siok We for having been chosen as one of the "Outstanding Chinese Teachers" in Metro Cebu. Kho Shian, as I used to call her, was our neighbor across the old LCHS campus at Roosevelt Ext. She was my Chinese study tutor. I remember Ang Kaw as my classmate under her tutelage. For many years we were doing our homework at their house, until the whole Kho Family moved out of Iligan City in the mid-sixties. I remember her as patient, kind, and devoted to her career; and somehow, I got a lot of things to eat, thanks to her mom, during tutor sessions. The relationship of my family and hers was so close that we often shared foods, an express line from our kitchen to theirs, vice versa. Leisure time at night would be exchange visitations, sometimes in our house, other times at theirs. It seemed like my parents had so much to talk with hers, the typical provincial neighborhood. Indeed I missed them. In fact I was at a loss in my studies when they were gone -- I experienced a red mark in my school report card for the first time. The dilapidated house that still exists today brings out a lot of fine memories to me. Kho Shian, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, you have a part in molding what I am today, and for the wonderful memories of yesteryears in our neighborhood. --Rene Tio (Batch'70), Cagayan de Orro, Philippines, fishers@cdo.weblinq.com

I was a bit surprised to read my name in "Tracers" (Spectrum, Nov. 20, 2000). Thanks for the recognition. I just want to clear a bit of information. I'm not a computer programmer but an instructor at Silliman University. It's only a small thing but it might give some wrong ideas to our readers. Thanks again. More power to the Spectrum and see you soon at our alumni Christmas party on Dec. 30, 2000..  --Jonathan Mark Te (Batch '96), Dumaguete, Philippines, otan@eudoramail.com

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

It is daringly candid. But this evening, I counted the stars that glitter like a spill of diamonds in my heaven, in an awe-inspiring degradation of the sound of silence. Because Buffalo's early winter is all about fog and frozen drizzles, I didn't realize the sheer bliss of how the clouds, in edgy excitement, unveil the stage in the skies to showcase the troops of sparklers that punctuate the night and design a huge pool of wishing wells. This exquisite process grants me a limitless time to browse my gentler thoughts and to grind liberally a cycle of one whispered hope after another. A scent of freedom that acknowledges no set-limit when the mood is perpetually off-beat, rooted from a joyful quiver that seems to spin the world in the rattling glee of a packed merry-go-round.

However phrased, one thing is vividly delightful in my heart: If each of those twinkling beauties amplifies the muffled yearnings dangling in my tongue, another evening paradise would have waltzed away along ear-caressing symphonic echoes of undiluted, true romantic throbs. A Valentine story line that massages sensibilities and tame inner spastic chaos. After all, the sole glaring contrast between my morning and night is the sensory refreshment of knowing that as I park my exhausted muscles at day's end, addicts of stargazing convene in the same playground and reverie park, though in different time zones and varying hues in the half light of dusk, to trade shared silly sweetness and to mate mutually understood heart's dictates. Just the thought of drifting in the sticky-sentimental tune of "Forever Love" is sufficient kick to sleep with a wisp of smile playing across my face, a hypnotic fascination with essence that seethes through the sinuses. A prized intimate dubs this "a grin that stretches from ear to ear." An exhilarating whoosh. Positively tranquilizing. Like having a bundle of cooing passion cuddled under your favorite pillow case. Hmmm.

The imaginative half-baked poet in me once scribbled in a throwaway paper (Jeez, glad it didn't end up in the fireplace as a starter!): Rinse the night in wholesome smile/ Dare dream the impossible mile/ Light hours will fly without wings/ Till a new morning breaks to sing/ For love is love in any ways/ When endless is the word that sways.

Which morons claim that the night is devoid of a thousand eyes to fuel up the flight of escapist fantasies in boundless space? They only need to graft themselves in my brand of loveliness - so wanted and securely cared for - to sip the cascading lovely possibilities tucked in any given starry night. Free your life and spirit of extraneous drags. Do your arithmetic, my friends. While the stars above pump a dizzying array of undiscovered magic in your skies.

Bet you won't regret the impulse.

By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

It's going to be Christmas soon and one of the most popular figures that we see during this time of the year are the angels.  Those cute little cherubs that are supposed to be messengers from God sent to either bring us some news or just to guard us from all dangers.

Last November 29, my son had their bible day in school and they were asked to show up in any costume from bible characters.  So I asked him what he would want to be for that day, and he said without hesitation that he wanted to go as an angel.  My initial reaction was: "Ha! Eh, pang babae lang yon eh!".  I told him that angels are good only for girls. And knowing my son as he is, I know being an "angel" wouldn't fit his image. But my son said that angels couldn't be just girls.

Well, it's probably a case of "me and my big mouth" or something that backfired on me, because several years ago when he asked me what happens to us when we die, I told him that we become angels. I just couldn't explain it any other way.  Now he tells me that angels can't be all girls. He said that it's impossible that when a boy or a man dies that he becomes a girl. O nga naman!  How dumb of me. I felt stuck.  All I can do was laugh (nervously) and tell him that he's right.  For a minute I thought I wouldn't be able to wriggle myself out of that situation.  So instead of going into more details about something that I don't know much about, like the topics on death and angels, I just stuck to the issue at hand and that's the costumes for the 29th.  I just explained to him that the angel costumes in the malls were designed for girls and that he should just think of some other costumes. Whew! That was really close.  I was afraid I'd say something that would make the whole story even more complicated and I'd be bombarded with more why's and how's so much more than I could handle.

