Vol. 6, No. 13, September 30, 2002
Noela Evangelista was crowned Miss Iligan at the Coronation Night of the fiesta celebration last Sept. 27. Noela bested twelve other candidates in the annual beauty pageant. The other finalists were Michaelyn Ledda, first runner-up; Wnyve Fontanilla, second runner-up; Larraine Lacida, third runner-up; and Marjorie Ong, fourth runner-up. Salemliza Tiu, daughter of LCHS alumna Alim Yap (Batch '55), was awarded the titles of Miss Great Smile and Miss Epiderm-A. Sexy movie star Joyce Jimenez graced the occasion and got the crowd roaring with her song-and-dance number. The macho crowd roared even more when she said, "Ang guapo-guapo pala ng mga taga-Iligan!"
Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visits Iligan
Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Iligan upon invitation of Mayor Franklin Quijano and other groups. The President inaugurated the newly constructed integrated bus terminal at Tambo, Iligan City and delivered the keynote address before the 2nd Mindanao Conference spearheaded by Suniel Lim (Batch ’66), president of the Iligan Bay Shippers Association Inc. In between the two events, she paid a visit to the St. Michael’s Church where it was reported that she donated one million pesos to the parish.
On the eve of the President’s visit, four kidnapped teachers were released by their abductors in Barangay Malaig in Balindong, Lanao del Sur, some 20 kilometers from Marawi City. Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo credited the so-called “tried and tested” formula for the safe release of the four Mindanao State University (MSU) teachers who had been held for 12 days by dismissed MSU security guards seeking restitution and reinstatement. Their demands were not granted, but local officials were said to have paid 200,000 pesos as a "board and lodging" fee to the kidnappers for the tutors' release. All the kidnap victims were presented to the President at about 2 p.m. at the tightly guarded National Steel Corp. ball field in Barangay Suarez here. She embraced them and held the teachers' hands as she spoke to them. They all shed tears. The President told the teachers, "We heard your pleas and responded by working double time to bring you home."
Fire hits Saray
A four-hour fire hit Barangay Saray near the port area in Iligan City on September 28, one day before the city fiesta, at around 4:30 in the afternoon. The flames brightened up the evening sky that was visible from as far as Kauswagan and left a swath of destruction in the area populated largely by squatters. The fire destroyed a Muslim mosque and more than 200 houses and shanties, leaving about 300 families homeless. The fire was put under control at around 8:30 in the evening by the combined efforts of firemen, policemen, volunteer firefighters and bulldozer operators. To prevent the fire from further spreading, Mayor Franklin Quijano ordered the demolition of some shanties and other structures. The mayor resorted to this drastic action because the fire bureau, being ill-equipped and undermanned, could hardly control the fire. The fire marshall could not yet ascertain the exact cause of fire and the amount of property damage. The site is located somewhere in the interior section along Cabili Avenue Extension at the back of Caltex gasoline station near the port area.
Suniel Lim leads Mindanao shippers confab
Iligan
City played host to the 2nd Mindanao Shippers Conference held Sept. 26-27,
2002 at the Maria Cristina Hotel. Spearheading the conference was
Suniel Lim (Batch '66), in photo, President of the Iligan Bay Shippers
Association Inc., which co-hosted the event together with the Iligan City
Government. The conference was attended by over 200 delegates representing
Mindanao-based shippers, exporters, and allied sectors in the shipping
community. No less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was on
hand to deliver the keynote address. Suniel Lim said that the conference
came about because of the efforts of Mayor Franklin Quijano who believed
that a viable shipping trade in the area would further spur economic growth.
Digital photo exhibit in Iligan
Mindanao Scoop editor Bobby Timonera, a photo hobbyist for almost two decades, is holding what is probably Mindanao's first one-man exhibit using digital photography. With his exhibit dubbed "PixelPerfect," which opened Sept. 14 at Tom's Diner along De Leon St., Bobby explores the limits of his amateur model point-and-shoot Olympus digital camera and used it for coverages and leisure trips all over Mindanao. The pictures in his exhibit are also available in his online gallery at www.pbase.com/timonera/ including those taken in Agusan, Siargao, Davao, Marawi, and Iligan. Bobby is a multi-awarded photographer and journalist. The exhibit will run until Oct. 14.
