Vol. 12, No. 13, December 22, 2008
Senior students of LCHS played the role of Santa Claus in this year's LCHS Christmas Outreach in Barangay Sta. Filomena, Iligan City.
Last December 12, all of us, together with Sir Jude Maña, our English adviser; Sir Wilfredo Mansueto, our C.A.T. commandant; and Ma'am Jing Uy, trooped to ACMAC Elementary School to bring Christmas presents and cheers to some 180 indigent pupils (in photos hereunder). The school, which was built for the Poblacion residents and hillside folks, is an extension of the Sta. Filomena Central School.
One can just imagine the excitement we stirred that day to them! Children wave and greeted us with a loud "Good Morning, Maayong Iligan!" We were treated to a warm welcome and a short program. In response, we presented a choral song number. We made sure that the gifts were enough. This means requiring all LCHS students from prep to high school to donate clothing, books and chipped in P80 for a food snack. We treated each one to a McDonald meal so they can proudly say they had a feast!
Serving the children had shown me the meaning of God's love translated through this outreach. Seeing their hearty smiles and expressions of gratitude were enough to fill our day. Being a blessing to others has given a new dimension to the meaning of "blessed” for us. This has been one of our most memorable experiences ever as students of LCHS.
[THE
AUTHOR. Ann Catherine Co is a 4th Year LCHS student. She's the
eldest daughter of Edwin Co (Batch '68) and a strong contender for high
school valedictorian this school year.]
Dec. 30: Let's party!
LCHS alumni will come together once more at the LCHS gym, in the annual LCHS alumni Christmas Party on Dec. 30, 2008, 6:30 p.m. -- a tradition observed year after year since the 1960s.
In charge of the Christmas bash is this year's Jubilarians, Batch 1983, in cooperation with the LCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc.
Among the highlights of the program are songs and dance numbers to be performed by students and alumni of LCHS. Also in store are the raffle draws with fabulous prizes at stake. Raffle tickets are available at P100 apiece, or P1,000 per booklet. Raffle prizes are: Brand new computer set with printer, 1st prize; 7 cu.ft. refrigerator, 2nd prize; 21" color TV, 3rd prize; 3 major consolation prizes; and 30 minor consolation prizes. Proceeds of the sales of the tickets will go to the Foundation Scholarship Fund and improvement of school facilities.
Be there on Dec. 30. Let's party!
According to Ms. Ke, Jamie's teacher at W.D. Ferris Elementary School, Canada, Jamie's act has become an inspiration to her class and to other children. Some of Jamie's classmates have expressed interest in growing out their hair to donate to the same cause. Jamie Ello is only 7 years old and a Grade 2 student. A remarkable kid indeed. Our hats off to Jamie and her mom Josiefel!
[Accompanying photo shows Jamie Ello having her hair cut before her classmates so she could donate her locks for a good cause. Inset photo shows Jamie before her haircut.]
7
Ups for a wonderful life
From Remedios Tan-Wee (Batch '64), Cotabato,
Philippines; email: airtime168@hotmail.com
Mon, 3 Nov 2008 11:03:08 -0700 (PDT)
(1) Wake Up ... decide to have a good day. (2) Dress Up ... put on a smile each day. (3) Shut Up ... learn to listen. (4) Stand Up ... for what you believe in. (5) Look Up ... to the Lord. (6) Reach Up ... for something higher. (7) Lift Up ... your prayers.
What makes some people dearest is not just the happiness that you feel when you are with them, but it's the loneliness you feel when you miss them.
Charles O. Sy,
Batch '67
Going Under The Knife
My friend Santi Ong wants lose weight but he's biding his time to do it. He's not getting anywhere near his goal with this weight-and-see attitude.
Roderick Ngo recently recruited his son Ken to run his construction projects. Their business slogan now is: Yes We Ken!
A friend of mine backed out of his scheduled heart operation. I guess he had a change of heart.
Is it true that the blood type of pessimists is always B-negative?
They say there are two things people fear most: Death and heights. Perhaps they should add having to go under the knife to the list.
I went under the knife a few weeks ago for excision of an infected cebaceous cyst on my back. The pesky cyst, which refused to leave my back for well over five years now, has grown to the size of an egg. It became painful due to infection. Yet the thought of having to go under the knife was, to say the least, just as painful, if not nerve-wracking.
Perhaps even more unnerving was the sight of stern looking hospital staff milling around me before I was wheeled into the Operating Room. They circled around me and peppered me with endless interrogation reminiscent of the Inquisition of heretics in the 12th century. Do you have allergy? Asthma? Heart problem? Diabetes? High BP? Which made me feel like I was about to be ushered into the Lethal Injection Chamber for death convicts. I was almost tempted to ask, "Can I have my one last wish?"
But, of course, as many of us know, it's often the pre-operation anxiety rather than the actual surgery itself that is difficult to bear. The surgery proceeded painlessly. Of course, it helped that I was given local anaesthesia and put under sedation. Someday they should also invent a serum to eradicate the terror of pre-op anxiety.
