Vol. 6, No. 21, January 20, 2003
LFCCCI
donates more school buildings
The
Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (LFCCCI), aided by the
Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce, Inc. (FFCCCI), recently
donated 10 more school buildings to different barangays in Iligan.
Among the recipients of the two-classroom buildings are Villa Verde Elementary School, Pugaan Elementary School, Pugaan High School, Mimbalut Elementary School, Maria Cristina Falls Elementary School, Angelico Medina Elementary School, Abuno High School, Tubod Elementary School, Kiwalan Elementary School, Bayug Elementary School, and Maria Cristina High School.
The donations were made possible through the efforts of Henry Dy (in photo at left), president of the LFCCCI, and Sy Chu An (in photo at right), director of the FFCCCI, who convinced the officers of the Federation in Manila to share a part of their nation-wide school building projects in Iligan. Although he is no longer a public official, Henry Dy vows to continue helping the people of Iligan through the improvement of education facilities by constructing more school buildings.
Mabuhay Vinyl constructs new plant
The Mabuhay Vinyl Corporation (MVC) is constructing a new plant for the manufacture of Ion Exchange Membrane cell in Iligan. The P50 million project is part of the company's P350 million expansion program at its plant site in Assumption Heights, Buru-un, Iligan City. Mabuhay Vinyl is the country's leading manufacturer of caustic soda and hydrochloric acid. Undertaking the construction of its new plant is Metaphil Corporation, a division of the Aboitiz Construction Group, Inc. Iligan City and 1st district Rep. Alipio Badelles expressed his appreciation to MVC for investing P350 million in Iligan City. He said the investment would keep the local economy afloat as well as provide employment opportunities to the people of Iligan.
2 brothers jump to their death from vessel
Brothers Ronaldo and Ricardo Canoy jumped to their death from an inter-island vessel leaving the port of Iligan last Sunday night, Jan. 12, after sending off their sister who was bound for Manila. Authorities said Ronaldo, 37, and Ricardo, 31, apparently failed to heed the "fuera visita" or the call for non-passengers to disembark from the M/V Dipolog Princess of Sulpicio Lines and decided to jump off just as the vessel was readying to depart.
The bodies of the Canoy brothers, both security guards, were found Monday afternoon, according to Lt. Cmdr. Alex Germinia, chief of the city’s Coast Guard detachment. Coast Guard frogmen and personnel of the National Power Corp., Philippine Ports Authority and the local Rescue 811 suspended their rescue operations late Sunday due to poor visibility.
Authorities were baffled why the two brothers failed to heed the "fuera visita" call aired over the ship’s public address system and why they jumped off from the vessel’s rear when the propeller was already in motion. The Canoys’ step-brother Jaime Jumawan, who accompanied them but stayed at the wharf, said he shouted at Ricardo not to jump even as the vessel was still about 30 meters from the pier. Witnesses said Ronaldo jumped afterwards but was engulfed by the waves. Ricardo almost reached the wharf but drowned.
Roger Suminguit, Batch '73
Pit Senyor!
Our greetings to all fellow alumni in Cebu City which celebrates
its annual fiesta of the Santo Niño on Jan. 19. We learned
from our avalanche 
of
text messages that there are more contingents joining the Sinulog Mardi
Gras this year. Over 122 contingents from different parts of the
country and abroad are taking part in the now world-famous Sinulog festivities
that began in 1980. The mardi gras consists of street dancing (Sinulog-based
and free interpretation), floats, higantes, and puppetry.
Cebu is currently awash with both domestic and foreign tourists. Hotels
and pension houses are all fully booked. No wonder our good friend
Roderick
Ngo (Batch '70), in photo, and his wife Marivic Ngo,
in photo at right, are grinning from ear to ear. Their two pension
houses, Westpoint Inn and Travel Bee, located just within a stone's throw
from the Fuente Osmeña, have been booked full as early as a month
ago. To our alumni in Cebu, Pit Senyor! Hala bira,
kumbira na pud! Meanwhile, more and more alumni are starting
to establish new homestead in Cebu. Aurora Ong Sy (Batch '66) and
husband Samson Sy are currently constructing an apartment complex
in Cebu. Overseeing the construction job are their two able children
Hilton
Neil Sy (Batch '95), who is a civil engineer, and Caroline Jean
Sy (Batch '98), an interior design specialist. The site of their
new apartment is in Guadalupe, near the back of the residence of Jose
Sam Go (Batch '67), and not far away from the houses of
Henry Yu
(Batch '69),
Nelson Sy (Batch '62), and Charles O. Sy (Batch
'67). "Tracers" also heard that Christopher Chua Teck An
also owns an apartment building at V. Gullas St., in downtown Cebu.