Dr. Ernesto Yu, a US-based photo enthusiast, who saw the exhibit on-line, remarks, "Just dropped by Bobby Timonera's website. I am so glad that he let us, outsiders, see the splendor of his exhibits without invading Iligan. I am still dripping in admiration. You should go and see his works. It is no wonder that such talented man lasted this long. The guy just "has it." Has means a photographer's eye!"
"It took me some years to be convinced to go digital; the still infant technology and economics being the main reasons, but it's actually more of the latter," thus writes Bobby in his article "How I was won over to the Dark Side" published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sept. 24, 2002. You can view this article at: www.inq7.net/inf/2002/sep/24/inf_37-1.htm. Bobby is also an editor and the webmaster of www.mindanews.com. He often conducts lectures on basic photography and journalism all over Mindanao. You can send your comments to: bob@mindanews.com.
Giant fish caught in Iligan
An
ocean sunfish (Mola-mola), in photo, considered the world's largest
known bony fish, was found lying on the shore in Iligan City by a fisherman
last Sept. 24. The dead female fish, measuring more than 2 meters
long and weighing about 800 kilos, was so far the biggest of its species
ever found in the country. The fish had no external wounds in the
body, according to aquatic scientists from the MSU-IIT. When they
skinned the sunfish, the scientists found that it bore 19 liters of eggs.
A female sunfish is capable of laying about 300 million eggs per breeding
season. Sunfish is found in oceans in tropical and temperate
climes, and is known to eat jellyfish, small fishes and algae. The rare
find created quite a stir among Iligan fisherfolks. It came at a
time when the city was in the thick of preparations for its city fiesta
on Sept. 29, prompting city residents to conclude that the discovery of
the giant fish will thus make this year one grand fish-ta celebration.
Tina
Te, 80
Tina Te, mother of Nida Te-Tejada
(Batch '74), passed away on September 17, 2002 in Iligan City after a lingering
illness. She was 80 years old. She was buried at the Iligan Chinese
cemetery on September 21, 2002. Tina Te was connected with Sen Chin
Bee Glass Ware and Gift Shop before it ceased operations. We request
our pious readers to pray for the eternal repose of her soul.
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Please extend our deepest sympathy to Nida and Family. --Loloy and Juanita Jo, Sabayle St., Iligan City, Philippines.
My heartfelt condolence to Nida Te and family. May God comfort and grant you peace at this difficult time of losing your mother. --Josefina Dy Salvador, 14 De Leon St., Iligan City, Philippines.
Our deepest sympathy to the bereaved Te family. --Melecia Dy Lamayan, Butuan City, Phhilippines.
Our deepest sympathy to Nida and Family. --Bonifacio and Virginia Te, Iligan City, Philippines.
Our prayers for her eternal rest. --Solomon Te, Iligan City, Philippines.
Roger Suminguit, Batch '73
Teachers' Day and other alumni tidbits
Last Friday, I was invited to an advance celebration of Teachers' Day at Alavar's Seafood Restaurant. When I came in, the teacher were already properly seated. The teachers in their beautiful and resplendent uniform so dominated the scene that Alavar's looked like a cafeteria within the LCHS campus. But it was not the way it used to be. When I was in grade school, we used to celebrate Teachers' Day every September 28 by bowing before the image of Confucius, the greatest Teacher of them all. After the ceremony, our teachers offered us Coke and siopao. But it was not the ordinary kind of siopao. It was the one-and-only special siopao prepared and cooked by the master chef of Canton Restaurant.
The affair was jointly sponsored by the alumni association and the parents-teachers association. The LCHS faculty and staff came in full force, headed by school principal William Payonan. Among the alumni who were present were: Henry Siao, Vy Beng Hong, Lilia Lua-Sy, Teresita Racines, Rodolfo Yu, Victor Chiu, Belinda Cu-Lim, Dominic Siao and others whom I can not recall since my mind was preoccupied with the arrival of Joyce Jimenez. It was a rare chance to catch a star!
