Vol. 9, No. 1, April 15, 2005
8th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

The LCHS-AA has released the program of activities for the 2nd LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming slated on July 7-9, 2005.  The program was finalized during the LCHS-AA board meeting last April 8.  It was also announced that the Iligan City Government will declare July 4-10, 2005 as "LCHS-AA 2nd Grand Homecoming Week."  The following is the tentative schedule of activities:

Day 1 (July 7, 2005, LCHS Gymnasium)
8:00 am--9:00 am:  Mass at the Resurrection of the Lord Church, Pala-o.
9:00 am--12:00 noon:  Registration & Sportfest (golf, badminton & bowling); courtesy call with the City Mayor & Vice Mayor, at City Hall, Buhanginan Hills.
12:00 noon:  Luncheon meeting of Spectrum staff & LCHS-AA Officers & Directors.
3:00 pm--5:00 pm:  Opening ceremonies; welcome address; ceremonial cutting of ribbon; and viewing of exhibits & memorabilia.
6:00 pm--12:00 midnight:  Barrio fiesta/fellowship night; video presentation of 1st GAH activities; dinner party with live band; surprise numbers by batches; and door prizes.

Day 2 (July 8, 2005, LCHS-AA Gymnasium)
6:00--10:00 am:  Continuation of registration; Sportfest (golf, badminton & bowling).
9:00 am--11:00 am:  Tour of Iligan’s scenic spots.
11:00 am--4:00 pm:  Outdoor picnic.
6:00 pm--1:00 am:  Reunion of batches at LCHS Gym.

Day 3 (July 9, 2005) [Free time, whole morning]
1:00 pm--4:00 pm:  Plenary session (venue: Celebrity Dome).
6:30 pm:  Grand Ball with the City Mayor & other distinguished guests; awarding of outstanding alumni achievers; formal dinner with live band; grand raffles; ballroom dancing and disco; closing remarks.

Henry Dy elected VMLP nat'l treasurer

Iligan City Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy, in photo, was elected national treasurer of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP).  The election took place during the national convention of the VMLP held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila on Mar. 15-17, 2005.  Elected along with Henry Dy was Mandaluyong vice mayor Jesse Cruz, as national president, and Dagupan vice mayor Alvin Fernandez, as executive vice president.  Over 1,200 vice mayors in the country took part in the election. Meanwhile, Henry Dy was in Davao City last Mar. 30 to attend the Asia Foundation conference on Transparent Accountable Governance, after which he flew to Manila for the national board of governors meeting of the Philippine National Red Cross, of which he is a board member.

Spectrum marks 8th anniversary

Without much fanfare, the Spectrum celebrates its 8th anniversary with this issue.  Revived on April 15, 1997, the Spectrum was expected to last only for a year.  Yet, it has grown stronger one year after another.  And now this little Internet newsletter is well on its 9th year of service to LCHS alumni around the globe.  Its first editor was Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), who served from April 15, 1997 to Mar. 26, 2001.  He was followed by Henry L. Yu (Batch '69), from April 9, 2001 to Mar. 25, 2002; and Victor L. Chiu (Batch '65), from April 1, 2002 to Sept. 30, 2004.  That the Spectrum has lasted this long is a credit to the men and women in its staff who work in the pure spirit of volunteerism and the many contributors and readers who continue to breathe life into its pages with their unrelenting support.

Catalina Daan, 63

Catalina Daan-Pahang (in photo) died of breast cancer in Talisay City, Cebu last Mar. 23, just one day short of her 63rd birthday.  She was laid to rest on April 2, 2005 at the Talisay Cemetery. She is survived by her two children, D'Vince Pahang, 33, and Phillip Pahang, 32.  Several concerned alumni gave cash assistance to the bereaved family, namely Igdono Caracho, Charles Sy, Gloricita Racines Kinnan, Teresita Racines, Aldo Caracho, Robert Co, Edwin Co and Bonifacia Co-Go.

The late Catalina Daan-Pahang taught Pilipino, Social Sciences and Spanish at LCHS from 1963 to 1968. She was well respected by her students for her charm, gentleness and friendliness. After leaving LCHS, she taught in several other schools in Cebu City. Her last teaching job was at the Carlos Gothong Memorial High School, Cebu City.  She was featured in the Spectrum on Mar. 29, 2004 and May 24, 2004.