Our congratulations to Remedios Tan-Wee (Batch '64) on the wedding
of her son Jerome last Jan. 12. Jerome Wee and
Eleanor
Dorotan were married at the Basilica of San Sebastian, Quiapo, Manila.
The bride is the daughter of Lolita Dorotan of Manila. Congressman
Harry
Angping stood as one of the principal sponsors. The reception
took place at the New World Renaissance Hotel in Makati. The newly-weds
are currently on their honeymoon aboard a Singapore cruise.
Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87
Somebody asked me why my article was absent on the last issue of Spectrum. Well, around the time of the deadline, we were somewhere between Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. And since I’m still saving up for a laptop, there was really no way I could beat the deadline. And below is the story why, in other words this is my alibi.
We spent our first night on Mindanao soil in Cagayan de Oro. It
was for the 70th birthday celebration of my uncle Mr. Leonardo Go a.k.a 
Leong
Hing (alumni batch ... never mind). “Uncle, happy birthday ha!”
We had a sumptuous dinner at Dynasty Court, where we also had a mini reunion
of the Quimbo clan. That night I met uncles, aunts and cousins whom
I haven’t seen for ages. One of them was an aunt, the youngest sister
of my father whom I haven’t seen for eighteen years. It was a night
of catching up, lots of laughter and tears. Everybody wanted to freeze
the moment, everybody pulled out their cameras to take pictures.
We felt like stars being photographed by the paparazzi. Every one took
turns in taking a picture. Then at some point, without us knowing, it was
already the birthday celebrant who was taking our pictures. Hmmm,
he was supposed to be in those photos. Oh well, he must have felt
that he had enough taken for one night.
The fun and frolic didn’t stop that night because the following morning 10 of us cousins, including my eldest son, went rafting. Yes, RAFTING (see accompanying photos). Even if we were still feeling groggy from the late night chit-chat we still had to get up early because we were supposed to be at the meeting point at 9. Our meeting point was at the Plaza in Divisoria. There we boarded a bright yellow jeepney complete with our yellow rafts tied on the roof. The minute I saw the rafts my stomach did a somersault, because I was thinking that it would be a bit bigger. Big enough to accommodate seats with seatbelts. But my cousin Marites kept assuring us that everything was going to be fine.
Then before our ride left its spot, we were made to sign waivers. At that time I was already an inch away from jumping off the vehicle and saying bye-bye to the white water. On that form we were asked for our blood type, etc., etc.; at that time my blood’s type was already in big C.O.L.D. As in I was already cold with fear. On my son’s form, they asked for the first person to contact if something happens and I wrote my name. Who else, di ba? The mother should be the first person to know. That is if it’s not the mother who falls off first. But again my cousin said that nothing would happen, and so we all signed and agreed that whatever happens we won’t hold them liable. The minute we handed all the forms our ride sped through the city and off we climbed the hill leading to the airport, and beyond.
All these years I thought that there was nothing beyond the airport. It was only then that I learned that there were still people in that area living just a few seconds away from the airport. There was this long and dusty, winding road. Let me emphasize on the dusty part. Because before we left our hotel we applied coats of sun block lotion to protect ourselves from the midday sun. So with the clouds of dust on that road mixing with our lotion most of us ended up looking like camouflaged commandos with mud on our face.
By the time we arrived at the jump off point, we were all eager to hit the water. But before we made one step into that rushing river, the guides made sure that all of us had our life vests on and our helmets too. Then somebody handed each one of us a paddle. Some were caught by surprise, including me coz I thought that we’d just be sitting-pretty while somebody would do the paddling for us. Obviously another big mistake. There was some instructions given, then off we went.
