Vol. 12, No. 7, August 25, 2008

Two bombs exploded one after another in Iligan City early in the evening of Aug. 17, 2008 wounding three persons including a four-year-old boy.

Superintendent Virgilio Ranes, Iligan City police director, said the first improvised bomb exploded at the second floor of Travelers Inn along Cabili Avenue, Iligan City at around 5:20 p.m. A hotel guest identified as Sarpada Kudarat, 63, a retired policeman of Kapatagan town, Lanao del Norte was wounded by the shrapnels in his mouth and nape.  Two bystanders below the inn identified as Myleen Savador, 17, a student and a resident of barangay Saray this city and four-year-old Nathaniel Gayla of barangay Mahayaha were also hurt by the blast.

Ten minutes later, another bomb exploded inside Caprice Pensionne House along Tino Badelles corner Lluch streets. No one was hurt in the second blast that shattered the windows of the pension house and nearby buildings.

A third bomb was reported to the police and was successfully defused by local bomb squad. The improvised bomb was discovered near the Maxxim Inn along Quezon Ave., ownded and operated by Fernando Chan and Elizabeth Dychutee-Chan.

Last week, reports of bomb threats circulated through text messages that the new Gaisano Mall would be the target. Several police and army operatives were deployed to the scene since then. In view of this, the city government has imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. everyday starting last Aug. 18.  The city mayor also called on city residents to take precautionary measures for any eventuality.

The bombings appear to be the result of the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the government and the MILF giving the MILF control of various ancestral lands under the Bangsa Moro.  The MOA was held in abeyance due to the objections of various local governments like Iligan, Zamboanga, and North Cotabato.

WORLD'S 2ND LARGEST
Giant flag unfurled in Iligan
A huge Philippine flag (the size of a football field), touted as the world’s second largest, was recently unfurled at the football area of Global Steel, Iligan City.  Grace Gupana, the woman behind this event and also the founder of Halleluyah Prophetic Global Foundation said they were in Iligan to advocate peace in Mindanao thru prayer gatherings participated by both Christians and Muslims. City Officials, headed by Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz witnessed the unfurling of this rare spectacle. This is the same flag that figured in international news last year -- in Masada, Israel.
 

More power!
From Rowena Rose Lee, Iligan, Philippines; email: witchy_wena@yahoo.com.ph
Mon, 14 Jul 2008

Hi! The LCHS spectrum is so nice. It helps us contact those friends and classmates who are far away from here. More power to LCHS!

LAI-BERTULFO WEDDING.  Bryan Bruce Lai (Batch '94) exchanged martial vows with Frances Anne Bertulfo in Cebu City last Aug. 8 (in photo hereunder).  Bryan is the son of Alfredo Lai ('59) and Elita "Po-Hua" Ong Lai ('62) while the bride Frances is the daughter of Leonardo Bertulfo Jr. and Elvisa Bertulfo of Cebu City.  The wedding ceremony was held at the St. Joseph Parish Church, Mabolo, Cebu and the wedding reception followed at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.  Among the principal sponsors were Vice Mayor Henry Dy, Sy Bing Gui, Felipe Chan, Miguel Lee, Nancy Lee, and Donata Sy.  Among the bridal entourage were Alfredo Lai II, best man; Hiram Dy-Henry, Hilton Neil Sy and Clark Lai, groomsmen; and Diana Grace Sy, bridesmaid.  A few days after the wedding, the new couple flew back to Chicago, U.S.A. where they are pursuing their careers as physical therapists.

McDo IN ILIGAN.  The latest attraction that's drawing hordes of patrons to its doors in Iligan is McDo. The world-renowned food chain, McDonald's, opened its newest branch in Iligan City. It is located on the ground floor of the partially completed New Gaisano Mall, National Highway, within walking distance from the St. Michael Cathedral. The new outlet is owned and operated by Maria Luisa Soy (Batch '82) and her husband from Manila, as franchisee. It opened last July 25 complete with fireworks, fanfare, and the traditional dragon dance performed by selected LCHS students. Top government officials and business leaders, led by Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Vice Mayor Henry Dy, graced the store's inauguration. McDonald's is the first establishment to open on the ground floor of the new Gaisano Mall.  Many other establishments and chic shops will soon follow when the mall's ground and second floors formally open for business very soon.