Before I was put under sedation I conjured up two grim post-op scenarios. If I awake later and see family members all gathered around me after what was supposed to be a minor operation, then there must be bad news. The operation could have unearthed something else serious. But even more dreadful is this second scenario: If I awake and I see faces of past enemies around me instead, then I must be in purgatory. Luckily, not of these occurred when I came to. What I saw were the same doctors and nurses casually going about their business inside the room. I was wheeled out into the Recovery Room a little groggy from the sedation but relieved that I finally got the monkey off my back.
Needless to say, all that ordeal on my back is, pardon the pun, all behind me now.
Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69
ONCE UPON A TIME, there lived a seven-year old boy who went to school as a Grade I pupil. It was Christmas time in the city. Yuletide carols reverberated here, there and everywhere, from the jukebox carenderia nearby, the hi-fi RCA stereo at home, or the radio stations, spinning Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, White Christmas, etc. There were also children caroling with accompanying tambourines made from soft drink crowns as well as adults from different groups, singing the traditional "Kasadya ning takna-a dapit sa kahimayaan ..." The store owners gave candies or coins to the kids, while a sealed envelop with cash inside was given to the adult groups. Some carolers brought with them the rondalla, guitar, accordion, harmonica, etc. as accompaniment to add glamor to their daygon (caroling).
This little boy, along with his classmates, were so excited to go to school one Saturday afternoon to decorate their classroom, wrapping the Christmas tree with those green crepe papers, cut and curled with a Mongol pencil, putting cotton and hanging decors, garlands, and other colorful trimmings, connecting those long crepe papers in varied colors of red, green and yellow from end to end of the classroom walls with a big red paper bell hanging from the center of the ceiling. Other classes came up with other innovations such as the broomsticks being splashed with white, beaten and hardened Perla soap, etc. After the decorating session, they rushed to a nearby store for a snack of banana cue and Coke.
By 5:00 p.m. the little boy was back home to help watch their store, wrapping candies for sale, entertaining customers, or simply watching people passing by the sidewalk. Apples were sold at 0.25 centavos a piece, a bar of Cadbury chocolate was pegged at 0.75 centavos. Hoc Shiu leg ham was selling at P30 per kilo.
On December 19, the little boy attended their Christmas party held in their classroom. The program started at 4:00 p.m. with a group singing of "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King ..." Perfect attendance, they all came to attend their Christmas Party in their colorful attire, each bringing a gift for the chin-chin gift (exchanging gift). There were song numbers and dance presentations, parlor games and prizes, so much fun and laughter, followed by a snack of egg sandwich, empanada, and lollipops placed inside a brown paper bag for easier distribution.
Christmas vacation started after the party. During this break, the little boy was so excited counting how many more days were left before Christmas Eve when he would hang a sock by the window for Santa Claus to put his gifts to him, truly believing in "Santa Claus is coming to town, so you better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why ..."
On Christmas morning, he woke up very early to see what Santa Claus has put inside the sock. He believed he had been a good boy because Santa gave him all the things he wanted: a choo choo train, a new pair of Ang Tibay shoes, Junior Classic Illustrated comics about Pinocchio, Jack and the Beanstalk, Thumbelina, and lots of imported chocolates and other goodies. He then went to mass along with his family. Upon returning home, he was so happy and elated to receive another bundle of gifts from his ninongs and ninangs, uncles, aunties, and neighbors. The dining table was filled with lots of his favorite dishes.
On New Year's Eve, this little boy, together with his siblings and friends, set up a tent in their backyard and went camping. They told stories, ate and listened to music. At the stroke of 12:00 midnight they camper around the backyard to light the libintador (firecrackers) with the use of a Lion Tiger mosquito killer as the igniting source. He was told that the first sound of the animal heard at that moment would indicate what the new year would bring (either prosperity, crisis, or famine). He was also told to jump several times in order to grow taller. And all these he believed, young and innocent that he was.
Today, fifty-six years after his first Christmas in 1952, the little boy is now into his midlife years. He has traveled life's many journeys, committed mistakes along the way, ran and stumbled, fell and stood again. He learned his lessons. He has been through a lot. But for always, the memories of past Christmases will stay as fresh as when they happened, just like a song's sweet refrain, reminding him of his happy childhood, of the little boy that he was ONCE UPON A TIME.
Free
holiday trip
From Peter Dy (Batch '66), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
A travel agent looked up from his desk to see an old lady and an old gentleman peering in the shop window at the posters showing the glamorous destinations around the world. The agent had had a good week and the dejected couple looking in the window gave him a rare feeling of generosity.
He called them into his shop, "I know that on your pension you could never hope to have a holiday, so I am sending you off to a fabulous resort at my expense, and I won't take no for an answer."
He took them inside and asked his secretary to write two flight tickets and book a room in a five star hotel. They, as can be expected, gladly accepted, and were off.
About a month later the little old lady came in to his shop. "And how did you like your holiday?" he asked eagerly.
"The flight was exciting and the room was lovely," she said. "I've come to thank you but one thing puzzled me. Who was that old guy I had to share the room with?"
Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66
St. Peter's College, our Former
Neighbor
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