After spending three or four months visiting her brothers Greg, Jesus, Johnson, Peter, William and daughter Josefiel in U.S.A. and Canada, Fe “Guat Ching” Quimbo came home at last. Many thought that she was not coming back since almost all her brothers have already taken roots in North America. And come to think of it, almost all families here have sons, daughters or relatives in U.S.A. That’s why I was not surprised to hear that Virginia, Teodora and Eugenio had joined their sister Charie Chin in El Monte, California, U.S.A. while their sister Teresita had joined her husband in Canada. Only Fernando, Lilia and Jesus chose to remain in the Philippines. By the way, Jesus Chin, a medical doctor, has a lucrative practice in Butuan City.
Seen
last Sept. 28 in Cagayan de Oro was Remedios Tan-Wee (Batch '64),
in photo. Remie received her third annual Philippine Airlines' Madayaw
Award for topping ticket sales in her Airtime Ticketing, Travel and Tours
based in Cotabato City. Joining her at the awarding ceremonies at
the Teak Room, Xavier Sports and Country Club were her brother Marciano
Tan (Batch '65), sister Ricarda Tan-Lee (Batch '66), sisters
in law Helenita Sim-Tan (Batch '68), and Vilma Tan
(wife of Timestocles Tan, Batch '69).
Class
'77: Our Silver Jubilee
Mon, 16 Sep 2002 16:23:07 -0700
It has been 25 years? Really? Gosh! I must have lost track of the time! Thanks to Roger Suminguit (Spectrum, Sept. 16, 2002) for waking me up! Hmmm, that explained why I'm seeing more and more silver highlights on my hair (friendly word for uban) -- you pluck it, it grows and multiplies! And those achy muscles when the weather changes (Gee! I'm starting to be like my mother: Salonpas sa ulo, buko-buko ug likod!), the flaring nostrils and panting while climbing stairs, those fine lines and laugh lines that won't go away despite using cleanser, toner and moisturizer twice a day, seven days a week, the need for bifocal lenses, the occasional "Ha? What's that again?" (take note I said "occasional," not "always," give me few more years Miracle Hearing Aid!), the rising cholesterol, wanting to stay away from the sun when I used to lay down on the beach for hours -- those were the days. Preventing age spots now is more important than being tan. I'd rather stay home than partying, I like quiet moments, classical, jazz and Christian music rather than phone calls (I mean, non-stop and looooong!), loud music, rock 'n roll, rap. Gee! I'm really getting old and over the hill, am I? Imagine, it has been 25 years ago when I graduated from LCHS!
I honestly didn't know for sure what I wanna be after high school. Did you? Of course, I wanted to go to college, but what course? My family encouraged me to take up Nursing. I said to myself: Can I make it? Good luck, Miss Procrastinator! I guess life is like driving a vehicle -- you move forward to reach your destinatioon. Along the way, there are stop signs, yield, school zones (don't you dare speeding up!), right turn, left turn, and sometimes detour. It's not a smooth ride all the time. There are surprises, and some of them are not pleasant. The reality about life is you can only try your best and hope. It's risky but you have to take the risk or lose a chance.
Here we are today, class '77, twenty five years later we left our Alma Mater. When we received our high school diplomas, our lives had just begun. We opened a new door and took the steps to what we have become: nurses, doctors, physical therapists, accountants, businessmen, etc. Some of us remained single while others are married and became parents. Living in today's world, raising a teenager, made me realize how blessed I was to have peers like you. We were a very good group of kids, none of us, as far as I know, were on drugs, smoking and drinking addiction problems. I must count my blessings growing up as a teenager with you all. Just like the old saying, "Tell me who's your friend, and I will tell you who you are." We had lots and lots of fun, many precious memories to cherish and share with our children and love ones.
A special "thank you" to one teacher I would never forget. Someone who inspired me, someone who believed in my potential, and chose me to represent LCHS in the Community Chest Speech Contest. That special teacher is Miss Bernarditta Aberion. Though I didn't win the first or second place, the experience was worth it. I didn't realize I could speak in public, that I do have a potential. One chance made a huge difference in my life. Now I'm not afraid to face anyone and speak up. I must say, as students, we are the clay, our teachers are the molder. Together we make a beautiful pot.
