Vol. 9, No. 10, September 26, 2005

Kho Siok We (Batch '57), in photo, was selected as of one of the Outstanding Alumni of Cebu Eastern College (CEC) last Sept. 25.  The awarding of outstanding alumni was held during the grand alumni homecoming on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of CEC and the 25th anniversary of the CEC Alumni Association.  Kho Siok We is the administrator of the Cebu Eastern College. She was awarded as outstanding alumna in the field of education.  The other awardees were Margaret Gaisano Ang, for entrepreneurship; Victoriano Go, shipping industry; Alfred Li, humanitarian service; Dr. Judy Lao, medicine; Atty. Neri Yu, government service, Betty Tiu Dionisio, international trade; and Ramon Chuaying, commerce.

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

ILIGAN FIESTA CELEBRATION.  The Iligan City Government has intensified its effort to promote tourism in Iligan. The city celebrates its fiesta on September 29 in honor of its patron, Saint Michael the archangel. LCHS-AA President & Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy has been very busy these days looking after so many activities related to the celebration.

The highlights of the activities are: the “Pagkanaug Ni Senyor San Miguel” from the altar; the dazzling & colorful costume of the Higaynon tribe & the devotees in the annual rituals of dancing & festivities. Some prominent native Iliganons present in these activities are the Adeva, Orbe, Badelles, Cueto, and Lluch families, and other clans. This annual festivity is a showcase of the rich Iligan culture. It has been the ritual ever since time immemorial. Some Iliganons in other countries also celebrate the feast.   This year’s fiesta celebration is focused on tourism promotion, agri & industrial product presentation. The lineup of activities includes the Tartanilya parade, Kasadya (Dyandi), Miss Iligan Beauty Pageant, Gun Shooting & Sports competition, carnival fair, & tourism tours. This year’s fiesta is celebrated with an eye to attract more tourists.

In the frenzy of all the festivities, another group of die-hard Iliganons also celebrated the activity as it always does year after year. This is the group of PP Arturo Samson (’59).  This group never misses to join the fiesta celebration with a feast of litson accompanied, of course, by the group’s favorite beverage: a big round of beer!

BUSINESS EXPANSION.  Last September 12, Iligan Galaxy Merchandising, Inc. opened its new branch along Quezon Avenue.  The construction of the 3-storey building was completed in less than 6 months. The site was formerly Hong Yao Trading in the early 1950s and was changed to Iligan Galaxy Commercial until a fire gutted the store & residence of alumni Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sy & sons, Ronald (’83), Romeo (’87), and Raymund (’94) and opened its business at Quezon Ave. Ext., Pala-o, besides the Masonic Temple.  The new branch is called Iligan Galaxy Express, a walk-in convenient grocery store. Inside the grocery, another alumnus likewise expands his operations, the Assorted Cuts Meat Shop, owned by alumnus & Director Ernest Oliver C. Uy (’87) & wife Mary Carmichael G. Uy. Last May, Ernest opened his 4th business, Estrella Agri Vet & Gen. Merchandising, fronting J & K Hardware in Pala-o business district.

PHOTO EXHIBIT.  Lilen Uy, daughter of Yok Eng Uy (Batch '54) and now a top fashion photographer in Manila, opened last Sept. 21 her photo exhibits labelled "Portraits" at the Silver Lens Gallery, 33-C South Tower, Pacific Plaza Towers, Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila.  Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.  The exhibit will run until Oct. 26.

SURPRISE VISITOR FROM DOWN UNDER.  Last September 19, a known personality from Sydney, Australia planed in together with his son, and sent many Iligan alumni into frenzy as his arrival came as a big pleasant surprise.  A phone call from PP Carlos C. Dy informed me about the arrival of Leonardo “Loloy” Tan and his son.  Thus, in the afternoon of the same day, we visited PP Carlos C. Dy at Discovery Lights where we got to chat and exchanged pleasantries with Loloy.

By way of teasing, I told Loloy that he was too too early for the 3rd GAH, which is scheduled in 2008.  But he promptly replied, “I shall return & meet the alumni in the 3rd GAH.”  Loloy will stay in Iligan until September 30, he wants to see and enjoy the Iligan Fiesta which he has missed for 18 full years. His family migrated to Australia in 1987.

Come September 26, a few Dy clan families in Iligan, particularly Henry Lee, PP Andy A. Lee (’56), Dy Sio Te (’65), LCHS-AA President & Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy, and Carlos C. Dy will tender a dinner party for Loloy & son at Teepoy’s Grill.  The hosts will also be inviting alumni officers & directors to join the party.  This dinner is for Leonardo “Loloy” Tan to have a get-together with close and intimate friends. Before his family migrated to Australia, we all know that Loloy was very active in the family business.  He was also always on the go, circulating and attending fraternal and civic club meetings. Many of his close friends and fellow alumni will never forget him and his involvement in many worthwhile activities.

