Vol. 7, No. 11, September 1, 2003

The mayors of Iligan, Marawi and Cagayan de Oro cities have joined forces in pinpointing the whereabouts of Marcelino "Kiao Eng" Siao (Batch '66), owner of Nema Electrical and Industrial Sales Inc., who was abducted by still unknown persons while driving his Suzuki Grand Vitara (KCL-307) near his warehouse in Zone 18, Del Carmen, Iligan at around 10:45 p.m. last Thursday, August 7.

Iligan City mayor Franklin Quijano, in photo, said the police and military are now trying to trace Siao's whereabouts, starting from where his vehicle was first found to every lead that comes their way, leaving no stone unturned.  He said every neighboring town, including Cagayan de Oro, is now being checked on for any reports of the businessman's whereabouts.

Mayor Quijano said authorities are even eyeing a "love triangle" angle in the disappearance of Siao. There were actually two persons reported to be abducted last week and the two cases might have something to do with the other.  "There was also a certain Lara who was also reported to have been abducted on Aug. 6, the day before Siao went missing ... but this love triangle is only one angle that we are looking at right now," the mayor said.  He added that they are doing a background check on both missing persons.

CdO celebrates fiesta with caution

Cagayan de Oro City celebrated its fiesta in honor of its patron saint St. Augustine last Aug. 28 amid fear of terror attack. Police authorities were said to have received an anonymous call about the presence of several armed men loitering in some private establishments recently. Local officials claimed that a friend of Jemaah Islamiyah bomber Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi was spotted in Barangay Lapasan. As a result, the City Council committee on barangay affairs instructed barangays to convene their barangay peace and order councils and monitor the presence of any suspicious characters within their vicinities.  This year's week-long fiesta celebration, considered the liveliest and most organized so far, included such festivities as the Lambaguhan Festival, marathon, concerts featuring the Freestyle band and Viva Hot Babes, and the Divisoria Night Street Fair, among others.

Meanwhile, Iligan City Mayor Franklin Quijano said the manhunt for Al-Ghozi in Mindanao is hurting chances of bringing in investors for the National Steel Corporation. He said investors, particularly foreigners, are hesitant in pouring their money into NSC and other businesses here as the peace and order situation is still fragile. Quijano, who enumerated the hard effects his city has experienced since the shutdown of NSC, said all efforts are now being exerted to bring NSC to its feet. But he admitted that there is no exact timetable as to when this mothballed steel plant will reopen.

Police general warns PNP
over worsening crime situation in Iligan
By Suniel Lim, Batch ‘66

A pall of uncertainty on peace and order hangs over Iligan these days.  Residents are seriously concerned over the recent spate of criminality and robberies in the city.  According to PNP intelligence report, several banks and business establishments are on the hit list of criminal elements now operating in the city.  Lately there has been a series of cases involving armed men preying on bank clients as they stepped out of the bank after making cash withdrawals.  Last Aug. 19, a white Mitsubishi L300 van was observed to be parked suspiciously in the vicinity of Lian Hong Co., Inc., in Pala-o.  The occupants were somehow compelled to remain inside their van because of the presence of PNP operatives in the vicinity near Land Bank.

A series of robberies have taken place since last year and not a single case has been solved.  Businessmen in the city are becoming jittery.  Gen. Pacino of PNP Region 10 has issued stern warning to local PNP personnel to get their acts together.  In his words aired over a radio station, "Ayaw ko hulata nga ako pa moanha diha para mosolbad sa inyong problema."

One positive result that came out of it is the arrest of the mastermind of the group last Aug. 19, the same day they were supposed to hit Lian Hong or Land Bank which are located in the same vicinity.

CEC celebrates Foundation Week

The Cebu Eastern College (CEC) will celebrate its 88th Foundation Week on Sept. 22-28, 2003.  The week-long celebration will have as its theme: "Moving Forward ... Facing Global Challenges."  Among the lineup of activities are Intramurals, Family Day, Teachers Day, and Alumni Homecoming.  The festivities will culminate with a tribute to parents, teachers, and alumni during the 88th Foundation Night slated on Sept. 27, 2003, at 7:00 p.m., at the White Gold House, Cebu City.  CEC has the most number of LCHS graduates among Chinese-Filipino schools in the country.  Its new school administrator, Kho Siok We, is herself an Iliganon and LCHS alumna.