Twenty five years have past, our Silver Jubilee is here, and I am proud to be a part of it. My buddies, my pals, though I can't be there physically to celebrate this grand event on Dec. 30, I'm thinking of you guys and wish for the best! Cheers to Class '77! --Evelyn Yu Go (Batch '77), Texas, U.S.A., e-mail: ego@texas.net
It was a treat reading Spectrum's September 16, 2002 issue, featuring the reissue of Dr. Henry Yu's "The Big Four Movie Theaters" (Spectrum, July 13 & 20, 1998), reprinted side by side with Charmaine Molo's "Iligan's Movie Theaters -- An Update." For us the children of the 60's when there were no TV's in common households, and computer games were unheard of, the MOVIES were "it" on weekends. Those movie houses mentioned in the articles played a big part of our life story. Henry's feature article was great, and Charmaine made a great punctuation mark to the nostalgic theme! A counterpoint! Both were interesting read, and the "update" was particularly informative, well-researched and well-written, touching the history and present economic breath of the subject. Ah Charmaine, "Where have you been along the Spectrum's bantling years?" Well, what can I say about Charmaine's other article? The heading, "Siopao, Tarzan, and King Kong,"speaks for itself. Hahaha! --Rene Tio (Batch '70), Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, e-mail: fishers@cdo.weblinq.com
To anyone in Iligan who'd accidentally bump on Joyce Jimenez during the fiesta celebration, kindly tell her that I have changed my email address to Ernstyu@aol.com. I'm terribly sorry for all her emails that were left in my old mailbox unanswered. Anyhow, if I drop by Los Angeles, I'll make sure to give her a ring, assuming that she has retained the same cell number she gave me before when she came to Buffalo. --Ernesto Yu (Batch '65), Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., e-mail: Ernstyu@aol.com
Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69
Lessons about Friendship
The question: What do you call somebody who's an expert in friendship? The answer: Friendshipologist. Is there such a word? At the moment, none, but who knows in the future? Anyway, a friendshipologist could be defined as a person who's gone thru a lot of friendly relationships over the past several years so much so that he's learned the craft and have become expert in the art and technology of friendship.
In our many journeys in life, we get the chance to learn a thousand and one lessons about life and living, about friendship and other relationships. After all, life is a journey. And life is all about relationships. For this issue, let me just share with you some great lessons about friendship which I've personally learned thru the years:
1. In a lifetime, we come across a lot of friends. Some come into our lives on a "hello and goodbye"scheme while others stay with us for keeps, the so-called Friends For Life.
2. We've been looking and searching for the right friend. Finally we've found one. But the question is: Are we the friend he is also looking for in this lifetime? Are we looking at the same direction? We may be the right friends at a wrong time.
3. We get disappointed with a friend because we expect him to do this or to do that, not realizing that each of our friends has his own unique way of showing his brand of TLC.
4. As time goes by, we become more sensitive and easily get hurt when a friend does something not to our liking because by then we have already shared so much and each would have become a part of one another's life.
5. You don't have to be in touch with a friend physically all the time, but once you get together, make use of the chance while it lasts. No ifs, no buts. Just enjoy each other's company. Seize the moment.
6. In friendship, we choose the best out of the many choices, just like taking a multiple choice type of exam. But we are the only one who knows the right answer.
7. It takes two people to build and nurture a relationship in order for it to go, grow, and glow through the years.
8. If you want to keep a friend, then delete the words pride and expectation.
9. Anything in excess is no good. Show your love if you must, but reserve some suspense and mystery. The best is yet to come.
10. If you can randomly list down at least five real and true friends in a lifetime, then consider yourself lucky.
Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87
“Foreign” Accent
Every time I speak in Filipino (or Tagalog, as we normally refer to our national language), I usually get asked where I’m from. At first I was wondering whether they are referring to where I live, but no, they meant from which province am I from because I speak with this “foreign” accent.