This river divides CdO from Bukidnon. And there’s a total of fourteen drops, as in 14. Before we set off, I was already thinking of ways that I’d do if I couldn’t make it to the 14th. I couldn’t possibly stop on the 13th, since it sounds bad luck. So it’s either I stop earlier or finish the whole course with my eyes closed.
We paddled for 3 or 4 hours, during that time and in between drops we were able to see a lot of things. We saw caves, we saw a striped snake sleeping soundly between the creases of a rock, we saw hills of different shapes, we saw at close range what a Water Strider looks like in real life. Remember the insect featured in the Jacky Chan movie the Tuxedo? There were lots of them in that river.
At one point we had to wade through the gushing river, and just trusted the guides who told us that there’s no buwaya in that river. Although, some people say that buwayas used to be seen in that area. Good thing buwayas don’t eat dim sum, coz that would have been us.
On our first few drops, I thought my spirit left me already. In Bisaya, nilupad akong ispiritu. But then as I learned where to anchor my feet on the raft and learned to balance myself, the next drops were just pure thrill. We were not even half-way yet when my son already asked me if we can come back again next year.
Before we reached the finish line, everyone was asked to make the graduation jump. Meaning, we all had to jump off a rock about 12 or 15 feet above the water level. All of us, except Marites, went up the rock. As my cousins bravely jumped off, I thought I could do it too. But this time my being the number one talawan won. As I looked at the water from above, my knees were already shaking. I just couldn’t do it. Everybody below was already coaxing me to jump, but nothing could make me. Not even the fact that going down from that rock was so much more difficult than climbing up. It was like walking on a cliff backwards.
Since Marites and I didn’t make that graduation jump, they say that it means we have to repeat the course some other time. As in “bagsak”among mga beauty kay talawan man kaayo. But we had so much fun. Hopefully by next trip, Marites and I will have gathered enough courage to make that jump. Will try to ask our guides Rupert, Chism, and Mai-tim (since he is already so dark), if we could rent a parachute for that jump (hehehe).
Ok, I know Rene Tiu would ask me again how much was the fee for that adventure. Well, we paid P1,200.00 each. This includes the trip back to the Plaza from down stream. I was thinking that if we didn’t stop at the 14th drop, our last drop might be the Maria Cristina falls. We’d all look like lizards stuck on the walls of the NPC dam.
As we made it back to civilization with our bodies intact and our limbs complete, I’m really glad that we went through that adventure. Unmindful of the muscle pain from all the paddling. At least when I get old I could look back and say that once upon a time I was able to do something “wild”.
I want to thank my cousin Marites for showing us another side of CdO. That CdO is not just a city that Iligan will never be; it’s not just a city of malls, that it’s also a city where nature is well-preserved and respected. We’re once again reminded to take good care of Mother Earth, so that the generations after us would still be able to experience what we experienced that day.
So I challenge our readers to try the White Water Adventure at CdO, just to test if you still have the knees for it.
So is my alibi good enough? What do you think, boss?
(Yes, Jen, your alibi is good enough.
And it put to shame those of us who live nearby (only 80 kilometers away)
not to have gone beyond CdO's airport. So near, and yet so far?
You were right to challenge our readers to try the White Water Adventure
at CdO, "just to test if you still have the knees for it." Those
who do not have the knees for it will surely miss one half of their lives.
So, dear readers, if you want to take up the challenge, you may contact:
Mr. Rupert M. Domingo, White Water Adventure- Cdo, tel. no. 0888571270,
cel no. 0917-3863195, email: riverguide95@hotmail.com --Editor.)
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Nia Vardalos, John Corbett Runtime: 1 hr. 35 mins. |
There's
a new film that's currently drawing crowds and topping box office charts
in the U.S.A. and Canada. Entitled "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the
movie stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett under the direction of Joel Zwick.
