Vol. 9, No. 5, June 23, 2005

With just two weeks more to go, the officers of the LCHS Alumni Association have been holding meetings twice a week to fine-tune all preparations for the 2nd LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming on July 7-9, 2005.  Meanwhile, more and more alumni have come forward to pay their registrations fees while others chose to send their payments by mail.  A few other alumni are likewise asking if their batch mates have paid already.  They all want to be sure their batch mates will be present in the 2nd GAH, especially those living outside Iligan City.

As of June 8, the following alumni have paid their GAH registration fees:  Vy Beng Hong, Dy Sio Te, Andy Lee, Fe Quimbo, Manuel Te, Carlos Dy, Peter Dy, Bebencio Palang, Antonio Te, Teresita Racines, Sofia Vy Co, Arturo Samson, Henry Dy, Gregorio Dy, Minda Ang Saludo, Linda Ang, Joselyn Ang, Charles Ang, Juanita Te Jo, Conchita Te Ong, Franklin Siao, Remedios Tan Wee, Ricarda Tan Lee, Marciano Tan, Pablito Tan, Timestocles Tan, Gil Portugalisa, Eleonor Rocha, Alexander Chua, Igdono Caracho, Aldo Caracho, Julius Racines, Jorge Racines Jr., Sherlita Racines, James Racines, Jone Raye Racines, Santiago Ong, Asuncion "Asiong" Lim, Cristobal "Ko Chuy" Tiu, Sheik Din Booc, James Booc, Calix Tan, Honey Dy-Henry, Hiram Dy-Henry, Hazel Dy-Henry, Heidi Dy-Henry, Rodolfo Yu, Perla Bernardo Chua, Ursulina Esteban, Betty Jover, Cecilia Tablason, Rene Bernardo, Alexander Bernardo, Juantio Chiu, Dy Sheik Tong, Roderick Ngo, Charles O. Sy, Lydia Sy-Chona, Jane Sy-Limtin, Kenton Sy Sua, and Henry Yu.

Many of those who registered were able to enjoy a 20% discount because their payments were made before the deadline on June 15, 2005.  All alumni officers and directors, however, opted to waive their discount and paid the full P1,500 even if they paid before the June 15 deadline.

GAH campaign hits the road in Cebu

The GAH-2005 campaign swoop down on Cebu City where LCHS has one of the largest populations of alumni.  The campaign in Cebu hit the road with a two-day visit by GAH Secretariat chair Roger Suminguit, accompanied by Peter Dy, last June 12 & 13.  Playing hosts to their visit in Cebu were Roderick Ngo, Charles O. Sy and Igdono Caracho.  GAH-2005 tarpauline posters were promptly posted in some key establishments in the city while the group received registration payments and ad placements for the souvenir program from several Cebu-based alumni.  Aside from publishing ad notices in two of Cebu's top newspapers, Sun-Star Daily and The Freeman, courtesy of Roderick Ngo, the group also sent out a series of GAH notices and advisories through text messages to alumni in Cebu.  Press releases were also published in the Philippine Star and Cebu Daily News, courtesy of Henry Yu.

Henry Dy is acting city mayor

LCHS-AA President Henry C. Dy, in photo, is Acting Mayor of Ilgian City.  He sits as city mayor from June 8 to July 12, 2005 while Mayor Lawrence Cruz is on official leave of absence.  Mayor Cruz was granted a scholarship program in Harvard University, U.S.A.  He was chosen among applicants who were political figures in different parts of the world.  He was the lone scholar and grantee from the Philippines.   Meanwhile, Henry Dy spearheaded Iligan's Grand Triple celebrations on May 1 “Labor Day,” June 12 “Philippine Independence Day,” June1 6 “Adlaw sa Iligan,” and Rizal Day Celebration.  The highlights of the celebrations started last May 1 to June 19 with commemorative National Flag Day, Independence Day civic & military parade, concert in the park, "Adlaw sa Iligan" float parade, and 55th Charter Day Anniversary.  Other festivities during the charter anniversary celebration were the Region-10 Fruit Festival, Bangka Racing, Panit sa Lubi, Mr. & Miss Teen Iligan, Bakho sa Lasang/Musical Dance Drama, Sayaw Ko, Buhay Mo Power Hit Danz, Acoustic Band Competition, and 5th All Breed Dog Show.