Well, what he said made me really think though.  It's like when we think of little boys, it always connotes samokan, trouble, mishaps, or simply little devils.  Now while thinking about my son's statement that "angels are not all girls," well, I guess my two little boys actually deserved more credit than what I've been giving them.  Like each night when they kiss me on both cheeks before they sleep or when they give me a tight hug or a "love-love," as they would call it, I know only angels would do such a sweet thing.  So I therefore conclude that Jacob's right after all, and that boys could be angels too.  So, during this Christmas season wouldn't it be nice to start seeing the good side in your little devils and treat them as little angels for a change?

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

Congratulations to Kho Siok We (We-Ya) and to Guardson Siao for winning their respective awards.  It is a good habit.

In the USA, the richest and most powerful country in the world, we vote on a Tuesday in November.  It has been more than two weeks since the presidential election and we still do not know who the winner is.  The manual recounts in the Sunshine State (Florida) may not settle this.  But I am not worried.  One man will be president and whether it is Gore or Bush, the country will survive and flourish.  This is democracy in action.

Most of us assumed wrongly that because we are the most technologically advanced country in the world, we have a standardized voting system.  Where you live determines whether you mail your ballot, punch it, touch a computer screen, or use a mechanical lever machine.  Most voters across the country still punch paper ballots, more than 25% fill in a circle, square, or arrow next to their choice of candidate on a ballot.

Chad Everett: the actor.  Chad: a branch of a language spoken in west central Africa.  And now the famous punched ballot chad: the paper covering the hole in the ballot card that a voter is supposed to perforate. A perfect chad is a detached piece of paper. From an imperfectly, not neatly punched ballot, there is the dimpled or pregnant chad, the hanging chad and the unpunched penciled chad.  In these cases, the punched paper is still attached to the ballot.  Is the latter a valid vote?  Yes, according to past rulings across the country.  This is not a new problem.

Thomas L. Friedman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times writes: "Who wins this election is not very important to foreigners because neither candidate has spoken to the world or about America's place in it.  But how they win, how the votes are counted and how the disputes are resolved is critical.  Because since the fall of the Berlin Wall more countries have moved toward democratic elections than at any time in history.  And in many cases, American democracy has been their model, and Americans have been enlisted as the monitors and arbiters of what constitute a free and fair election.   We can't blow that." (emphasis added)

Friedman continues:  "The only thing to do now is pray that this election is resolved, our institutions emerge unscathed and the winner emerges as a better man than the one who ran."  He characterizes both men as devoid of natural ingredients, as test tube candidates, produced by consultants with poll-tested positions geared to interest groups, but with nothing to say about America as a whole.

Amen.  Assume nothing, pay attention to details and till next time.

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

You've heard it. So have I. You sang it. So did I. Well, we were the graders of yesteryears who found ultimate pleasure and excitement with just the thought of the merry season spelled with capital letters C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S.  Yo! The CHRISTMAS ALPHABETS --- one of our old-time favorites that goes like this:

C –  is for the Candy trimmed around the Christmas tree
H –  is for the Happiness with all the family
R –  is for the  Reindeer prancing by the window pane
 I –   is for the  Icing on the cake as sweet as sugar cane
S –   is for the  Stocking on the chimney wall
T  –  is for the Toys beneath the tree so tall
M –  is for the Mistletoe where everyone is kissed
A  –  is for the Angels who make up the Christmas list
S  –   is for old Santa who makes every kid his friend

Yes, that was the Christmas when we were small and Christmas trees were tall. Today, as  adults, we have these to represent each of the CHRISTMAS ALPHABETS:

C – is for Calculator (The one we use to count/compute/calculate how much we're going to spend for this and that this season).
H – is for Health  (The one wealth to stay fit and enjoy the holidays).
R – is for Radio  (The one we listen to for some Yuletide chimes and rhymes, good tidings and cheers, radio ads, and more).
I – is for Internet  (The one we consult to choose from among the 101 designs of greeting cards to e-mail our friends and loved ones this season).
S – is for Savings Account  (The one we check on to get an update of how much more is there left with our 13th month).
T – is for Text  Messages (The ones we joyfully send to domestic friends and loved ones).
M – is for Memories  (The reminiscences of things, faces, and places that were once upon a time parts of our colored past).
A – is for Angel (The special guardian to whom we pray for guidance night and day).
S – is for Spectrum (The newsletter that makes us so near while apart).

Then there are the different virtues of the season: Charity, Humility, Reverence, Infinity, Sincerity, Thanksgiving, Mercy, Appreciation, Sharing.

May we all have these deep in our hearts not only this Christmas but throughout the year.  Have yourself a healthy and virtuous Christmas. Cheers for the season!
 