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

Alumni whereabouts

"Tracers" recently spotted Antonio Leo "Boy" Te (Batch '69) in Cebu.  Boy, in photo at left, as he is known among former classmates and friends, breezed into town last week to wrap up a few business before returning to Taiwan where he is pursuing a lucrative career as a doctor.  Boy and his wife Lorna recently went to the U.S.A. for a vacation.  They own a townhouse in Cagayan de Oro and have practically moved out of their former residence in Pala-o, Iligan City.  In the meantime, his wife Lorna is now staying with Boy in Taiwan.  They plan to eventually settle in Manila where their children are now pursuing college in different universities.  Alumni president Henry Dy starred anew in the national spotlight.  He was on the front page of the Manila Bulletin in a photo featuring the induction of officers of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines National Executive Board in Malacañang Palace last week.  Among the top personalities in the picture taken with Henry Dy were BPS National President Jejomar Binay, mayor of Makati; Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan; and BPS National Commissioner Miguel de Jesus.  During the induction ceremonies, the BSP officers presented President Gloria Arroyo a BSP neckerchief and chief scout medallion. In Cebu, Aida Lim-Uy (Batch '61), in photo at right, received a Silver Award for Top International Passenger Sales for 2002-2003 given by Philippine Airlines president Avelino Zapanta.  Aida's Cebu Fortune Travel, Inc. was among eight travel agencies in the Visayas honored by PAL last Aug. 22 at the Cebu Marriott Hotel.  Martin Nievera also graced the occasion to entertain the awardees with some song numbers.

Flattered
Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:13:47 +0100 (BST)

I'm very flattered to be included in your newsletter, considering that I am not a schoolmate nor a Chinese.  Please feel free to ask me for future articles.  By the way, I love the puns in the column, Sy-llables.  Keep up the good work!  --Vicky Valencia, Laguna, Philippines, email: hauswyf@yahoo.com

Sorry to hear about Boy Rodriquez.  Let us pray for his quick recovery.  --Jesus "Hesing" Dy (Batch '63), Edmonton, Canada, via Txt2Mail   #2371004222244.

Hey, that was some essay on the Tsinoy woman (Spectrum, Aug. 4, 2003)!  I bet more women would be inspired to walk the corridors of power after reading that one!  --Candice A. Uy, Cebu, Philippines, email: candz911@yahoo.co.uk

First of all, I'd like to stress that I was not a full time LCHS student during my elementary days.  I attended Chinese classes in LCHS from kindergarten to second grade while at the same time taking up my English classes at St. Michael's College. I moved to Manila when I was in Grade 3. I returned to Iligan after a year and continued 4th grade at LCHS.

I remember visiting LCHS for the first time with my mom while she was scouting for a good school to place me in.  We observed one class being handled by an old time teacher.  My mom is very particular with proper usage and pronunciation of the English language.  She was appalled by how the teacher taught her students.  It was aggravated when the teacher got angry with her class and threw an eraser at her students.  That's when my mom decided to enroll me elsewhere instead of LCHS for my English classes.

I eventually re-enrolled in LCHS when I reached fourth grade because cross-enrolling in different schools is no longer feasible from fourth grade and up since classes are held for the whole day. That's when I got a taste of English education at LCHS.  There was one teacher I encountered who disciplined her students through humiliation.  Students who failed in tests were made to strip! Teaching in such a manner will never encourage slow learners to strive and learn more. It was demoralizing and could even make things worse.  Looking back, I think that those students who were considered slow learners would have fared better had they been handled well by the teachers.

Before, I never really gave much thought on how a teacher presents her subject matter.  Now that I have my own kid, I realized how important it is to have a teacher who regards teaching more as a vocation than just a way to earn a living. Such kind of teachers is very important, especially to preschool children. Sadly, they are a rare breed these days.  I remember one grade school English teacher who is worthy of being praised for her efforts in encouraging us to believe in our capabilities that eventually helped a few of us join some competitions outside the school.  During that time, the school administration wasn't very supportive of our activities.  She exerted a lot of effort on her own just so we could compete and win some awards for the school.  Somehow, I'd like to think that she was instrumental in opening the door for LCHS students to be more competitive with students of other schools.  I don't remember when she left LCHS because I left ahead of her. But one thing I am sure of, she didn't last long.

Comparing my classmates in LCHS with my classmates in IIT, the former were passive, dependent and less aggressive.  Most teachers in LCHS taught more in a spoon-feeding manner. I don't remember being encouraged by the teachers to visit our library. Unfortunately, during that time,  our library wasn't inviting at all, too, for students to read and research.  It was dusty, dark and hot.  I haven't been to LCHS's new library now but from what I've heard, it has greatly improved.  Most of the teachers that I had in IIT were Masters degree or Ph.D. holders. Their teaching styles were more for college levels than high school levels. I don't recall having any formal classes in P.E., music or scouting when I was in my last few years at LCHS.  Other schools held classes on these subjects.  I never learned what scouting was really like in LCHS, even tying the 8 knot! Our P.E. was confined to playing patintero, Japanese game, takyan and Chinese garter.  Music? Health?  Nah! I never had any of them!