Charles Ang is "Adlaw Sa Iligan" awardee

Charles Ang (Batch '71), in photo, owner & general manager of Charles Ang Farms in Brgy. Abuno, Iligan, was one of the  "Adlaw Sa Iligan" awardees given by the Iligan City Government in celebration of the city's 55th Charter Anniversary last June 16.  He received a plaque of commendation for sharing his blessings with the worthy and deserving farmers of Iligan by donating huge volume of organic fertilizer. Charles Ang transformed his wastewater treatment facility into a modern four big steel tank Biogas digester system turning raw sludge to biogas production (methane) for heating and power supply of his piggery farm.  The effluent of waste generated from the biogas digester tanks is excellent for organic fertilizer (liquid form), which is distributed free to the farmers. The Assay concentration of the liquid fertilizer contains high quality components of Phosphorous, Nitrogen & potassium.

Stay in love, Robert & Christine!

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 05:40:17 -0700 (PDT)
Congratulations to Robert Booc and bride Christine.  We are very happy for you. Do send us pictures. Stay in love!
--Judith (Chu), Teddy and Jet Bualat, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, email: judithbualat@yahoo.com

Greetings!   On behalf of the alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School (formerly Lanao Chinese High School), the LCHS Alumni Association cordially invites you to the 2nd LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming at the LCHS Gymnasium, Palao-o, Iligan City, on July 7-9, 2005.

This rare event, held only once every five years, will bring together all LCHS alumni from near and afar in a happy reunion at our Alma Mater. Needless to say, it will be a fitting occasion for reminiscences of the good old days and a golden opportunity for renewing old friendship.  You, as a teacher of LCHS, past or present, will do us a great honor with your presence in our grand homecoming. Your students, whose lives you have touched so dearly, will be overjoyed to be reunited with you on an occasion that combines a sense of nostalgia and the spirit of euphoria in a three-day celebration of our togetherness.   We, along with the rest of our alumni, are earnestly looking forward to your attendance in our grand alumni homecoming.

Should you have any need for more information, please feel free to communicate with the Secretariat, c/o Roger Suminguit, Tan Lam Glass Palace, Inc., Quezon Ave. Ext., Pala-o, Iligan City; tel (063) 221-2422; cell no. 0918-9277641.

Very truly yours,
Suniel Lim
Chairman, GAH Steering Committee

Observations on search for outstanding alumni

Thu, 09 Jun 2005 21:24:46 +1000
Dear Mr. Chairman & members of the LCHS-AA Award Committee:  It gives me much pleasure to read in the latest issue of the Spectrum regarding the Search for the Outstanding LCHS Alumni Achievers. No doubt this will again be one of the highlights of the GAH activities this July.

My first comment is about the field of EDUCATION.  I believe our LCHS-AA is very much involved in this field.  But I could not find this particular field as being mentioned among the categories for nomination. Or is Education just a sub-field of "Arts or Culture" or maybe "Humanitarian Services?"  There seems to be an oversight here.

My second comment or observation is why single out or special-mentioned professions such as medicine and law?  What's so special about them?  Are we not being discriminatory to the other professions?  I have nothing against Medicine and Law.  But it seems quite unfair to the other professions.

My third observation pertains to the awardees of GAH 2000.  Could they still be re-nominated? In the same field of endeavour?  In any case, it would assist us if you could publish once more the awardees of GAH 2000 with their respective field of excellence.

My last observation or question is:  Could we nominate any members of the LCHS-AA Award Committee?

I hope I will be enlightened with the above questions, comments or observations before I could make any nominations.  Thank you very much.  Cheers from Sydney!
--Loloy Tan (Batch '66), Sydney, Australia, email:  edtan@iinet.net.au

Fri, 10 Jun 2005 21:29:22 -0700 (PDT)
Sorry, we had some inadvertent omissions.  The fields of "Education" and "Ecclesiastical or Religious Works" are two other categories included in the Search for Outstanding Alumni Achievers Awards.  Your other queries and observations are well taken.  I will bring the matter to the awards committee in our next meeting.  Pag-andam na sa bagbalik diri.  Imong mga former classmates and schoolmates gahulat na nimo!  At the end of this letter is a list of GAH-2000 awardees, for your reference.
--Roger Suminguit (Batch '73), Chair, GAH Secretariat, email: lchsgah2005@yahoo.com

FLASHBACK
List of GAH 2000 alumni awardees

1. Christopher Chua Teck An (Batch '55), for Community Service.  Most Outstanding Lt. Governor, Division-4B, Kiwanis Int'l., 1986; Hiram Award for Outstanding Mason, 1987; Grand Master Award for Leadership-GLP, 1998.