His physical profile, after 18 years, shows his reduced belly and weight, though of course some white hair is noticeable, plus a little bit of facial change but nonetheless still looking young and rejuvenated.  Could be due to the climate in Australia.

BACK TO THE LIMELIGHT.  Last September 15, PP Carlos C. Dy was back at work in his office at Discovery Lights, after 30 days rest and recuperation. His comeback signals his welcome return to social circulation after a month of confinement at home. He started to call and meet some of his close friends. I know one thing for sure: he definitely misses his beer. (Hala, beer pa dai!)

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

September 21, 1972.  Where were you?  What were you doing then?  What's so significantly memorable or memorably significant about this particular epoch in Philippine history? Well, thirty-three years ago, on that Thursday morning, our country was placed under Martial Law (Presidential Decree 1081). For us who were non-activists, we rejoiced at the thought that classes were suspended. Yes, we were just as excited as the rest of humanity to be homeward bound, to be with family and friends back in our respective hometowns. It was Iligan for me.

The airwaves were dominated with such songs like "Leaving On AJet Plane", "Mac Arthur's Park", "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", among others. But on second thoughts, we were also worried as we were graduating from college then. What if it would take months before classes would reopen? Yes, it took along time for Silliman, probably the last of the private schools to resume classes for the simple reason that Silliman was full of rebels, the campus paper printed Marxist writings, and there was hardly a week when pictures of Fidel or Che did not grace its pages.

On October 15, 1972, classes finally resumed and we're back to school, to the so-called New Society or Bagong Lipunan, with the prescribed semi-army haircut at one-inch above the collar. We were required to wear our university ID, otherwise it was "No ID, No Entry" to the campus beside the sea. It was a period of cessation from student activism, social unrest, Marxist writings, anti-Marcos rallies, and all that buzz, fuzz, and jazz. There was peace and quiet and open air. We led life like contented cows bound by a 7:00 p.m. curfew and certain prohibitions. Night life was on an absolute zero point with us turning ourselves to reading our books and saying goodbye to crammings. Indeed, 1972 was a memorable year for the simple reason that it has left so many significant memories in our lives which until now we still cherish and treasure so much. But most of all, because we were so young then. And we're on top of the world.

What about you, what's one memorable September in your life?

Michael John L. Siangco, Batch '96

September has always been a special month for me.  My birthday falls on the 1st day (that's why my name is Michael), my university (MSU) back in college celebrates its founding anniversary also on the same day, there are a number of Muslim holidays on the said month, and most especially, if you are an Iliganon, it is the most festive month in the city (of course, after Christmas).

September 29 marks the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. It is the time where there is actually a 'sea of people'.  From the parades to the overcrowded public vehicles, you would wonder where have all these people come from.  Every house seems to have an endless flow of visitors.  Every kitchen seems to be endlessly cooking food.

People forget their problems just for this day to celebrate.  With the hardship that the Filipinos are going through these days, fiestas, as well as other celebrations, have become scapegoats to the reality.

People find comfort in relieving themselves from their burdens, inviting people over, chatting with friends, going to church and simply trying to take control their lives even for that moment.

To say that it's ok is a concession.  Anyway, we all need a break.  No matter how affluent or pauperized you are, we all have the right to enjoy the things that make us happy.

To say that it's a waste of time is a deprivation.  Deprivation of our rights to enjoy.  So why are we working so hard when we don't have time to appreciate little things?  Little things like time, family, friends, conversation?

Whatever ideas one may think in celebrating fiesta, go on.  Enjoying is the most important thing.

Have a nice time, everyone!

Linggo Ng Wika activities are actually not worth the headline of a newspaper of general circulation.  However, this year’s Linggo Ng Wika of the Lanao Chung Hua School (LCHS) got our attention. The activities did not only send us the message of loving our own language, but it tickled us with the feelings of joy seeing that most, if not all, of them can really perform on the stage.

The LCHS is one of the private schools in Iligan City that cater to smaller groups of students, perhaps just about a thousand of the Chinese blooded and the Chinoy. The non-Chinese students can be counted in fingers.

Like the other “small” private schools, the LCHS is trying to develop a whole man or person. It digs into the person’s academic potential and also in performing and non-performing arts and literature.  Perhaps, the reason behind, the Chinese has the advantage of being Confucians, a well rounded personality.  In view of this, this paper takes the Linggo Ng Wika affairs in its headline space.

