Vol. 8, No. 22, Feb. 28, 2005

More working committees have been formed by the LCHS Alumni Association in preparation for the 2nd LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming (GAH2005) set on July 7-9, 2005.  Named chairpersons of the different committees by Steering Committee Chairman Suniel Lim during the board meeting last February 8 were:  Dir. Teresita U. Racines, finance committee, assisted by 1st VP James Booc; PP Vy Beng Hong, solicitation; Dir. Chester Dy-Carlos, raffles; Dir. Roger Suminguit, secretariat; Dir. Glenda Sy-Cabilan, program & invitation, assisted by Dir. Rodolfo Yu and Fe D. Quimbo; and Charles O. Sy, documentation.  More committees are expected to be formed in the next board meeting slated on Feb. 22.   Meanwhile, the LCHS-AA, during its regular meeting on Jan. 18, 2005, acknowledged the exemplary efforts and personal services of Dir. Teresita U. Racines and Belen C. Racines (wife of Julius Racines, Batch ‘69) who contributed greatly to the success of the alumni Christmas party.  They were the two women behind the preparation of the superb stage decoration which served as the centerpiece of the Christmas bash.

Alumni Foundation nets P150T

The Christmas raffles launched by the LCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. during the alumni Christmas party last Dec. 30 netted the sum of P150,280.39.  Out of 400 booklets printed, 309 booklets and 9 pcs. were sold.  It was noted that the revenues from the Christmas raffle have been steadily increasing due to the support of alumni in Iligan and abroad. The raffle project was intended for the benefit of the LCHS Scholarship Fund. The bulk of the ticket sales came from the merchandising agents of suppliers in Cebu & Manila of our alumni businessmen.  LCHS Alumni Foundation president Dy Sio Te handed over P50,280.39 in cash donation to LCHS alumni president Henry C. Dy.

Gateway to Kinmen Iligan Tsinoys who have visited their ancestral homes in Kinmen, ROC, should be familiar with this sight. Just like the welcome arch in Binondo that serves as entrance to Manila's Chinatown, this prominent landmark, called the Arch of Chastity, greets visitors as they set foot in Kinmen.  It is located in the Jincheng Township of Kinmen. The Cebu Kinmen Association is in the process of organizing a group tour of Kinmen. Schedule of the trip will be announced as soon as it's finalized.

Candungo-Suminguit Nuptial

Roy Cadungo tied the knot with Ann Jeremy L. Suminguit (Batch ’95) last Jan. 18 at the Hall of Justice before Judge Maximo Ratunil of RTC Branch 2.  Ann Jeremy obtained her degree in B.S. Computer Science at Iligan Medical Center College. She is the eldest daughter of Romeo Suminguit (Batch ’73) & Mely Lagrosas-Suminguit and the niece of Spectrum editor Roger Suminguit. The groom is from Tubod, Bara-as, Iligan City.

Uy Chiu King, 70

Uy Chiu King, also known as “Entoy,” died at the age of 70 in Iligan City. He was the husband of Remedios Ong-Uy (Batch ’59).  He was laid to rest on February 15, 2005. The Uy family formerly owned the Sto. Nino Shell Gasoline Station at Mahayahay Hi-way, Iligan City and later retired and went into agri-farming at Sitio Olas, Brgy. Tipanoy. The family has a mango orchard, different varieties of fruits trees and 4,000 heads of egg-laying chickens in their farm.

Email from Florida
Mon, 31 Jan 2005 23:48:18 +0000

Our fervent prayers and deep sympathy to the Uy family for the loss of a love one.  By the way, it's nice to see the faces of Toto Samson, Igdono Caracho, Glenda Siao Lim, & Henry "Boy" Yu (Spectrum, Jan. 31, 2005 issue).  The same familiar faces that I used to know.  Nothing has changed inspite of time.
--Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65), Miramar, Florida, U.S.A., email: alpacino_8@hotmail.com

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

YEAR OF THE ROOSTER.   The LCHS-AA officers and directors got together to celebrate the Chinese New year last February 13 at the residence of alumni president Henry C. Dy. The traditional celebration was also held to give honor and accolade for the accomplishments of alumni officers at the LCHS-AA Christmas Party held last December 30. As in previous years, the dinner consisted of lumpia chay & ngokong soup.  Lumpia chay was prepared by PP Dy Sio Te and ngokong soup was prepared by Eillen G. Samson and PP Arturo G. Samson.  It was indeed a fitting celebration of the Chinese lunar new year.  Welcome to the Year of the Rooster!

LION DANCE ROARS ON IN ILIGAN.  The annual traditional Lion Dance once again roared in Iligan City.  The LCHS Lion Dance Group went around the city and entertained establishments of the Chinese-Filipino community for two days last Feb. 8 and 9. Two sets of Lions danced their way to the sound of drums, cymbals and fireworks.  LCHS school principal William Payonan and school faculty led the Lion Dance team. This activity is fast becoming quite an attraction as many folks in Iligan rarely see such a unique cultural presentation in the city.