2. Henry C. Dy (Batch '64), for Government & Public Service.  Elected Iligan city councilor for 3 consecutive years; donor of 3 barrio school buildings; one of the Ten Outstanding Iliganons;

3. Roderick L. Ngo (Batch '70), for Community Service - National.  National Jaycee President; visited more that 200 local Jaycee chapters, the first national president to have done so; Outstanding LOM President of the Year.

4. Ong Ching An (Batch '63), for Sports (Posthumous). He played blindfolded against a series of chess players; beat Grandmaster Eugene Torre to a draw in a national chess championship match; champion of Iligan Chess Tournament at the age of 17.

5. Guardson A. Siao (Batch '58), for Labor (Arbiter).  Awardee for outstanding performance in highest percentage of case disposal in labor cases, 1977; zero backlogs in 1998 and 1999.

6. Henry T. Siao (Batch '56), for Community Service - Local.  School director for 12 years, without receiving monetary remuneration; founder of Iligan Toastmaster Club; one of the founders of Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Iligan Foundation Inc.; one of the founders of St. Michael Filipino Chinese Catholic Community Foundation, Inc.

7. Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), for Journalism.  Founder and editor of the LCHS Spectrum, which links LCHS alumni throughout the world; "National Toastmaster of the Year" awardee, 1982; and prime mover of GAH-2000.

8. Stephen D. Sy (Batch '69), for Entrepreneurship. President of Focus Global, Inc., biggest distributor of Coleman products in Asia; also biggest distributor of DNC (cross-stitch) in Asia; awarded Coleman of the Year, 1992 & 1996.

9. Calix H. Tan (Batch '58), for Religious Works. 4th degree K of C (Faithful Navigator); spearheaded single-handedly the construction of chapel and day-care center on B. Labao Ext., Iligan; faithful donor to ISK Seminary and other Catholic church-related activities.

10. Ernesto L. Yu (Batch '65), for Art (Photography). First placer, color photography at Annual National American Society of Anesthesiologists Art Exhibit in Washington, D.C., 1994; Gold Medal winner, Yearend Twin Cities Camera Club, Buffalo, N.Y., 1993; and Professional Photographer's degree holder, New York Institute of Photography.

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

GAH HEATS UP.  Everything is now heating up for the 2nd LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming on July 7-9, 2005.  Your GAH Secretariat & Spectrum editor has been extra busy these few days making preparations for the vast array of activities.  Hectic schedules have to be perfectly put in place, like making calls to alumni, handing out flyers and notices, collection of registration and ad placements for the souvenir program, and a series of special meeting arrangements.

Flyers, calls and notices have already been dispatched to all alumni in Iligan City. Inquiries and requests for registrations have been answered promptly by LCHS-AA officers and directors. The Secretariat is likewise busy trying to reach out to every alumnus and alumna in and out of Iligan. From Cotabato City and Cebu City, registrations and payments have been already been received. And more registrations are steadily flowing in.  In Dumaguete City, two sisters, Emma Yap-Matiao and Elizabeth Yap-Navera, sent their registration fees and ads via courier.  As we approach the homestretch, many more alumni are coming forward to pay their registration fees and be counted for the GAH.  To use a standard cliche, everyone is now going gaga over the GAH!

Well, again my fellow alumni, we are all waiting for your arrival.  We are all looking eagerly forward to be reunited with one another soon. This is our time. We don’t have to wait another five years to see each other again.  Let's enjoy and have fun while we still can. Don’t miss GAH 2005 or you might regret it.

SPECTRUM INVADES FREEMAN.  Here's one development that has added another proud feather on the cap of the Spectrum.  Two Spectrum top guns have joined The Freeman, Cebu's oldest daily newspaper, as regular writers.  Henry Yu, past Spectrum editor, left photo, is now a regular contributor of feature articles dealing with a wide variety of general human interest subjects.  While Spectrum founder & past editor, Charles O. Sy, right photo, now does a Sunday column in The Freeman called "Lensplay," featuring his creative photography works combined with his unparalleled brand of witticisms and play of words.

SPECTRUM & LCHS-AA LUNCHEON MEETING.  Staff members and regular contributors of the Spectrum are all invited to attend the luncheon meeting to be tendered for the Spectrum by officers and directors of the LCHS Alumni Association.  This will be held at the Cheradel Suites, Pala-o, Iligan, at 12:00 noon, on the first day of GAH2005 on July 7.  This will be a meaningful occasion for Spectrum staff members to get to know each other better as well as exchange ideas with the LCHS-AA officers on how to improve the Spectrum in its service to the LCHS community.

