INTERNET NEWSLETTER OF THE ALUMNI OF LANAO CHUNG HUA SCHOOL
Vol. II - No. 35, December 14, 1998, Iligan City, Philippines
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Christmas party Dec. 30 It's all systems go for the LCHS Alumni Association annual Christmas party to be held at the LCHS gym on Dec. 30, 1998. Alumni officers, headed by president Arturo Samson (Batch '59), are putting the finishing touches to weeks of preparations to ensure an evening of fun and get-together for all alumni. An array of raffle prizes, with a 27" color TV set as the major prize, awaits lucky ticket holders. Raffle tickets, priced at only P100 each, are now on sale. They are available from any of the alumni officers. Proceeds of the ticket sales are intended for the LCHS-AA Scholarship Fund. All LCHS alumni are invited to attend the affair. LCHS
studes attend debate seminar
Students of LCHS are sharpening their skills in the art of debate. Selected student leaders from LCHS participated in the 1st City-wide British Parliamentary Debate Seminar Workshop held at the MSU-IIT last Dec. 5. Representing LCHS were Joseph Letigio, July Ng, Jean Haydee Wang, Jane Dale Racines, Sharon Sy, Jerumae Lee, Sheila Vy, and Cheerine Dy. The seminar was sponsored by the MSU-IIT Noble Debating Society. |
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Ben "Ka Eng" Salibo, 62, husband of LCHS alumna Maria Uy, passed away on Dec. 8, 1998 in Iligan City. He was laid to rest last Dec. 10. Ben and Maria own the Kiwalan Electrical & Construction Supply at cor. Labao and De Leon sts. Maria is the sister of Glicerio and Lalita Uy, et al.
New Iligan home page
A new web page on Iligan City has recently been set up on the World Wide Web. The sleek web page, dubbed "Iligan City Home Page," is created by Iligan journalist Bobby Timonera. It offers a powerhouse of interesting information about Iligan. The site also features an array of highlights on the city's history, landmarks, photo gallery, list of Iliganons on the Internet, plus a host of other significant materials. Check it out on this URL: http://www.iligan.nu/
Congrats
to the Siao family
Fri, 4 Dec 98 17:55:59 MST
I was excited to read the news about the Siao family's triumphs in your last edition of the LCHS Spectrum (Dec. 7, 1998 issue). I would like to extend my congratulations to Mark Siao and birthday greetings to Siao Cheng Tin. The Siao's were very generous to me during my stay in Iligan. Congratulations!
Susan Kennedy Jensen (Batch '94), Provo, Utah, U.S.A.
susanjensen@usa.net
When a person becomes a Christian, he sees to it that he is a Christian not only in name, but also in deeds. He remembers always his commitment to God Almighty. He forgets his victory and failures; he releases them, then presses on with his work. That is the real and growing Christian.
Jeanne Nacague Te, Iligan, Philippines
By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch
'65
It's astounding how the Fuente Osmeña rotunda has preserved its distinct status as a fertile ground for exercise-obsessed vertebrates. So far, two mammalian species have been spotted loitering around this landmark park: The restless young who lights and extinguishes annual candles for a birthday bash and the forever-dreamer tribe who chews on the perception that numerical age can be frozen by ceasing to observe such anniversary. The historical site is a heavenly paradise to a multitude of anatomical denominations: jogger, rollerskater, Tai-chi buff, chatterbox and, yes, the perfumed body that peddles wordless, sweaty gymnastics. What is doubly staggering is the refined skill of power walkathon fanatics who, swinging wildly both arms and legs, never tilt their grips on the buttered popcorn and diet Coke that they simultaneously gobble as they pound their muscles into dust. Indeed, a fascinating exhibit of poetry in motion. This solidifies the theory that speeding one's heart pacer will incite stomach grumbles and rebellion. Incidentally, there's a good margin of safety in assuming that those balut vendors who stretch their vocal cords and stress their ankles to the max are speedy Gonzaleses who are into total body shaping.