PRETTY VISITORS.  Two pretty visitors from Canada swooped down on Cebu and cast quite a magical spell around town with their charm last week. They were Princess Melody Dy (in photo, on the left) and her friend Janet Yee (in photo, on the right), who arrived from a vacation in Bangkok, Thailand. Melody is the daughter of Peter Dy (Batch '66) and Tita Dy.  A chemical engineer by profession, Melody is connected with a large chemical company in Edmonton, Canada.  Janet Yee, a Chinese-Canadian, is a dental assistant in Edmonton.  The two vacationing pretty girls were later joined by Peter Dy who sailed to Cebu last Feb. 15 to accompany the two young ladies on a tour of the city.  "Tracers" heard that the two young ladies attracted quite a trail of admirers while in Cebu. Maybe that's what kept our good friend Peter Dy constantly busy as their official chaperon.

CEBU KINMEN BASH.  The Cebu Kinmen Association held a successful lauriat luncheon party last Feb. 13 at the Cebu Grand Convention Center. The party was in celebration of the Year of the Rooster.  The highlight of the affair was the induction of the Association's new officers headed by Delfin Ngo, of Golden Island Commercial, as president.  Among some of the familiar faces spotted at the party were Dy Tiao Un, Sy Chu Tek, Nelson Sy, Dy Kim Seng, Jesus "Hesing" Dy together with his wife Melania, and Calix Tan who happened to be visiting Cebu on that day.

NEW LANDMARK IN ILIGAN.  There's a new multi-million attraction in Iligan. It's called the Celebrity Dome, a huge social hall that has just opened for business last January near the Cheradel Suites in Pala-o.  Owned and managed by Raul "Elvis" Deleste and Cheryl Deleste, the new landmark, with a gigantic and elegant dome as its centerpiece, has a large auditorium with a seating capacity for 500. This is the city's newest place for big social functions like wedding receptions, conventions, grand balls, and other big events.  "Tracers" heard that the place is already booked solid throughout the next two months.  The place also offers catering service for a minimum of 200 persons.  This could also be a fitting venue for the grand ball of our Grand Alumni Homecoming in July this year.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.  Last February 13, Remedios Suminguit-Hsu and husband Wen Kun Hsu, together with their lovely daughter Joan, flew in from Taiwan for a two-week vacation. The trip included a 4-day stay in Cebu City, another 4 days in Siquijor Island, and 5 days in Iligan City where they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary at Betsy Best Restaurant. Among their guests were their ninongs and ninangs, PP & Mrs. Christopher “Tek An” Chua, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sy, and Mr. & Mrs. Fred Lai. Several relatives, friends and guests were also invited to grace the affair.  At the dinner reception, yours truly delivered the opening remarks with emphasis on the meaning of love as the occasion falls on the month of love.  The Valentine’s Day celebration highlighted the real meaning of love, its value, and the need for understanding, patience and respect.  Thus, yours truly enjoined the couple to dedicate another 10 years and beyond to continue the relationship "till death do them part" (parang Tagalog movies & Dreamboy episode) while PP Christopher “Tek An” Chua was all smiles at the presidential table. Maybe he has something in his mind.  The couple sliced a piece of cake and fed each other as a symbol of their love & affection.  Thereafter, PP & Mrs. Christopher “Tek An” Chua, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sy, and Mr. & Mrs. Fred Lai joined in and fed each other with pieces of the cake as a symbol of renewing their love, reminiscent of the moments of their own weddings some years back.

NEW FAMIMLY MEMBER.  Stephanie Guiluriza-Suminguit, wife of Jan Michael Lagrosas-Suminguit, gave birth to a healthy baby girl last Feb. 15.  Jan Michael is the eldest son of Romeo Suminguit (Batch ’73) & Mely Lagrosas Suminguit.  Jan Michael finished his college at MSU-IIT with a degree in Engineering Technology-Metallurgical. The couple met each other in MSU-IIT.  Stephanie is from Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Michael John L. Siangco, Batch '96

I have always been a movie buff. I go to the movie house even if I still have a pile of work to be done. I still rent DVDs and VDs even if I dont have the time to watch them. Although my favorite movie genre is horror, it would be irrelevant to talk about gory scenes this month. Since it's the month of February, let me share to you some movies which moved me somehow (even if I don't have a love life).

