Vol. 12, No. 11, November 10, 2008
LCHS chalks up a significant milestone this year as it celebrates its Foundation Day on Nov. 12, 2008. The occasion commemorates its 70th year of school operation since 1938. A remarkable milestone, by any measure. In the face of operational and financial setbacks, the school has managed to surmount all these through the dedicated guardianship of the Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
To herald this special occasion, the school has lined up a grand scale lineup of activities. The newly formed school band will be marching around the major thoroughfares of the city, followed by the dragon and lion dance performers. A formal program presentation will follow with a tribute to this year's Jubilarians at the school gym. Special numbers from the various class levels will showcase the multiple talents of the students as well as selected alumni. An awarding ceremony is one of the highlights in the program. And a sports tournament will cap the festivity.
This year's theme, "A Season of Thanksgiving," conveys our collective gratitude to the Almighty for the numerous achievements garnered by the students in local inter-school and international competitions.
LCHS band goes marchin' again
After more than a decade of hiatus, the LCHS school band will be marching again. The school administration took the initiative last June to revive the school band for the purpose of staging a grand scale performance as piece de resistance, so to speak, to highlight the school's 70th Foundation Day celebration. The band is composed of all high school students and selected intermediate pupils.
It will be recalled that one of the prominent co-curricular activities in the school's heydays was the school band presentation. In those glorious days, the band presentation was a consistent crowd favorite in the city's fiesta festivities and in the school's Foundation Day celebration. The band was renowned for its parade of campus beauties and alluring majorettes, accompanied by elite band players. A pride of the LCHS community, the band never failed to win the admiration of spectators whenever it performed during special occasions.
2 LCHS studes to vie in China competition
Two students of LCHS recently scored high marks to qualify for the First Chinese Culture, History & Geography Competition. They are Jason G. Lim (Batch 2008), second son of Gil S. Lim, and Barbe Q. Baguio (Batch 2008).
The event is held under the auspices of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Students representing 37 Chinese schools in the Philippines participated in this worldwide competition. Of these, 75 students, including our two LCHS students, got excellent ratings, making them eligible to join the winter camp in Qing Dao, China from Dec. 15 to 24, 2008.
STUDY
TOUR
Henry
Dy goes to Sweden
Vice Mayor Henry Dy (in photo) traveled to Sweden to participate
in a 9-day study tour last Oct. 25 to Nov. 2. The study tour was made possible
by invitation of the Swedish government. Henry Dy represented the
Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP), of which he is the vice president.
His study tour was funded by the Union of Local Authority of the Phippines
(ULAP) and the Local Government Academy (LGA). The focus of the study tour
was on local governance and the environment.
A highlight in the celebration of our Foundation Day on Nov. 12 is the tribute to our jubilarians. In 2005, the first Golden (Batch 1955 and below), Ruby (Batch 1965) and Silver Jubilarians (Batch 1980) were honored with special certificates of appreciation. This following list comprises this year's batch of jubilarians.
When
we share
From Julia Dy, Cebu, Philippines; email:
julia_dy2002@yahoo.com
Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:39:20 -0700 (PDT)
When we share laughter, that's twice the fun. When we share problems, it's half the pain. When we share tears, a rainbow follows our rain. When we share secrets, it's our hearts we reveal. The bottom line is: What draws us closer and makes us all care is not what we have ... but the things we share.
All the water in the ocean could never sink a ship unless it gets inside. Likewise, all the pressures of life can never hurt you ... unless you let them in.
Christine Veronica B. Uy
Grand Harvests
NEW MANDARIN MENTOR. A new lao-shi from mainland China arrived last October 4 to help train our local Chinese teachers in the language basics of Mandarin. He is Cheng Yan, a Bachelor of Science in Education graduate, major in Mandarin, at Shan Dong College. In addition to two other teachers from China, namely Chen Shao Juan and Dong Yaling, who have been handling the prep pupils at LCHS for two years now, the 40-year old trainer will solely concentrate on coaching the Chinese faculty in proper Mandarin communication. His presence and expertise have been weighed considerably by the School Board as a gainful opportunity to open night classes offering basic Mandarin conversation to interested parties, particularly, among the alumni circles and the general public. Two types of classes will be offered starting this November: the beginners and advanced classes. For inquiries on registration and fees, please contact Sian See Honghong, tel. no. 2235460, or cel no. 09177166091.