ALUMNI GOLFERS INVADE DAVAO.  Perennial alumni golfing aficionados Carlos "Bonnie" Dy, Peter Dy, Bebencio Palang and Joe Tan invaded Davao City last June 7 for several rounds of golf.  They played for three straight days in no less than three different golf courses, namely Apo Golf & Country Club, Lanang Golf & Country Club, and the luxurious Palos Verde Country Club.
 
 

For the benefit of our out-of-town alumni coming home for GAH-2005, listed below are the room rates of selected hotels in Iligan.

Elena Tower Inn, Tibanga, Iligan:  Standard Room Single Occupancy (One Matrimonial Bed) P690.00; Deluxe Room (Two Separate Beds) P1,080.00); Family Room (Two Matrimonial Beds) & Extra Bed P200.00 with 10% discount for alumni only.

Maria Cristina Hotel, Gen. Aguinaldo St., Iligan:  Single Occupancy P660.00, Double (Twin Occupancy) P865.00; Triple, P1, 050.00; Executive Suite, P1, 300.00, & Extra Bed P200.00 with 10% discount for alumni only.

Corporate Inn, Pala-o, Iligan:  Single Occupancy P750.00; Twin/Double Occupancy P1, 050.00; Economy (3 Persons) P1, 300.00; Executive Suites, P1, 400.00, & Extra Bed or Extra Person P300.00 with 10% discount for alumni only.

Cheradel Suites, Pala-o, Iligan:  Double Occupancy P1, 290.00; Prime Suites P1, 490.00; Dream Suites, P1, 690.00,; Presidential Suites, P2, 600.00; Presidential Suites II, P3,100.00; Extra Bed/Extra Person P300.00 & Residential Suites 2 with walk in closet, a dinning room & kitchen, with 10% discount for alumni only.

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

"I'm sitting in a railway station, got a ticket for my destination, hmmm, on a tour of one-night stand, my suitcase and guitar in hand, and every stop is neatly planned, for a poet and a one-man band ..."

Yo! It's Simon and Garfunkel over there singing "Homeward Bound", one of our favorite tunes in the 60's when we were in high school. Just the thought that very soon we will be hearing and singing this song again during our homecoming puts me in a certain kind of high. For who would not be excited about meeting again classmates after so many years since high school graduation? There's so much of our yesterdays that I would want to go back to. It was such a wonderful stage in my life, one that will remain forever dear in my memories, whenever I think of my younger days.

Come July 7-9, 2005, our beloved alma mater will hold its 2nd Grand Alumni Homecoming. As we all know, this big event happens every 5 years. The first was held in August 3-5, 2000. It sure will be another great time to get together and meet classmates, schoolmates, friends, and teachers, of reliving the past, sharing life's adventures, remembering people, places, and events, with us feeling like teenagers again back to a place we call home.

Our high school class of 1969 is on its 36th year. With the passage of time, most of us now are finding it hard to decipher words without the use of eyeglasses, or climb up stairs without panting, or walk fast and straight without feeling some arthritic pain here and there, and, yes, a litany of aches that comes with aging.  Added to these, the wrinkles, age spots, laugh lines, double chin, white hair, receeding hairline, love handles, protuberant tummy, etc.  Yes, after 36 long years we are no longer the teenagers we used to be in the Yeah Yeah Vonnel Generation, but deep in us, we all still have that child-like feeling hidden in the inner recesses of our beings, ready to explode come reunion time.  Forget about who we are or what we have become. Let's all be children once again. This, to me, is the true essence of a homecoming.

As I think about the grand alumni homecoming, I can't help but get excited about who's who in Iligan now? What has become of my classmates? Who are those who have gone ahead of us to the Great Beyond? Who are those who are lolos and lolas now? What have become of our "puppy loves" and "crushes"? Where are the school majorettes and the members of the drum and bugle corps? The president of the student council? The valedictorians? The basketball heroes? The volleyball players? The cheering squad members? The Algebra or Biology teacher? Our Class Adviser? How do they look now after all these years? All these and more will be unravelled only if and when we take a trip down Iligan, homeward bound to our beloved alma mater. And if only for these, I think coming home to a home is worth our time and effort.

So to all my classmates of class 1969, as well as those classes before and after us, let us all get together one more time. Let us all be one in the spirit of fellowship and camaraderie. as we continue singing:

"Homeward bound I wish I was, homeward bound. Home where my thoughts escapin'. Home where my music playin'. Home where my love is waitin' silently for me. Everyday is an endless stream, of cigarettes and magazines, hmmm, and each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories, and every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be homeward bound ..."

Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66