For me this accent has always worked for me and not against me. I never have second thoughts about telling them that I’m from Iligan City. I’ve gained good and loyal customers because of my being a Cebuano-speaking person. I don’t know why but I still feel somewhat related to every Cebuano-speaking individual I meet. Be it the president of the Manila Chamber of Commerce or the driver of a certain Don Pakondo. Like I’d easily give special discounts to a kababayan. Or when hiring employees, between a Tagalog-speaking and a Cebuano-speaking applicant, given that they have equal qualifications, of course I don’t have to brain-storm as to who should I hire. It’s already a given that the kababayan would get the job. Even if he or she is from the far-flung island of Tawi-Tawi, as long as he speaks Cebuano, then he is the person for me. I know that this may sound so “regionalistic” but I just can’t help it.
I don’t feel insulted to be known and referred to as Bisaya. Unlike my helpers at home who’ll never answer me in Cebuano when we’re out in public. It’s like they are ashamed to be known as a promdi, as in "from the province." Which really irks me, aside from the fact that they are trying to denounce who they really are, it also means that I have to bear with their grammatically wrong Filipino sentences. (Aaaaargh!)
Although this accent can sometimes make my job more tedious. Like sometimes while I’m explaining something “serious” or “technical” to somebody, sometimes it’s frustrating to learn later that my litany fell on deaf ears. That the person I was talking to was focusing on my so-called “accent” and none of the “sales talk” I gave really made it through his brain. Because I’d be asked where I’m from rather than about the speaker systems that I have painstakingly differentiated to him just a few seconds ago. I’d end up talking about where I’m from and how did I get here. For them it must sound weird that after living here in Manila for 15 years I still sound very much a bis-dak (as in Bisayang dako).
At one time I was talking to a Mr. S, and when he noticed my “accent” he asked me where I’m from and when I told him that I’m from the waterfalls city of Iligan (said in the way those beauty contestants do), his eyes almost fell off their sockets because it turned out that he is from Cagayan de Oro. Wow! what a small world! (And, wow, how come he speaks in good Tagalog). Then as we talked some more I found out that we were in U.P. at the same time and his ex-girlfriend is somebody I know way back in high school. And who was my dorm mate during my freshman years in college. Now he is not just one of our customers but he is now one of our loyal “fans.” Even if he lives in the other end of Metro Manila he’ll make it a point to bring his car here, come rain or high waters (literally some times). And he even brings along some of his friends. (Which is good for the business, and saves me a lot on advertising.)
Another great Bisaya that I’ve encountered is the wife of our National Defense adviser. The first time she visited us, one of the first things she noticed was my “accent” and then I learned that she’s from Dipolog. (Wow, another sister in geographical sense.) Now whenever one of her grown-up kids needs anything for their fleet of vehicles, they’ll call us. It’s like we’ve somehow developed this understanding and trust just by the fact that we both speak the same language. Although, I still wonder how come she doesn’t have the “accent” that I have.
This “accent” of mine is the only one I know, and will be the only one I’ll have. It may sound foreign to some people around here but it’s something I’ll always be proud of. It’s something that speaks loudly of who I am.
Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch '65
Welcome to the Club
HAVE YOU? Have you ever been cautioned against indiscriminate gobbling of those enticing crispy scraps of a lechon in order not to mummify into a physical duplicate of Miss Piggy’s porky jaws bathed in pure lard? Has any girl slapped dead your flirtatious advances, smashing and numbing your ego in front of your fraternity brods to the point where your blushing face is distorted into facial blisters that resemble crumpled pieces of modern art? Have you hit the road like an under-medicated Mike Tyson, belching smoke in every pulsating orifice of your anatomy, because no one surrenders an extra meter to your antsy Toyota that is worming out of traffic jam in order to transport its yoga master to his relaxation class? Has your insatiable appetite, like habitual devouring of an entire small animal in one setting, slammed you into a frantic digging for pharmacological miracles for fatties? Have you been a captured audience in a tear-jerking romantic movie plot, managed to keep a dry eye at the end even if the downer sucked the life out of you? Have you ever had your ears in utter bloated state upon hearing about your spouse’s wild promise of a seven-course dinner, only to have your uncontained delight extinguished upon learning that the mystery of the special meal involves a hamburger and six cans of beer? With arched one eyebrow, have you smacked yourself in flights of daydreams, bundling all those stored missing you reverie and moments of forever that had you sipping the power of mellow dancing with your thought bubbles?
Ho-hum, welcome to the club.