TRIVIA

Q.  Why do we say "it's raining cats and dogs" when referring to a heavy rain?
A.   Houses in the old days had thatched roofs.  Thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath.  It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets -- dogs, cats, and other small animals, mice, rats, bugs -- lived on the roof.  When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.  Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
Q.  Every Iliganon is familiar with a character in Iligan popularly known as Porong.  What is Porong's full name?
A.  Find the answer, including a rare photo of Porong, in next issue's "Trivia."

THE GHOST
By Kirk Patrick Ang
Grade Six, LCHS

One dark night,
I saw something that gave me a fright.
One that I shall never forget,
Nor will I ever regret.

I saw a ghost!
That made me froze ...
He seemed to float in the air,
But I did not care.

It was covered with an eerie glow,
That nearly stopped my blood flow.
Its fiery eyes
Drowned my cries.

Its eyes had a hypnotic stare,
And it resembled a menacing glare.
He stood still ...
He gave me a cold chill.

As I was about to shout,
It reached its arms out!
He moved forward as if to grab me,
But, as I turned to flee ...

The ghost vanished,
As if banished
I stood there motionless
And helpless.

My mind is not clear,
Because of my greatest fear
And I died of fright,
On a dark cold night.

My pursuit of writing as an avocation over the last 30 years has brought me pleasurable returns in many forms. One of them is the pleasure of rubbing elbows with celebrities.

When I was working with a bank in Cebu in 1976, a friend sought me out to help him do a series of press releases for a concert. He was bringing in an international recording star for a concert in Cebu. The part time job offered a diversion from the drudgery of banking work. I accepted it and got the chance to meet and interview the celebrity at the pre-concert press conference. The star was Matt Monro.

In 1977, Jose Mari Chan staged a concert in Cebu with a group of young talents who were just starting to carve a name for themselves in the music industry. I got to meet all of them up close. I was tasked to do a series of feature articles on the group as part of the media blitz. That paved the way for me to talk shop with Jose Mari Chan and the whole ensemble during luncheons and brainstorm sessions. Among those in the group were Celeste Legaspi, Basil Valdez, Tellie Moreno, Richard Tann, Hadji Alejandro, and Pabs Dadivas. They later formed the core of what was to become one of the country's widely acclaimed singing groups in the 70s, the Circus Band.

Around that same year, I got a call from a friend who was producing a big concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. Would I be available to be a part of the bandwagon? With free air fare, 5-star hotel accommodation, and the chance to meet an international star in person, how could I have refused? So off I went to become part of the PR corps. I got the choiced seat at the concert and the chance to hobnob with the star of the show, Helen Reddy.

Through the years, my writing stints in the PR circuits and a few years' stint covering the night beat for a Cebu newspaper ushered in many such pleasant social interaction with other celebrities, the likes of Patty Austin, Joey Smith of the Juan de la Cruz Band, Julius Obregon, Tessie Tomas, Coritha, Gary Lising, and Ramon Jacinto & the Riots, not to mention the talents in Cebu's entertainment scene.

Having also done innumerable speeches and emceeing scripts for a number of friends, I tried getting into the front act myself. The exercise proved fruitful as well. A friend had invited a young Cebu talent to sing at his wedding and asked me to be the emcee to formally introduce the then unknown talent at the reception. The star was Marilyn Reynes.

One emceeing stint soon led to another. I eventually found myself hosting programs at wedding receptions, conventions, induction ceremonies, beauty pageants, inaugurations, and assorted social functions. These chores offered yet another occasions for me to mingle with stars. As a PR sidekick of a new piano bar, I held pep talks with guest performers Jacqui Magno and Lourna Pal, both of whom I was to present at the pub's opening night. At a Toastmasters convention, I was called upon to introduce yet another rising child star to the public, then known only as Sharon Magdayao. She would grow up in later years to blossom into a popular movie celebrity in Philippine stardom with the screen name of Vina Morales.

Such are parts of the fringe benefits one derives from writing, either as a hobby or as a career. With the right stroke of the pen, it can bring one close into the center of the limelight.

Now if only I can sing.
 

LCHS ALUMNI DIRECTORY (1st of a Series)

The LCHS-AA, in coordination with the Spectrum, is currently updating its alumni database -- in preparation for distribution in the next GAH. The directory is presented here by batches, based on initial inputs. If you have any correction or additional data, please e-mail the Spectrum at: charlesy@cnms.net.

BATCH 1955
Christopher Chua Teck An, Iligan Denso Motor, Sabayle St., Iligan City, tel. 221-1204; Loreta Co, U.S.A.;  Dy Shik Din, Robert Commercial, Aguinaldo St., Iligan City, tel 221-3331; Alita "Chiao Hua" Dy (deceased); Leonardo Go, Oroville Commercial, Cagayan de Oro City; e-mail: requimgo@mozcom.com; Ngo Pek Sing (deceased); Evelyn "Bee Ling" Sy (Wee), Cotabato Centerpoint Inc., Cotabato City; Cresencio Tan (deceased); Alim Yap (Tiu), Gusa, Cagayan de Oro City, tel. (8822)-732-978; and Asim Yap (Lim), Bayugan Pioneer Marketing, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, tel. (085)-830-1106.  (Next issue: Batch 1956)