GRAND HARVESTS. It's a season of grand harvests for LCHS as its students continue to reap a succession of awards after awards. LCHS takes pride in the recent achievements of her students in local and international competitions. Congratulations are in order to the following:
2008 Australian Math Awardees: Chars Agustin S. Cu, Grade 3 (son of Agustin "Osting" Cu); Elisse Mikhaela G. Uy, Grade 3 (2nd daughter of Ernest Oliver Uy); Dana Clarisse L. Co, Grade 4 (eldest daughter of Ruben Co); Annamitz A. Rapliza, Grade 5 (eldest daughter of Annabelle Rapliza, faculty/math trainer); Mary Olivienne G. Uy, First Yr. (eldest daughter of Ernest Oliver Uy); Kenn Carlson M. Dy, Third Yr. (2nd son of Kelly Dy); Jim Darrell D. Ang, Fourth Yr. (eldest son of Jimmy Ang); Ann Catherine L. Co, Fourth Yr. (eldest daughter of Edwin Co). Their trainers were Jude John J. Maña Jr. and Annabelle A. Rapliza.
2008 Science International Competitions/Educational Assessment Australia): Erica Marie S. Cu, Grade 4 (eldest daughter of Agustin "Osting" Cu). Trainer: Eiress O. Lugod.
2008 Voice of Our Youth (City Level)/10th National Impromptu Speaking Competition: Reggielloyd F. Aguilar, Fourth Yr. (eldest son of Lloyd Aguilar), First Runner-up. Trainer: Charito L. Agcopra.
2nd Iligan City Statistics Quiz (High School Level): Ann Catherine L. Co, Second Place; and Reggielloyd F. Aguilar, Third Place. Trainer: Jude John Maña Jr.
Charles O. Sy, Batch '67
How LCHS Got Its Name
As
LCHS celebrates its 70th Foundation Day, let's take a trip back in time
and review how the Alma Mater came to be known as Lanao Chung Hua School.
When the school was established in 1938, it was named Lanao Chinese School (LCS). The founders chose to use "Lanao" as the school was envisioned to serve not only the Chinese Filipino community of Iligan City but also those in the neighboring towns of Lanao as well.
School, however, was interrupted at the outbreak of World War II. In her account of the school's history (Spectrum, Mar. 2, 1998 issue), Fe "Guat Ching" Quimbo wrote that the school ceased operation from 1941 to 1947. It reopened in 1948 when conditions in the country normalized.
Eventually, as the student population grew, the campus moved from its site on Quezon Avenue to a larger and more conducive location on Roosevelt Ext. in 1952. By this time, the school already offered secondary education. A research on school records by current English Department Head, Christine Veronica Uy, shows that the school was renamed Lanao Chinese High School in 1958. Pretty soon, the new acronym "LCHS" became a byword in the city's Tsinoy community.
Following the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines in 1972, a presidential decree Filipinizing private schools in the country was promulgated. Chinese schools were mandated to adopt a new curriculum and a new name. Thus, in 1976, LCHS was renamed anew as Lanao Community School. By this twist of fate, the school initials reverted to "LCS."
In 1982, at the induction ceremony of the LCS Board of Trustees, the area superintendent for private schools, who was the guest speaker, shared his misconception of LCS as a school. He said he had often heard of a "community" school somewhere in the area that frequently topped government exams. Yet, somehow he could not seem to identify which part of Lanao it was situated. This school, he surmised, must be nestled somewhere in some obscure hinterlands of Lanao del Norte. He had no inkling whatsoever that that school was Lanao Community School, least of all, one run by the Chinese Filipino community of Iligan.
That revelation gave some members of the Tsinoy community food for thought: The name, Lanao Community School, could be misleading as numerous public schools were generally identified as community schools. This motivated a concerned alumnus, Leonardo "Loloy" Tan, to do some brainstorming. Our school, he felt, should bear a name that can be identified with the Tsinoy community.