NIGHT OWLS: This legion of night “stalkers” come in peculiar sizes, shapes and forms: petite, buffet-large, down-to-earth, hyperactive, cool, probing. Also, they exhibit nametags the likes of lowly tutor, brainwashing sergeant, chief negotiator, troubleshooter, mall rat. However they are wrapped and packaged, these stage moms and dads commune in one universal goal – to map out after-school plans for their kids, drilling them on the mechanics of the next day’s homework and exams. They dart an eagle eye on their nests, so to speak. They subscribe to the timeworn premise that dedicating an ear and a heart to your darling angels is a direct approach to calibrate the circuitry of the little voices inside their heads and indoctrinate the spongy minds with your philosophies and mottos in life. Actually, this is the ideal interval in the night to check over your prides’ scholastic progress and social adjustments. A major slice of emotional problems, either borne out of frustration over simple grammar goofs or out of the dime-a-dozen turmoil typical of growing up can be intercepted and remedied way before such mental chaos and temper tantrum escalate into irreconcilable differences. As the saying goes, “A mere tap on the shoulder can cure a lot of ills.” Listen, parents, if you belong to this society of night owls who, oftentimes, have to institute a martial law-kind of supervision and monitoring where the end justifies the means, consider yourselves accomplished elders. For others who wander like stray dogs in their family circles, the so-called strangers in the night, it is time to gingerly sprinkle with gushing enthusiasm some quality hours in your gene-carriers and grinds some amazing dreams for their future.
Make your kids an invigorating challenge to generate one of your greatest accomplishments.
(Part
11)
By Doc Bunz, Batch 1982
I like my hair cut short. I like to wear polo shirts (Giordano naman!) and maong pants. People who knew me know that I'm disguising my sexiness lest I'd be discovered by Viva Cinema, but people who don't know me would insist I'm a tomboy. I really don't mind. As far as I'm concerned, I looked like Marilyn Monroe or rather Joyce Jimenez. My husband also said so (he's been going to confessions too).
The other summer, I chaperoned my mom, Nang Eyay, to visit my father's only sister in Kin Men. I wore my usual polo shirt and maong pants but took extra effort to wear earrings to make me look feminine. One morning A-kou (my father's sister) and I went marketing and some people we passed by greeted us with the usual "bei lo chay-chi ba?" (going to market?) and "chin ku bu khuay-ki di?" (long time no see?), etc. Then there was this thin woman who obviously knew my A-kou very much, who asked "Aya! Di a-sun, o-ching hi-kaw, si la-meh a-si du-weh?" (Ayah! Is your pamangkin, with the earrings BOY or GIRL?) No! I did not choke the ke-po woman who couldn't see the female essence beyond my disguise! I just gave her my most alluring look, batting my eyelashes at her ... while A-kou was doubling up ... slapping her thighs ... laughing!
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King and Queen of a Passing Century
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967
Fun time during my childhood meant a trip to any of the three pioneering movie houses in Iligan. These were the Century Theater started by the late Alfonso Gaite, and King and Queen Theaters operated by the late Mariano Bagatan. Their movie houses were the original royal crowns of entertainment in our small community in the 1950s.
These movie houses were distinct from one another by the films that
they showed. Century Theater had Universal Studios, Columbia and 
Paramount
Pictures. Queen Theater carried 20th Century Fox and M-G-M, and King Theater
had Filipino films. It did not seem to matter in those days that
these movie houses had no air-conditioning system at all. Somehow
movie fans of all ages, unmindful of the combined humid stench of human
sweat and cigarette smoke inside the theaters, were content enough to have
been able to watch their favorite stars on the silver screen.
Of the three, Century Theater was perhaps the oldest. Made of wooden structure, it also had the least seating capacity. The orchestra section had wooden benches instead of individual seats. Despite its modest image, Century brought to Iligan many magnificent films of the era. Who can forget such screen luminaries as Gary Cooper in "High Noon" (1952), Audie Murphy in "To Hell and Back" (1955), Clayton Moore in "The Lone Ranger" (1956), Steve Reeves in "Hercules" (1957), or Kirk Douglas in "Spartacus" (1958)?