Most of the schools in the country take Linggo Ng Wika as an affair of the “Departamento Ng Pilipino” (Pilipino Department) only. However, this year, the LCHS made the difference. Under the able production of Maam Jing Uy and all the teacher-choreographers, the Linggo Ng Wika was the affair of the entire studentry, from K1 to the 4th Year.  Perhaps no one had escaped. Everyone had his/her role in the presentation that made the atmosphere different than having few and selected students participate on the stage.

Let me call it a massive exposure of talents the LCHS had done. If there is a need to agree, it was the best way of cultivating the talents of the students. It actually gave chance to the silent, to the noisy and the serious and the happy-go-lucky to perform on the stage. The All-Star-Cast presentation alike will eliminate in the school the effects of teasing and humiliation after the affairs. Anyway, who should tease one, when all of them performed on the stage. Will there be a chance to find fault when all were busy doing the roles?

This paper picks up this issue to encourage other schools to involve all students and teachers during Linggo Ng Wika, History Week, International Day and the likes. If it won’t work in your schools, then LCHS will continue to make the difference -- a difference in developing unity, and inculcating the essence of being Pinoys. It is one step to true feeling of nationalism. Being a Chinese in blood is not the matter, being a naturally borne Filipino matters much. Kudos to the LCHS people.

Year after year, all schools, be they public or a private, are going to celebrate the “Linggo Ng Wika.” This school activity is governed by law, and no school is exempted.

Normally, the teachers and the students enrolled in the Pilipino Department are going to prepare during this “Linggo Ng Wika”. But some schools, like the Lanao Chung Hua School, has recently made the difference. The teachers of the entire LCHS and all of their students from K1 to Fourth year, prepared themselves for the whole week to produce a memorable Linggo ng Wika. The results were really memorable, not only to themselves, but also to the audience like us. The affair was so successful and we felt the atmosphere of joy both from the stage, to the arena and in the bleachers. The “Linggo Ng Wika” of the LCHS this year was an “All-Stars-Cast Presentation.”  It was then superb. Thanks to the overall producer and overall director of the show, Maam Jing Uy.

Of course, for the whole week, the students did have some sorts of  hectic schedules. Some routinary works at home were to be left out for that. But the agony of losing the usual assistance we set from our daughter was wiped out at the moment we saw them performed very well on the stage.

The props and the lines to be delivered during the culmination activity were in proper places.  All the dramas and performances over the stage  were  very  well  rehearsed.  The lightings, the sound system and the venue were all well taken cared.  And of course, the participants, though most were lips singing, they acted just like the originals.  Fantastic.

Yes. During the whole week we picked up our daughter late. Because the choreographers spent even the last few minutes mentoring their special ones in the respective episodes.   But of course, the parents were indirectly involved behind the scenes. The costumes were ours.  Not knowing that these were all for the “Linggo ng Wika” activity.

It is so very wonderful.  In LCHS, they celebrated the Linggo ng Wika week with very much applauded culmination activities. The yellings, the shouts, the demands were all heard whenever the favorite portions of the said program were shown.   Even the teacher participants in the program got the same demands and applauses. “Ang Pinoy talaga, lahat ay matalino,” I heard one in the back whisphered

It is so nice to ponder how the LCHS did all the said activities. As I observed, the program was well prepared that parents as their audience have been tickled to the bones.

Cameras, be it digital, moving and the ordinary, one were all in front of the stage.  Countless camera flashes over here and there ... what an amazing gesture of the parents to the performers on the stage.  It was very nice to know that everything did move smoothly.

Filipinos prioritize education, in fact brilliant Filipinos can be found all over the world.  Mostly they are in the United States of  America. But along with education, performing arts and performing on the stage are very well developed. We can see them performed in foreign lands and very well accepted.  I know of a Pinoy who, in time of financial crisis, flies to Hawaii, does concert there and returns home to the Philippines with money. That’s the wonder of the Pinoy, very good in the world of make-believes.

The hope of making  some more Nikki Bacolod is very high. Some of the LCHS students are very hopeful to make the Star Circle Quest (SCQ), in the Star in a Million, and many more. With that performance of the LCHS students during that “Linggo Ng Wika” this  year, I believe, the ABS-CBN will benefit from us soon. Momentarily, I am wishing for the falling star.  But of course, the LCHS teachers must help scout and develop some of the talented LCHS students.

[Note:  The sound system mentioned in the article is the one that the LCHS alumni donated.  But the lights were rented. Hopefully in the future, some kind-hearted alumni will be able to donate one so that the school will not have to rent everytime there is an affair. Having its own lighting equipment will lessen the financial burden of the school.  The school was able to save more than P10,000 a year by not having to rent the sound system. --James Booc]

Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66