In her rare meeting with two former LCHS students, Igdono Caracho and Charles O. Sy, in Cebu on Mar. 26, 2004, she spoke of her desire to attend our 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming this coming July 7-9. She mentioned about looking forward to a reunion with her former students in the next GAH. Needless to say, she will long be missed by many of her students.  In a brief note to her LCHS students published in the Spectrum, Mar. 29, 2004 issue, she wrote: "Sana sa lahat ng mga pagkakataon, magkakatampo pa rin tayo muli upang maipababalik ang mga nakalipas na kasayahan at kalukuhan."

Farewell, Ma'am Catalina

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 23:28:06 +1000
A sad news indeed to learn about the passing of our former teacher-in-charge, the late Catalina Daan-Pahang.  We could only take some consolation that exactly a year ago we were able to know her latest whereabouts through the meeting and interview with our batchmate Igdono Caracho and Spectrum founder Charles Sy. And that brought a lot of great memories.   It is very regrettable that her life was cut short a few months before the July 2005 GAH.  An event she was hoping of attending.  Now there is no more reunion with Ma'am Catalina Daan.  But we will remember her with fond memories. Once again, thank you, ma'am, for touching our lives. We shall pray that she may have a peaceful journey towards her ultimate reunion with our Divine Creator and finally discover eternal peace.
--Loloy Tan (Batch 66), Sydney, Australia, email: edtan@iinet.net.au

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 13:38:27 +0000
Our hearts and prayers to Ma'am Catalina Daan and family. It is sad to hear this news when we are somehow looking forward to see her in one of the reunions. May she rest in peace.
--Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65) & family, Miramar, Florida, U.S.A., email: alpacino_8@hotmail.com

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 12:32:56 -0800 (PST)
Our deepest sympathy to Ma'am Catalina Daan-Pahang family.
--Peter C. Dy (Batch '66), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, email: pdy50ca@yahoo.com

Spectrum anniversary

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 03:15:44 +0000
Let me extend my congratulations to the staff for a job well done and my undying gratitude to Charles Sy whose sustained and unselfish dedication kept the LCHS Spectrum alive.
--Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65), Miramar, Florida, U.S.A., email: alpacino_8@hotmail.com

Hello from Shangri-la
Thu, 31 Mar 2005 08:31:42 -0800 (PST)

Hello everyone!  Sincerely honored to be invited. Hi to all of my friends: Josiefel Quimbo, Vinson Ngo, Ronald Sy, Jennifer and Genevieve, Juvy Dy, Frederick Siao, and all.  Pastilan, tigulang na jud ko kay dili na ko kadumdum sa tanan nga ngalan.
--Jessica Joyce Reyes-Pepito (Batch '83), Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort, Lapulapu, Philippines, email: jessicapp2@yahoo.com

[Editor's Note:  Hi Jessica!  We are happy to receive your message. Perhaps it's been a quite long while since you left Iligan.  Do not forget to log on to our Spectrum web site.  More information on the 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming on July 7-9, 2005 will be published.  Please contact your former classmates, especially those who are living outside Iligan, and tell them about our coming 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming.  Thanks & keep in touch!]

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

CITY NEWS.  Here's a bit of news that Iliganons can be proud of.  One of this year's top graduates of the Philippine Military Academy is an Iliganon.  His name is Jojit Macalib-og Jumawan who finished in the Top 2 of this year's graduates in the PNP Academy.  In sports circles, the city government, through the office of Sport Director, is now having a basketball try-out in preparation of the coming national basketball tourney.  The Iligan team is called “The Iligan Crusader.”  The over-all chairman is alumnus Frederick Siao, the City Sports Director under the office of Mayor Lawrence LL. Cruz.

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS.   Dr. Alex Rodriguez (Batch '65) and his wife Beth, together with their family, spent their vacation recently around Europe.  While in Greece, they toured the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Parthenon, the Achropolis and many other historical sites in Athens (in photo at the end of this article).  Is Alex coming home for the GAH?  Here's his message:  "I want to attend the GAH but right now I'm in school courtesy of Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center. We're getting older and I can feel that in my bones kay puro arthritis man ang atong problema pero guwapo lang gihapon.  Hopefully in the next GAH I will be able to make it and I'll try to bring  my grand kids along. If by chance I will be home, I'd like to see you all."   Meanwhile, closer to home, James So (Batch '66), in photo, was spotted in Cebu City where he attended the wedding of his in-laws last April 3.  James went to Cebu together with his children and son-in-law Johnny Chen.  At a restaurant in uptown Cebu, James also had a pleasant unexpected encounter with an old hometown buddy, Nelson Sy (Batch '62) who was having dinner with his family in celebration of his daughter Agnes Gail Sy's graduation from high school.  Belated happy birthday to Richard Lim (Batch ’69) who celebrated his birthday last April 9.  I don’t know how he does it but I can see that his company is undertaking five housing projects in Cebu, Butuan, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro simultaneously.  Last January, Richard landed on the pages of Philippine Daily Inquirer when he guided Vice President Noli de Castro around Johndorf’s housing project “La Aldea Buena Mactan” in Lapu-Lapu City (in photo at the end of this article) . The project, which is funded with a P250 million loan under the Pag-Ibig City Program will provide some additional 550 low-cost housing units for Cebu residents when completed.   Also, congratulations to Irine S. Te, daughter of Paquito “Kinga” Te (Batch ’62), who graduated magna cum laude from MSU-IIT. I am sure that Irine, the valedictorian of her class, will be the newest addition to the accounting profession in the near future.