I'm stroking the peak of the bell curve for feel-good ethnic calories: atis, durian, mango and maruya. These fiber-rich chewables have been staples in my daily bread for the last five days. All these "see-food" diets make me long for the bloody, juicy American steaks. Worst, these no-work mornings are resetting the harmonious chemistry of my psyche. I sincerely miss the Buffalo job that piles disabling years to my spine. Guess I'm soaked to saturation point on beach water, sunshine, karaoke ... Hmmm, come to think of it, I have not yet sampled an authentic steamed siopao and slurped ube ice drop, and have not discovered the Filipino cinema bedroom-ballerina, Rosanna Roces.
Thank goodness, I still have a week to recalibrate my appetite center and to tickle my stores of testosterone. Consequently, the saucy and fleshy cliff-hangers of my travelogue series will be next in line after the Christmas holiday issue. For now, invest some quality hours in church. Iron out your soul and leave a clean space for some mild, sinful narratives that I plan to sprinkle in your sacred world by the advent of 1999. Abangan!
By Leonardo
"Eddie" Tan, Batch '66
Our second day was spent touring Toronto. We had an hour's drive and arrived at the Queen's Quay where the vehicles were parked. Then we took a double decker tourist bus which the locals call the "trolley." With our original eight plus our two tour guides, Josie and Tessie. The bus driver also acted as the conductor and at the same time the commentator. He was perhaps in his early sixties and was so happy to welcome us aboard his bus which was otherwise empty. We paid him and my sis-in-law with Al and their 3 kids got the family fare. My wife and our 2 guides were classified as bold and beautiful. Next he looked at my mom-in-law and me and automatically said: "plus 2 senior citizens." I was about to protest. But for a few dollars less, I didn't mind adding some years to my age!
Toronto is now Canada's biggest city. It clinched the title from Montreal, Quebec some years ago when the French speaking Quebecois started talking about independence. It triggered an exodus of company headquarters such as banks, insurance and other multi-national conglomerates to relocate to this city. And since then Toronto has been growing to its present glory. The central business district of this city is so vast, it's about 4 times the size of Sydney's CBD. This is also known as the Hollywood of the North as more and more movies are being filmed here instead of New York. It has a very large Chinatown. This is the favorite place for the new Hong Kong migrants to settle. Our bus tour terminated at the foot of CN Tower - the tallest structure in the world. We were tempted to go up to top observatory deck of the tower. But the ticket was exorbitant at $24 (Canadian). Anyway we already saw a better bird's eye view of the city when Air Canada gave us an extra 15 minutes circling around the other night! At the corner, a few rickshaws were parked. They charge $3 per person per block. The kids were thrilled to try it and the guy pulling the 2-wheeled transport was kind enough to give the kids a ride around the block. About 15 minutes later, my sis-in-law was glad to see her youngsters back. She paid him $9. But sorry it was $36. Why? Because a block had 4 sides and it was $3 per one side of the block! That was unbelievable. Cousin Josie then started her verbal machine gun. A compromise was reached at $18! Josie is an architect but I thought she would be a good barrister for sure. We then toured the city's pedestrian walkways which were the interconnecting networks of underground tunnels with shops along each sides which is very essential during winter time. In one of the entertainment venues we passed by, Celine Dion's name hugged the entrance. She had a show there and the tickets were sold out months before. The Canadian diva whose songs still go on captivating the hearts all over the world.
We had dinner at a Chinese buffet again. We were later joined by another cousin Dickson with his wife and their hyperactive young son. They are recent migrants to this city. They even came to Josie's house to have more talks with their Aussie relatives. My wife slept late as she was busy packing up for our next destination which was Edmonton, Alberta.
By Aurora H. Tansiokhian, M.D.,
Batch '58
I believed in Santa Claus till I was 7 or 9 and in many ways I still do.