MAHOGANY HILLS.  Another new attraction in Iligan is Mahogany Hills Resort.  Nestled on the hilltops of Pala-o, Mahogany Hills is a hillside hideaway suitable for social functions, wedding receptions, parties, conventions or live-in seminars. It has a big social hall, cottages, swimming pools, and assorted amenities. The place is an ecological marvel as it is surrounded by Mahogany trees and lots of plants and vegetation.  The place offers a good view of Iligan city. It is owned by the Teves family of Iligan.

LATEST HANGOUT.  Another new attractions in Iligan is Club Zinc. It's the latest hangout for the city's yuppies and party buffs.  The pace is located on the second floor of the Garcia Building along Quezon Ave. Ext. Club Zinc opens nightly from 6 to 2 a.m. and party-goers are in for a real treat on Friday and Saturday nights with its in-house DJ for a night of dancing on its spacious dance floor.  There's no mistaking it when the party starts at night every weekend as the place switches on its laser light that shoots up a shaft of bright light into the night sky.  Aside from functions rooms for special occasions and private parties, the place also caters to exclusive business meetings. The place is owned by the Libron family who used to run a small outdoor bar called El Centro on corner Quezon Ave. and Roxas Ave. Soon to open beside the Club Zinc is Postrio Verde Steakhouse for those seeking to indulge in Italian or western cuisine, especially tenderloin steak.

NEW HOTEL AT CEBU PIER.  A new hotel has opened in Cebu City named Pier Cuatro Hotel (in photo).  It is so named because the hotel is located very near Cebu's Pier 4. It's within walking distance from the berthing area where many vessels plying the Iligan and Cagayan de Oro routes drop anchor.  The hotel is owned and operated by Roderick Ngo (Batch '70) together with his wife Marivic. The five-storey Pier Cuatro Hotel has 84 rooms, 2 function rooms, restaurant, in-door parking, and a host of deluxe amenities.  The hotel had its formal blessing last Aug. 8 and it opened for business starting last Aug. 21.

Sometimes, in our moments of solitude or times when we're not so occupied with the business of life and living, we make a backward march to the good old days and ask ourselves "What could have been had I or had I not ...?".  Here's a list of the "What Could Have Been's" in our lives.

What could have been had I ...

... not taken up Medicine or Nursing or Engineering or Commerce or Architecture, etc.?
... gotten married to my college sweetheart and not to my present spouse?
... not listened to the advice of my elders?
... went ahead and opened that restaurant or motor shop business?
... allowed my children to study in Manila or Cebu instead of Iligan?
... left Iligan in favor of the U.S. for greener pasture?
... bought a condo unit instead of building a bungalow in a subdivision lot?

All these plus the 101 "what could have been's" in our lives do haunt us every now and then, the so-called unfinished businesses of yesteryears coming back to life.

Ideally, we should leave the past behind and just live for today. But sometimes, we just couldn't help but think back and look back to our yesteryears, with matching comparison of what took place then and what's up now. Human as we are, we do fall into this kind of experience called retrospection. It's ok to go back to yesterday, if we must, but only for a short while. After that, we have to wake up to the reality of the present, otherwise we'll be living in the past and we might get stucked up there, living in the stage of denial, and would find it hard to grow up.

Murder Mystery at Makati Med
Forwarded by Robert Co (Batch '66), Iligan, Philippines, SMS +639177166282

There was this case in the hospital's Intensive Care ward where patients always died in the same bed and on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had something to do with the supernatural. Or even murder. No one could solve the mystery as to "Why deaths happen on Sunday at 11 AM?"

Jaime Licauco, Fr. Bulatao and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived one Sunday, armed with special photographic equipment, infra-red devices and motion-sensitive radar to detect any presence. So on the next Sunday morning a few minutes before 11 a.m., all the doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to see for themselves what the mysterious phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, strings of garlic, amulets, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off evil spirits.

Just then, the clock struck 11 ... and Mang Joe, part-time Sunday janitor, entered the ward, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner.

Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66

Alumni Rocker