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" has a simple plot but its strength lies in its mass appeal that transcends extreme cultural divides. The story abounds with characters and family situations that everyone can identify with. It tells the story of Toula Portokalos (played by Nia Vardalos) who works in her family's restaurant Dancing Zorba's. At 30, Toula is still living with her big and noisy Greek family and kowtows to her strict father -- who believes that every Greek woman's ambition should be to marry a Greek man, make many Greek babies and feed everyone until the day she dies. Life takes a new turn when Toula falls in love and becomes engaged to a non-Greek high school teacher Ian Miller (played by John Corbett). What ensues is a hilarious tale of what happens when two families -- one loud Greek Orthodox, the other conservative Episcopalian -- must reconcile their differences for the sake of their children's happiness.
Nia Vardalos easily steals the thunder from the rest of the cast with her portrayal of Toula. She made Toula's character believable. Michael Constantine as Toula's grouchy father is stubborn, but he plays his cards so well that the viewer ends up adoring him instead of hating him for his chauvinistic character. The movie explores the old formula of culture clash and how two young people in love with each other struggle to cope with these conflicts. This film is not the first to deal with big weddings and what transpires when too many family members join the fray. Ang Lee (director of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") did it with the 1993 romantic comedy "The Wedding Banquet," about a gay Taiwanese-American man who marries a young Chinese woman to satisfy his parents, as did Mira Nair with last year's "Monsoon Wedding," about an arranged Indian marriage. The element of racial differences in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" likewise reminds us of similar hit film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" starring Sydney Poitier in the 1960s.
Not many viewers are familiar with Nia Vardalos. She is better known as a standup comic than as a movie star. In 1998 she wrote and starred in a one-woman play about how she defied her Greek parents and married a non-Greek man. Tom Hanks and his Greek wife Rita Wilson saw the show. They loved it so much that they convinced Nia Vardalos to make it into a movie with the actress herself in the lead role. Thus the movie has as its producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson. They spent only $5 million to produce the film and it has now grossed $227 million to date.
What makes "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" particularly interesting is that many aspects and scenes in the movie mirror similar situations among large Chinese families. The pre-wedding day scene, complete with all the panic and frenzy of activities, is particularly funny and moving. It's an all-too-familiar scenario for many of those who had a bride in the family at one time or another.
Go see it. You'll find that this indeed is one Big Fat Great Movie to watch.
* * * * * * * * *
| Mano Po
Eddie Garcia, Ara Mina, Kris Aquino Runtime: 2 hr. 15 mins. Now showing at Iligan Plaza Cinema |
After forty years in show business, movie producer Lily Yu-Monteverde, better known as Mother Lily, has finally come up with a "dream project" -- Mano Po, which is based loosely on her father's life story. The movie had been brewing in her mind for four years. And it took several brainstorming sessions with scriptwriter Roy Iglesias over a period of two years before the project began taking shape.
Best Picture
Award
That's why it came as no surprise when Mano
Po, which depicts three generations of a Chinese immigrant family and
how they adopted themselves to their host country, won the "Best Picture
Award" at the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival,
The movie also won the "Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award" for its excellence in depicting the cross-culture development between Chinese and Filipinos.
Other awards won by Mano Po are: "Best Actor" for Eddie Garcia; "Best Actress" for Ara Mina;"Best Director" for Joel Lamangan; "Best Supporting Actress" for Kris Aquino; "Best Screenplay" for Roy Iglesias; "Best Original Story" for Mother Lily and Roy Iglesias; "Best Cinematography" for Leslie Garchitorena; "Best Editing" for Tara Illenberger; "Best Production Design" for Tatus Aldana; and "Best Musical Score" for Von de Guzman.
Chinese immigrants
Mano Po tells the story of Fong Huan alias
Luis Go (played by Cogie Domingo as the young Eddie Garcia), a Chinese
youth who left his country to seek his fortune overseas. He landed
in the Philippines where he met and married a Filipina, Elisa (played by
Maxene Magalona as the young Boots Anson Roa). In 1949, Fong Huan
made the mistake of bringing his wife to war-torn China where the foreign
bride was unwelcome.
This episode hews closely to the story of Mother Lily's Chinese father, the late copra tycoon Domingo Yuchu, who married Profetiza Buban, a Filipina from Sorsogon. As Mother Lily tells it, "My father came here from China looking for a job, like many Chinese from the mainland at the time, shortly after the first world war."