Is There A Santa Claus?
(This famous editorial first appeared in the New York Sun, September
21, 1897)
Dear Editor:
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there
is no Santa Claus. Papa says “If you see it in The Sun
it's so”. Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
--Virginia O’Hanlon, 115 West 95th Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thanks God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Things
to watch
"When we are alone, we have our thoughts to watch;
when we are in the family, our temper;
and when in society, our tongue." -- By Charles Kingley, as
quoted by Alfred Lai II (Batch '89)
Jokes
from the Internet: Army of the Lord
A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always was to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside. The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor." Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service." -- Contributed by Larry Sy (Batch '72), Burnham, Ill., U.S.A.
Remembering the Old Plaza: Tragedy in the Park
(Final Chapter)
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967
The Shed. Situated on the west end of the old Iligan plaza facing the Iligan police headquarters was another structure: A pavilion of sorts that served more as a waiting shed than anything else ornate. Here was where we sought shelter after play. The shed's twin columns provided the perfect places on which to lay our back for a much needed breather. This cozy nook in the park often came alive when people gathered in late afternoons for a variety of board games like chess, dama, or cards, games that we regarded then as too sedentary for our seemingly inexhaustible energy.
Shoeshine Boys. Perhaps about the only stationary activity in this section of the park that caught our fancy was the shoeshine business. It was here that we picked up our lesson in shining shoes by watching the shoeshine boys perform their trade every afternoon. The exercise so fascinated us that we soon found ourselves fashioning our own shoeshine paraphernalia at home complete with shoeshine box, shoe brush, shoe polish, worn out t-shirt cloth, and "Venus" coloring powder. Though we never exactly ventured out of the house to ply our newfound trade, we were content to have our entire household as captive market.
Such were the episodes we shared together at the old plaza. It's ironic that for such a landmark that withstood the great earthquake of 1953 and survived the big fire of 1957, it took only a mere act of man in 1965 to vanish it from the face of the earth.
Tragedy in the Park. I remember the day they tore down the plaza. I was walking home with classmate Rudy Co after a movie at the Century Theater. Demolition work on the kiosk was in progress. The work was performed manually with workers chipping away at the massive structure piece by piece with ball hammer and crowbar. As we were about to cross over to the plaza along what was then Washington Street, a concrete column of the kiosk suddenly toppled over and pinned down a worker chipping the base of another column. Two other workers rushed forward to lift the column. But their efforts were in vain. The column was huge and too heavy to budge. We saw the felled worker cough a few times until blood oozed from his mouth and nose. His face turned bluish as he lay still until he perished shortly thereafter. We stood there facing the grim spectacle, stunned, speechless and shattered by the impact of the morbid turn of events. I went for days nursing a lost appetite.
The freak accident marked a tragic end to a park that had bestowed so much joys on the community through the years. That it had to conclude its existence with a casualty is indeed unfortunate. What is even more tragic is that, in the ultimate analysis, it is the city of Iligan that is the bigger casualty with the loss of a such a historic and treasurable landmark.
This issue's "Flashback" features vintage photos of the LCHS alumni
Christmas party held on Dec. 30, 1968 at the old LCHS auditorium (Photos
by Suniel Lim, Batch '66).
Christmas Party '68
RAFFLE TIME. Key alumni
officers, Richard Sy, Sy Beng
Gui, Maning Gaite and Christopher
Chua, announce
the winners of the raffle
draws.
THE SPECTATORS.
Watching from the sidelines among
the crowd at the party:
Bonifacia Co, Khu Chay Tin,
Francisco Co, and Romulo
Tiu.
TOP HONCHOS. Top honchos
of LCHS alumni observe the party from
their vantage point near
the stage: Richard Sy, Bebencio Palang, George Po,
Carlos Dy, Sy Beng Gui,
Rudy "Waya" Te, Lorenzo Go, and Maning Gaite.