SURPRISE VISIT.  I was pleasantly surprised when Antonio “Boy” Te (Batch '69), in photo, visited my office in the morning of April 6.  He dropped by to pay his registration fee of P1,200 for GAH 2005 (a discount of 20% for early registration).  Boy just arrived in town from Taiwan for a few days' vacation.  His family has moved to Taiwan while his two daughters are in college studying at the Cebu Doctors College in Cebu City.  Boy said he's very excited to attend the coming 2nd GAH.  In fact, on his trip home he met his mentor in Manila, William C. Dy (Batch ’71), and GAH2005 was among the things they talked about during their brief chat.  And by the way, our cheers to Whitney Dy, daughter of William Dy, who snatched the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke category of the latest swimming competition in Bacolod City.  Whitney's victory now qualifies her to join the Philippine national team in the forthcoming international swimfest scheduled in Brunei this June.

SPREADING THE WORD.   Word about our forthcoming Grand Alumni Homecoming is now beginning to spread like wildfire.  Many alumni, here and abroad, have vowed to be present once again at this rare gathering while many of those who attended the first GAH in 2000 have announced: "We shall return!"  Meanwhile, in Cebu City, last Mar. 29, a news announcement on our 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming appeared in the community page of Cebu's Sun-Star Daily.  The item bears the headline "Iligan school slates homecoming" and the story reads: "Lanao Chung Hua School (formerly Lanao Chinese High School) in Iligan City will hold its second grand alumni homecoming on July 7-9.  The theme is 'LCHS: Looking Back and Moving Forward ... The Beat Continues.'  For further details, one may contact lchsgah2005@yahoo.com."  We'd like to thank Dr. Henry Yu (Batch '69) for taking the initiative of spreading the word about our GAH in Cebu City, where we have a large population of resident alumni.

FUN & FELLOWSHIP IN GAH2005.  Here's a glimpse of what are in store for GAH2005 ... Fellowship night: A free-for-all get-together party with a barrio fiesta ambience; a perfect moment for reminiscing the good old days with your former classmates, old flames, and favorite teachers; and exchanging hi's & "hello's with hugs and kisses.     Sentimental journey:  A trip down memory lane by revisiting and rediscovering our beloved Alma Mater; and reliving the memorable moments of your life at the LCHS of our childhood days.

City Tour: A tour of the changing faces of Iligan, its new buildings and old structures, businesses, tourist spots, the city hall, and the people.  Plus a visit to the offices of our Vice Mayor, LCHS-AA President Henry C. Dy, & Mayor Lawrence LL. Cruz at City Hall. Sportfest:  For golf, badminton & bowling enthusiasts, prove yourself if you are still on the go with your favorite sports together with your buddies. Exhibits:  A showcase of memorabilia, old pictures, class cards, books, letters, theme compositions, school uniform & achievements.  Outstanding Alumni:  Be a witness to the awarding of our new batch of top alumni achievers in their respective fields of endeavor and service to the community. Dazzling Raffle Prizes:  A vast array of dazzling raffle prizes to be drawn for lucky alumni winners.

Class Reunions:  A rare moment of regrouping with your former classmates & seeing your favorite teachers in individual class reunions.  A treasureable get-together for old time's sake where "the beat continues." Talent Showcase:  A night of songs & dances to the beat of the sounds showcasing old and new but rare and hidden talents among your batch mates. Souvenir Program & Kit:  A souvenir album appropriately a collector’s item, featuring the alumni directory, a gallery of old pictures, our 1st GAH activities.
Nostalgia Night:  A great moment of reviving immortal songs, music & dances of yesteryears, reminiscent of the beat of the 50s to the 90s.   Grand Ball:  The ultimate grand reunion. Be a part of this historic formal ball for the first or the second time around with your former classmates & favorite teachers.  Old Hometown:  Rekindle the spirit of our old hometown called Iligan City, the place where you once belonged.   Renew the bond that once brought you together with your classmates in a school we once called Lanao Chinese High School, our beloved Alma Mater, the molder of our delicate youthful years.