Her father, who was 18 when he first set foot in the Philippines, worked in a shoe store. Her mother, who was from Sorsogon, was a laundrywoman. As fate would have it, the two met and the shoe salesman fell in love with the laundrywoman. After the marriage, Domingo Yuchu brought his bride to China. But the cultural gap and language barrier were so formidable that she decided to return to the Philippines. The lovestruck groom followed the bride all the way to Bicol. The young couple found their fortune in copra, and they lived with their growing family for many years in Binondo, Manila. Their children grew up in the cross-current between two cultures, and Mother Lily herself is as fluent in Tagalog as she is in Chinese, shifting from one language to another.
In the movie, after a brief stay in China, the young couple settled in the Philippines, raised two kids (who grew up as Tirso Cruz III and Amy Austria) and built a business empire that was soon managed by one of their three grandchildren,.the astute and stonehearted Vera (played by Maricel Soriano). Vera is the eldest, a tough lady who is most successful in business but never marries. Juliet (played by Kris Aquino) comes next, the meek and obedient sister trapped in a loveless marriage to Eric Quizon. The youngest, Richelle (played by Ara Mina), is the family black sheep, carrying a dangerous liaison with an undercover officer (played by Richard Gomez), and gets involved in the underworld in a role as if copied literally from the life of Mary "Rosebud" Ong, the controversial Chinese mestiza in cheongsam . It is around these three female grandchildren that the rest of the story revolves.
Simple story
It is quite a simple story, reminiscent of Joy
Luck Club by Amy Tan, but it is told from the different points of view
of the film's major characters that help elicit insights and perspectives
about Tsinoys in this country--their business acumen, clannishness,
adherence to customs, and their twin feelings of belonging and alienation
from their countrymen. The focus on the third- generation sisters
reminded many viewers of the excellent Chinese movie The Soong Sisters.
Location shootings
To give authenticity to the movie, the actors
and crew did some location shootings in China, braving the freezing temperature
as they took footages of the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square
and the Great Wall. And to heighten the movie's documentary feel,
the production designer used
footages from the archives of the Philippine Information Agency in a subtle
attempt to show Eddie Garcia talking to former First Lady Imelda Marcos,
attending the oath-taking of Cory Aquino at Club Filipino and watching
the 1974 Miss Universe beauty pageant at the Folk Arts Theater. Computer-generated
scenes
were popularized by the movie Forrest Gump where Tom Hanks was shown
shaking hands with JFK and conversing with John Lennon.
Fookienese
dialogues
To make the scenes realistic, the director
made the actors deliver some of the dialogues in Fookienese. Of course,
the Chinese-speaking audience must bend backward to make allowances for
the Filipino actors' attempt. Surprisingly, though, Tirso Cruz III
acquitted himself well and one might be convinced that he really spoke
the language, albeit haltingly. All the actors had to undergo an intensive
course in Chinese and the producer sought the help of
Ateneo language professors Jane Yu and Patrick Ong to coach them on
the set to make sure that they got their lines and accents right.
Eddie Garcia was convincing when he spoke Tagalog like the Chinese migrants
of old. However, he pronounced his Chinese words like a Japanese.
And Ara Mina? She was so cute and sexy that even if she murdered
the Chinese language the audience heard it as "oooooh" and "aaaaaah."
Superb acting
Another strength of Mano Po lies in the
colorful performances of its actors in the film. Kris Aquino
said a scene in the film with Eddie Garcia and Boots Anson-Roa made her
cry. "There was this scene where Tita Boots was about to die and
Tito Eddie was sobbing beside her death bed," she recalled. "He didn't
want her to go because they came together from China and they promised
to go back one day. This deathbed scene should
touch a lot of viewers.
Termagant sister
Maricel Soriano attempts to flesh out a deeper
characterization of Vera, the termagant sister. Stern and eternally
rigid, her character is written in such a way that her mood only swings
from angry to angrier. Perhaps, she acquired this behavior because
she has worked all her life while her two sisters have all the time to
play around.