As a kid, going to the cinema was a luxury for me. In our household, movies were restricted to weekends and holidays. Which was why I always jumped at every single chance to see a movie whenever the opportunity arose, especially if it was for free. Century Theater was only a stone's throw away from the former residence of the family of Fernando Khu along San Miguel street. Every night the theater would open its balcony windows to allow more ventilation inside. So whenever my mother visited the Khus in the evening, I never failed to tag along. It was a joy for us kids to view even a small portion of the screen that was visible from the Khu's balcony. Occasionally we also enjoyed free entrance whenever a fellow named Juan would man the ticket booth while the regular ticket clerk was out for lunch. Maybe Juan, who was an errand boy of the Gaites, thought we were related to the Gaite family. Or he was simply lenient enough to exempt small kids like us from paying.
The Queen Theater, rising four storeys high along De Leon street, was Century's strongest competition. Its towering edifice was a landmark in its time. It had individual folding seats and better comfort rooms. It brought to Iligan many unforgettable movie classics, such as "Gone with the Wind" (1944) starring Clark Gable, "Samson and Delilah" (1949) with Victor Mature, "Ivanhoe" (1952) with Robert Taylor, "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1953) with Johnny Weissmueller, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959) with Pat Boone, and "Ben-Hur" (1959) with Charlton Heston, to name a few. Once in a while Queen also ran Chinese blockbuster films featuring notable stars like Lim Thai and Dy Leh Hwa, sponsored by the local Tsinoy community. Such occasions, however, were few and far between. Yet each such occasion was greeted like a big event. It is no exaggeration to say that each time a Chinese movie was showing, business in downtown Iligan would come to a standstill because all the Tsinoys in town were inside the Queen Theater.
There was a time in my youth when I used to slip inside the Queen Theater without paying, a misdemeanor done more out of childish mischief than economic necessity. I did so by pretending to browse pictures of forthcoming programs displayed on the board beside the entrance. I sneaked in whenever the ticket clerk was not looking. The experience itself offered an inexplicable kind of high. Until one time when I thought I had succeeded in my mischief. Shortly after I was comfortably seated the ticket clerk somehow caught up with me inside. She directed her flashlight on my face, yanked me out of my seat and sent me out of the theater. She threatened to call the cops if she ever catches me sneaking in again. I was so embarrassed that I never set foot in Queen Theater again for many weeks after that.
Of the three movie houses, King Theater occupied the least spot in my memory bank. Not one with the slightest appetite for local films, I seldom visited this theater. Among the few times I went there was to see Cecil B. DeMille's epic film "Ten Commandments" which was shown simultaneously with Queen Theater in 1956. And, well, the other occasions were during its showing of Stella Suarez and Divina Valencia movies. I hardly missed a single movie with either of them in the lead role. Never mind if their films, as with most other local flicks, were typically wanting in depth and substance. In their prime, Stella Suarez and Divina Valencia could steal the thunder from today's screen goddesses the likes of Ara Mina or Joyce Jimenez, pound for pound, flesh for flesh.
Those were the days when a nice weekend meant an afternoon in any one
of these three historic movie houses. To a small town like Iligan,
they were the reigning king and queen of a passing century.
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BATCH
1984
Elena Booc; Robert Booc, City Bakeshop, Quezon Ave.,
Iligan City, tel. 221-2653; Virginia Chan; Judith Chu; Gina
Chun; Panilo Docog; Willy Dy, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.,
e-mail: willycdy@houston.quik.com; Reynaldo Grepaldeo; Josefina
Guritan; Ester Lee, Manila Bazaar & Hardware, Iligan City,
tel. 221-3022; Maria Elena Siao, cor. 2nd & Palm Sts., Iligan
City, tel. 221-1414; Mary Jocelyn So, Iligan Denso Motor, Sabayle
St., Iligan City, tel. 221-5087; Edward Ryan Sy, Job's Commercial,
Quezon Ave. Ext., Iligan City, tel. 221-2762 ; Jose Tan Jr., #46
Seminary Drive, Pala-o, Iligan City, tel. 221-3361; Rogelio Jose Lee
Trinidad; Geraldine Yu (deceased); and Elaine Zabala.
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