When I was in high school, I have always thought that "Far and Away" was a classic. Set on the 1980s Oklahoma land rush, the story was about two Irish immigrants who fought their way not only to the land of the promise but also to each other's hearts. Another love story which I considered to be a classic is, of course, the "Titanic." The movie was as big as the ship itself. The love depicted was even more. Jack and Rose became household names. One of my most unforgettable scenes in the movie was when Rose realized that Jack already died. She could already hear the lifeboats then when she tried to wake Jack up. Seeing him submerged into the Atlantic Ocean, she thought of dying as well. However, she took the opportunity to live again, this time as a new person. She only had the memories of Jack, but those were her strength to start again.

More recently, there was another movie who became a phenomenon here in Asia. Of course, it came from the land of the melodramatics, Korea. I am of course talking about "The Sassy Girl." I was in China when I first saw that film. It was your typical love story, it was even outrageous at some points, but as the story progressed, you would be surprised on how everything turned out. Maybe another strongpoint in this movie is the combination of funny moments and a subtle yet very intriguing storyline. After watching the movie, I actually became interested in Korean cinema.

Then finally, I have "The Notebook." It was my friends who told me to watch this film. They told me that it really moved them. I searched the film in the net and found out that it was really interesting. So I watched it and I was inspired by the love that the movie had depicted. Amidst hopelessness and old-age, it was their love that stood out.

Hopeless romantic, eh? With the limited movies about romatic love that I've seen, I guess my list is really incomplete. But whatever movie it is, it always depends on the viewer if he is affected or not.

So, I suggest you watch the films and be the judge yourself. Faster, February only has a few days left.

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

The thought of Valentines always brings back memories of those times in our life when we were young and carefree and starting to have attractions to someone whom we considered special.  Having crushes or being infatuated or attracted to someone is but a natural feeling, part of one's metamorphosis. Adolescence is such a wonderful stage in life when everything seems high and mighty and in accucolor, with us teenagers daydreaming and building air castles, feeling inspired to do good in class and other activities, all because of that special someone whom we call our "soul and inspiration".  Oh, whattabeautiful feeling it is to love and be loved!

Valentines is a season of the heart that loves.  And for this particular special someone, there's no stopping the wistful thinking of only the good things that he/she is made of -- those tantalizing eyes, the soft and silky hair, the face that refreshes, and all that. Having someone to love is such a wonderful feeling, so much so that one becomes blind in the tradition of "Love is blind and lovers cannot see".  Those infatuation things are now but memories that form a fabric part of our yesteryears.  Year after year since then, we made new friends, we went through several experiences in life, and collectively we restored these in the pages of our diary, rewinding every now and then the years when life's little and simple pleasures were part of the day's agenda -- sharing an umbrella amidst September rain, or a bowl of halo-halo, a plate of pancit at the cafeteria, a bagful of popcorn, among many other memories of the love we once knew.  As the song would put it, "And they call it puppy love, just because we're seventeen, tell them all oh please tell them it isn't fair, to take away my only dream..."

Now that we are parents, we pause and ponder on the swiftly gliding years.  As we take a close look at our little angels whom we used to cuddle, we realize that we have indeed grown older ourselves.  The once innocent kids of ours are now starting to look at life in another perspective.  Our children serve as a beautiful reflection of our youth. We smile as we remember our yesteryears when we were their age, when we too went into the same experiences of having crushes or a special someone who colored our world.  Yes, life is indeed a cycle.  We had our time. Now is the time of our kids. Very soon they too will become parents. Only then will they come to realize how it is to be one.  It is never easy to be parents. But being one is worth the experience, if only because ...

Going on a diet
Forwarded by Larry Sy (Batch '72), Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet.  "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds."

When the blonde returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?"

The blonde nodded, "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day."

"From hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor.

"No, from skipping."

Love Songs of Our Time

By Henry L. Yu, M.D.
Batch 1969

In celebration of Valentine's Day, here's a list of the LOVE songs of our Yeah Yeah Vonnel Generation (The Baby Boomers). Which of these do we still remember?

1.  LOVE Is A Many Splendored Thing
2.  LOVE Me With All Of Your Heart
3.  I LOVE How You Love Me
4.  LOVE Means You Never Have To Say You're Sorry
5.  My LOVE And Devotion
6.  And I LOVE You So
7.  April LOVE
8.  Never My LOVE
9.  I LOVE You Because
10. I'm In The Mood For LOVE
11. LOVE Letters
12. LOVE Me Tender
13. Portrait Of My LOVE
14. The Voice Of LOVE
15. To Sir With LOVE
16. True LOVE
17. True LOVE Ways
18. What Now My LOVE
19. When I Fall In LOVE
20. No Other LOVE
21. Somewhere My LOVE
22. You Don't Have To Say You LOVE Me
23. Can't help Falling In LOVE
24. Puppy LOVE
25. Secret LOVE
26. Young LOVE
27. From Russia With LOVE
28. My LOVE For You
29. And I LOVE Her
30. World Without LOVE

Iligan's Reflexology Walk