Obedient daughter
The revelation in this movie is Kris Aquino who
convincingly plays the role of a prim, proper and obedient daughter of
Tirso Cruz III. She is forced
to marry a rich Chinese businessman for a more formidable business alliance.
Her
acting here is understated but sharp. Kris Aquino actually gets the most
difficult role in the film because it’s the one with the least highlights
and acting moments (except for the confrontation scene with Maricel Soriano
at the restaurant, which Kris delivers very well). All throughout the movie,
she is left with no choice but to merely project little nuances here and
there, which is really a tougher job. But to Kris’ credit, she manages
to shine in spite of the fact that her screen character really lacks color.
Black sheep
Ara
Mina stood out in her role as the family black sheep Richelle,
the free-spirited, rebellious granddaughter who acts more Filipino than
Chinese, got involved
with drugs and the underworld, fell in love with a police
investigator (played by Richard Gomez), became an undercover agent and
earned the ire of Vera. She is able to portray correctly the various layers
in her very colorful character. It was through her character that
most of the story's complications developed.
Dual
heritage
Mano Po is very meaningful because it
attempts to portray in film the complex reality of Chinese-Filipino families
as the fusion of Filipino and Chinese cultural influences. It succeeded
in showcasing some of the time-honored Chinese traditions and customs.
Movie director Joel Lamangan said, "By dramatizing the joys, pains and
struggles we share as a people, we hope to come to a better understanding
of our common past, the contemporary reality and what direction we are
heading." Mano Po really makes Pinoys understand better the
Chinese in their midst who for centuries
have played a dominant role in the country's economy and whose influence
has extended to other aspects of the nation's life as well.
Ethnic minority
As advanced by journalist Wilson Lee Flores,
Mano Po is a major breakthrough in promoting better understanding
and acceptance of the Chinese-Filipino community as full-pledged Filipinos
with a different cultural heritage. Perhaps in the future, the Chinese
cultural traditions can be accepted as part of the vibrant and diverse
Filipino national community similar to the acceptance for the uniqueness
of Ilocano, Chabacano, Tausug, Cebuano, Ifugao, Manobo, Maranao and other
cultural traditions. Instead of forsaking their heritage, ethnic
identity and roots, Chinese-Filipinos should help immeasurably enrich the
multi-cultural and dynamic Filipino national culture with their contributions
such as what Mother Lily has done.
Touching speech
Mother Lily gave a touching brief speech when
she accepted the Best Picture Award:
"Mano Po was made straight from the heart. This film is my way of saying 'Thank You" to the Filipino people. I was born here, I grew up here, and I continue to make a living here. Despite my Chinese features and Chinese origin, I consider myself Filipino.
"The Philippines is my only home. Thank you Philippines for your generosity. Thank you for making me feel that I belong.
"I hope Mano Po will serve to bring together Filipinos and the Chinese who have made the Philippines their home. May we no longer look down on each other. Both Filipinos and Chinese should be equally proud of this country!"
Take it from me, Mano Po is the type of movie you will enjoy watching over and over again.
Cradle of My Youth
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967
Iligan was home to me for a good half of my life. Despite
having settled in Cebu for well over 25 years now, I still think of Iligan
as home. It is after all the place of my birth and cradle of my youth.
Memories of the house I once called home still linger like recycled dreams. The house that was home to our family stood right in the heart of the city along Quezon Avenue and Mabini St. (in photo). It rose from the ashes of our old house a year after the big fire that struck Iligan in May 1957. I never saw our house during its construction. My father sent the entire family off to Cebu so he could devote his time to the construction. Thus I spent my Grade-One at the Kian Kee High School (now Cebu Christian Gospel School). We returned to Iligan when the building was completed in 1958. And for the next 27 years it was to become the spot upon which my best memories of Iligan are enshrined.
At the core of our two-storey house was the balcony that offered a commanding view of downtown Iligan when high-rise buildings were still few and far between. Visible from this vantage point were the Iligan Bay on the west and the magnificent Mt. Agad-Agad on the east. On a clear day, one could see the pine trees and the twin flag poles of LCHS in the distance. For many years the porch was to become the center of innumerable pleasant family gatherings and social activities in our house. It was where the family would often converge after dinner. We the children would sit around while my father and mother discussed matters of consequence and assorted stuffs under the sun.