Sometime in 1986, with the formation of a committee to plan for the transfer of the school to a newly acquired property in Pala-o, Loloy found his chance to bring up his proposal for a new school name. Citing the misconception narrated earlier by the area superintendent as one of the reasons, Loloy proposed that the school be renamed Lanao Chung Hua School. But the idea was met with some dissension. The proposed name, some quarters averred, would never be approved. It still sounded Chinese and ran counter to the spirit of the decree Filipinizing private schools. But for Loloy, it was still worth a try. After all, a school in Cagayan de Oro was permitted to use "Kung Hua."
No serious deliberations on the proposal ensued thereafter. But in time it struck a chord with the school's powers-that-be. And in 1989, when the school opened its doors at its new sprawling campus in Pala-o, it was christened Lanao Chung Hua School. The new name was subsequently enshrined in its registration certificate with the Securities & Exchange Commission in February the following year.
The new name turned out to be an appropriate and smart choice. For it revived the acronym "LCHS," to which generations of students and alumni have endeared themselves all these years.
Friendship
From Peter Dy (Batch '66), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Friendship among women:
A woman didn't come home one night. The next morning she told her husband
that she had slept over at a friend's house. The man called his wife's
10 best friends. None of them knew anything about it.
Friendship among men:
A man didn't come home one night. The next morning he told his wife
that he had slept over at a friend's house. The woman called her husband's
10 best friends. Eight confirmed that he had slept over, and two said he
was still there.
Who's
guilty?
From Remedios Wee (Batch '62), Cotabato,
Phils.
Wife, dreaming in the middle of the night, suddenly
shouts, "Quick, my husband is back!"
Man jumps out of the window and suddenly realizes,
"Damn, I'm the husband."
I reentered the portal of LCHS in 1954 as a pupil in Chinese kindergarten. Our teacher was Huang Hun, wife of school principal Tan Dian Hun. By then our kinder-I class was already held in the newly completed kindergarten building (in photo). I remember very well the "little band" or sio-sio gak-tuy which I was initially a part of. We held our practice sessions in that three-room kindergarten building. Our musical instruments were all brand new. Unfortunately, I didn't last long with the band. I broke a few instruments!
Still fresh in my memory was the year 1956 when I was in Grade One. Our class won 2nd prize for a presentation of the entire school. We had a dance number. My dance partner was Melania Handumon. I think there were six pairs in our dance group. And our prize? Ten pesos! With that, our teacher bought a bucket of ice cream plus a bunch of cookies. We had them in one afternoon during class recess. The first prize of the school competition went to the 4th year high school students. They presented a barrio fiesta which included a cockfight scene. I remember Lim Ling "Waya" Te was one of the sabungeros in that number.
Obviously, we already had high school at LCHS when I entered kindergarten in 1954. There were grown-up boys and girls in school by that time. There were times when I mingled with them. Bebencio Palang used to carry me around. And Siao Kok Te even made a spinning top for me. Where did they hold their classes? Could it have been in a divided auditorium? I also remember during those days, only the Chinese teachers were holding office at the administration room with the school bell nearby. The English teachers were holding office at the back of the auditorium. The office was later expanded and both Chinese and English teachers shared the same area.
I also remember that near the kindergarten building was the so-called "high school" building which I think already existed at that time. But I don't remember it being occupied for high school classes. The high school classes may have been held at the auditorium or elsewhere. The building's ground floor was temporarily used as the laboratory. I still remember that life-size model of the human anatomy was displayed there. I was scared stiff of it. Adjacent to it were wooden toys, such as a rocking horse and a rocking boat which we would often ride. These were intended for kindergarten pupils. Obviously, the separate science laboratory building was not yet completed.
The second floor of the so-called high school building was originally intended to serve as a dormitory for student boarders, as indicated by its signage in Chinese characters. But for some reason, it never took off. And the entire building was later converted as the "high school" building.
The library building which also housed the living quarters of the principal with "the stairway to heaven" was a later addition. So where was the library before that? I remember principal Tan Dian Hun used to occupy one of the classrooms adjacent to the office as his living quarters when he first arrived.
These and many other facets of life at the good old LCHS campus continue to echo from a distant past as we mark the 70th Founding Anniversary of the Alma Mater. As the song popularized by Dean Martin in 1956 goes, "Memories are made of this."
Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66
|