Well, we are waiting for your arrival. Let’s have fun & enjoy your stay!  Registration is now going on.  Avail of the twenty percent discount, effective until May 15, 2005.  Please send your registration fee now to Dir. Teresita U. Racines or Sec. Roger Suminguit with Telephone Nos. (063) 221-2184/221-2422 or Cell Nos. 0917-7163387 & 0918-9177641.

Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

Wow, another year for Spectrum!  Happy anniversary to all of us.  It’s during this time of the year when I would ponder on my relationship with Spectrum.  This past year I have to admit that I’ve been worse, the only thing consistent I did was missing my deadline.  I’m sure my bosses are already after my head; I’m sure I must have been super fired by now if this were a regular job.  But before they get the idea, please hear me out first. Here’s part of the reason why.  Why I was always out of sight?

Friends have asked me why I’ve been failing to show up in every issue of Spectrum.  Why I’ve seemed to stop writing “Straight from the Heart.”  Well, for the past few years that I’ve been writing for Spectrum I’ve always written straight from my heart.  Each piece I send is like a piece of me, a glimpse of my soul, a snap shot of my thoughts.  So what happens when the very source of my literary juices gets pierced and torn in half? Is there a mask that can cover up the pain I feel?  Will there be enough flowery words I could use to convince everyone that I’m not bleeding inside?  These are the questions I ask myself before writing another piece.  And if I feel that both questions are just answerable by a negative statement, then I’d rather stay away from my column rather than presenting to you a dark and gory image a mirror of what my soul is going through.

Back when my little picture-perfect life was still “perfect” back when my heart was still full of rainbows, just a beautiful tune from the radio or an aptly said word could send my heart soaring and my fingers dancing on my computer keyboard.  I could write a poem from the sound of the rain, I could write a vignette by just watching the golden sunset, there was always something beautiful around.  Back then the glass was always half full and not half-empty like how it is now.

Now everything is different.  Now it seems like my world has run out of color and tune.  It’s like being inside a black and white silent movie.  It’s like somebody turned a switch off. Taking away all the fun. The truth is supposed to set us free, but for me the truth hurts and I haven’t been free from the pain since then.

So, to all my friends who were asking why, well, let’s just say that my main writing tool, a.k.a heart, suffered a major blow.  A major dose of betrayal, a kick of the truth in my stomach too intense for me to accept.

So where do I go from here, well, if I get a band-aid big enough to cover up my gaping heart then maybe I could start with tiny steps and try to write again.  But if such band-aid doesn’t exist, well, maybe this might be just the perfect time to say good-bye to my column. Or start writing straight from … the other organs of the body.

Happy anniversary!

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

In celebration of my 53rd birthday, let me just share with you these fifty-three (53) rules of life and living which I have learned as I travelled life's many journeys. I have mastered some while I'm still trying to develop most others to become a better person that God wants me to be. Here goes:

1. Begin and end your day with God.
2. Welcome each day with a smile. Thank God for the opportunity of being alive.
3. Pray from the heart. Share with God your agony and ecstasy. He is listening all the time.
4. Strive, strike, and never yield. Do more. Need less.
5. Remember friends and loved ones on their birthdays.
6. Smile often. Laugh a lot. Cry once in a while.
7. Dream big but don't try to reach for the sky.
8. Learn to control your emotions. Smile though your heart is aching.
9. Be patient with your dealings.
10. Organize your day's agenda. Don't mix up things. Do one thing at a time.
11. Be a nature lover. Appreciate the rainbows and bluebirds in the sky.
12. Spend few minutes of your time everyday with yourself: meditate, recollect, and reflect.
13. Take time to smell the flowers.
14. Brisk walk. Don't run. Chew food slowly. Life is not a contest.
15. Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner.
16. Say only nice things about a person.
17. Don't be a perfectionist in an imperfect world.
18. Live each day as it comes along.
19. Be a good instrument of God.
20. Think twice before you say or do things.
21. Avoid hurting people. Reconstruct your sentences. Modify the tone of your voice.
22. Stay calm amidst anger or turbulence.
23. Take care of your heart. It's the only one you've got. We only live once.
24. Live for today. Seize the moment. Tomorrow may not come.
25. Be a happy person. Spread joy and happiness to all people, regardless of creed and color.
26. Don't expect too much from life.
27. Presume and assume nothing.
28. Focus more on the positive side of things rather than the negative.
29. Listen more. Talk less. Give the benefits of the doubt.
30. Accept people for what they are and not for what you want them to be.
31. Come to terms with yourself. Don't be a Jack-of-all-trades.
32. Don't mix business with pleasure.
33. Follow the Boy Scout's motto: Be prepared always.
34. Make your past a gateway to your present, and your present a gate way to your future.
35. Eat and drink moderately and be merry.
36. Reach out to others and share life's blessings.
37. When you're in the Philippines, live like a Filipino.
38. Enjoy what you have in life. Don't try to ask for more.
39. Be grateful for little or big favors done by friends in the past.
40. Don't let fame and fortune transform you into someone unreachable. Stay humble.
41. Count not the years added to your life but the life added to your years.
42. Spend a quantity of quality time with your kids. Youth happens only once in a lifetime.
43. Don't compare yourself with others.
44. Enjoy the fruit of your labor. Take time to pamper yourself.
45. Create a book of memories. Celebrate special occasions with loved ones.
46. Believe that nothing will happen to you today that God and you cannot handle together.
47. Grow old gracefully with time.
48. Live life to the fullest. Strive to be happy.
49. Be at peace with the world.
50. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
51. We cannot have everything in this world.
52. Realize that we are all but passing visitors on a limited tourist visa.
53. Do your best in everything so that when the final curtain falls, you can tell yourself: "It's been such a wonderful journey. Thank you, Lord, for friends and good times together."

Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66

Baclayon Church

"The Grand Alumni Homecoming 2000 was an almost flawless affair and, like the foods served, it was good to the last bite! I just could not ask for anything more. Like the living memory of our time in our alma mater, the reason why we gathered together again, the homecoming itself bore a wonderful memory indeed that would last a life time."
--Rene Tio (Batch '70), Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, Spectrum, Aug. 14, 2000

"The GAH 2000 was very successful and one of the best gatherings I've ever attended."
--Edwin Co (Batch '68), Iligan, Philippines, Spectrum, Aug. 14, 2000

"The GAH 2000 was a success.  It gave us a rare opportunity to know the generous people who gave their time, warmth, money, and, in the process, fostered the sense of camaraderie that strengthened our unity.  As the saying goes, in unity there is strength."
--Aida Chou Ipili (Batch '67), Iligan, Philippines, Spectrum, Aug. 14, 2000

"The first LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming was a 3-day affair full of fun and excitement I would never forget. I really had a blast!" --Evelyn Yu Go (Batch '77), San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., Spectrum, Aug. 14, 2000

"I look forward to a homecoming not for the pomposity of ceremonies but for the simplicity of memories. Not for the prospect of blazing new trails but for the promise of tracing old tracks.  I attend a homecoming not for the newness of one's possessions, but for the oldness of little things I once held dear. I take a homecoming to heart not to bask in the salutations of fresh encounters but to wallow in the joy of seeing old familiar faces."
--Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), Cebu, Philippines, Spectrum, June 14, 1999

THIS ISSUE PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO STARTED IT ALL IN 1968.
AND TO THE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO REKINDLED THE FLAME IN 1997.
AND TO ALL THOSE WHO KEPT THE SPIRIT ALIVE
UP TO THIS VERY DAY.
FOR ALL THEIR EFFORTS, THE SPECTRUM LIVES ON.

EDITORIAL STAFF   ROGER SUMINGUIT, Editor    MICHAEL JOHN L. SIANGCO, Associate Editor  Correspondents: Teresita Racines & Michael Philips Lim (Iligan); Igdono Caracho (Cebu); Marie Janiefer Lee (Manila); Peter Dy (Canada); Leonardo Tan (Australia); and past editors Charles O. Sy, Henry L. Yu & Victor L. Chiu (Board of Advisers). Founded Aug. 1, 1968.  Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni & supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Web site: www.geocities.com/lchsspectrum. Spectrum welcomes articles, news reports & comments from LCHS alumni, faculty, students and readers. For subscription & submission of articles, contact Roger Suminguit, tel. (63)-221-2422 or e-mail: r_suminguit@lycos.com, with "cc" to: lchsspectrum@yahoo.com