In many ways the porch also served as my father's forum. It was where he held court whenever his former students came visiting to discuss current events with him. I remember among his regular young visitors were Henry Siao and Elson Siao. At a time when television was unheard of, my father was a frequent source of overseas news in the community. The transistor radio was his perennial companion. Not an evening passed when I didn't see him tuned in on the shortwave bands for broadcasts from China News Agency and the Voice of America. He would share what he monitored on the airlanes with his group of friends in their afternoon gatherings the following day. Among the regulars in the group were Siao Ching Tin, Kho Nai Seng, Sammy Uy, Dy Tiao Lim, Dy Chu Tee, Te Thong Ben (Tan Lam), Khu Un Thiam, Ngo Wan Sing, and Khu Cho Boo.
Like the rest of the family, the porch was likewise my favorite hangout. In my younger days I also had a group of frequent visitors among the kids in the neighborhood who would come by the house almost everyday to listen to my stories of the Phantom. Among my avid Phantom fans were Santi Ong, Linda Ong, Antonio Leo Te and Elizabeth Khu. They would assemble at our porch together with my restless gang of nephews and nieces to listen wide-eyed as I regaled them with the Phantom sagas complete with matching action and sound effects.
As we grew older I discovered there were other more interesting characters in real life than comic book superheroes. Girl-watching promptly replaced comic books as a favorite pastime. The balcony soon became a convenient perch for me to watch the daily stream of passers-by after school hours. With its strategic location, the balcony provided me a good view over a long stretch of Quezon Avenue. And over the years as I grappled with adolescence, the porch offered me the pleasure of catching glimpses of pretty girls from the St. Michael's College among the frequent commuters. A few of those who were always a joy to watch from the balcony as they passed by our vicinity were the Celdran sisters, Evelyn and Raquel; Josephine Inocian of Champion Enterprises; Marilyn Aberilla, daughter of Gil and Edna Aberilla; Venus Yap and Magdalena Yap; Dolly Sheker, daughter of the owner of the building that housed the DXIC station fronting our house; and Nimla Red and Gisela Red of Guns Enterprises. Unknown to these teenage beauties, their passing presence below our balcony had added more life and color to this little corner of our house throughout my youth.
Good things, unfortunately, never last. The house was destroyed in another fire that hit the block in March 1985. And with its destruction were dashed the many dreams and fantasies of my teenage years. Thus also ended our family's remaining symbolic link to Iligan as our hometown.
Today whenever I visit Iligan, I am instinctively drawn to the Maria Cristina Hotel. Not so much for its amenities but for its proximity to the spot where once stood the cradle of my youth. The hotel's corridors offer almost the same view that we once had at our former balcony. Seeing the same familiar scene each time I look out the window from my hotel room somehow makes Iligan feel like home again.
By these memories are the best years of my youth in Iligan forever enshrined.
|
|
BATCH
1992
Amabel Abadiano; Angelyn Acedo, Islacom,
Cebu City, tel. 412-0035; David Areola Jr.; Joselito Crus;
Nicomedes
Debalucos Jr.; Aimee Dy Pico, Quezon Ave, Iligan City; Caroline
Fortich; Christopher Dominic Lim, Regence Enterprises, Sabayle
St., Iligan City, tel. 221-3593; Cromwel Brian Lim; Felomena
Monzano;
Larry James Ngo;
Sedney Sherwin Pagay, New Frontier
Court, Anemone St., Santiago, Iligan City, tel. 221-3507; Mark Enrique
Patero; Karen Gay Patria, Maigo, Lanao del Norte; Giovanni
Ian Patria, Maigo, Lanao del Norte; Hopper Po; Jonathan Po;
Jay
Rivera;
Jonathan Sawit, Tambo, Bayug, Iligan City, tel. 221-7489;
Hubert
Tan, Ceanuri Subd., Kamague, Iligan City, tel. 223-1313;
Sharon
Uy;
Grace Emily Yap; Lorraine Yu; and William Yu.
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