What about Chinese education?  The only positive thing I learned from my Chinese classes is memory enhancement. I don't understand why we were given bun tway (problems) at the end of each reading and yet we were never given the chance to answer them ourselves since the answers were already provided for together with the questions!  All we had to do was memorize everything, word for word, character by character!  How could they have tested our comprehension in such a manner?  I felt that we were trained more like parrots than students.

I might have graduated at the top of my class at LCHS but I had to struggle during my first year in IIT.  What I learned in LCHS somehow seemed inadequate for me to compete with my classmates in IIT who were top students as well from other schools.  What helped me survive in such a competitive class were my own diligence and perseverance.  At IIT I learned more about resourcefulness since most of our lessons required extensive research in the library.  I learned about being pro-active and participative since grades were not solely based on the written tests.  I learned to explore more on what the world can offer and be critical in accepting the things around me.  Ranking wasn't based solely on academic merits: 70% are for academics and 30% for extra curricular activities.

All the things that I wrote about happened almost 20 years ago.  I've long been out of school to really see the changes that might have happened.  I would really be happy if some major changes have taken place in LCHS.  But has there truly been any in recent years?

I had a classmate in elementary at LCHS who was our salutatorian when we graduated. She transferred to IIT with me, along with four others.  Later after college, I was thrilled when she told me that she was teaching at LCHS.  I thought, "Now the standard of education has a better chance of improvement with her around."

She taught English, which was her forte even when we were younger. She lasted for only one year in LCHS.  Why?  There may be a hundred and one reasons why she quit but one of them is that she couldn't stand the system.  She had first hand experiences on how influential benefactors extend their clout as to how teachers should assess their students.

This brings to mind two anecdotes that my friend shared with me.  She said that in one incident, a parent of a child she assessed as having a reading comprehension way below the grade level the child was then in, stormed into the faculty office and gave her a mouthful.  Apparently, the parent didn't want to accept the honest assessment of my friend who was supposed to have more authority on the matter.  My friend had the decency to keep her cool and remain silent so as not to aggravate the situation.  In another instance, she said that she had to correct an English high school class because their former teacher taught them that the word "rendezvous" is read as it is spelled!  Will that make a good impression to observers about our school?

I hope this candid piece about my experiences can in some small way help contribute to efforts to improve our educational system at LCHS and help stop the migration of our scholars to other schools.  This piece is never meant to demean our alma mater which gave me lots of wonderful childhood memories.  I remain forever grateful to LCHS for the friendships that I've cultivated with my classmates all these years.

[About the author:  Cherrie Ann Lim-Mosqueda (in photo) writes from Cagayan de Oro City where she is living with her husband Joon Mosqueda and daughter Andrea.  She is the eldest daughter of Suniel Lim (Batch '66).  A consistent top student of her class during her days at LCHS, she was valedictorian in both her English and Chinese classes.  She was also adjudged Outstanding Student when she graduated from elementary.  She took up her secondary education at MSU-IIT where she graduated with honors.  She finished B.S. Computer Science, Magna cum Laude, at the University of San Carlos, Cebu.]

Charles O. Sy, Batch '67

Under-standing Ovation

Do you know that speeches can have therapeutic effect?  Listening to them cures my insomnia.

-- ooo -- Some speeches can be very educational.  The minute a speaker rises to deliver a speech, I hurry home to read a good book. -- ooo -- Some speeches are like fairy tales. They always have a happy ending. I am always happy when they end. -- ooo -- Never speak when you are angry.  If you do you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret. -- ooo -- The Vitamin B approach in public speaking is: Be brief, be direct, and be gone! -- ooo -- An audience rising to applaud a fine speech is a "standing ovation."  An audience rising to applaud a boring speech is what we should call an "understanding ovation." -- ooo -- People who keep on telling corny jokes should be charged for spreading cornography. -- ooo -- There ought to be an award for people who always get the joke last.  We can call it "post-humorous award." -- ooo -- Postscript:   With Henry Dy as our new alumni president, we hope the LCHS-AA will learn to be more interactive with our alumni scattered in different parts of the world.  There is a general feeling among alumni overseas that they have been left out and their interests overlooked, if not ignored, by the Association. Despite available modern communication systems and the services of the Spectrum at their beck and call, hardly ever have our alumni officers shown much initiative in interacting with our alumni abroad.  Ironically, when it comes to fund raising, the Association always remembers them to seek their contributions -- ooo -- Over 80% of Spectrum readers are our fellow alumni stationed abroad.  Many of them have been away from home for years. They, more than anybody else, are famished for news from home.  They also want to hear from our alumni leaders themselves.  Our alumni officers should make use of the Spectrum to relate with our homesick alumni and update them on LCHS-AA activities here at home.  The Spectrum has reserved columns exclusively for the LCHS-AA president and officers to communicate with our alumni overseas.  The LCHS-AA should make use of these to show our oversea alumni that it also has its attention on their interests at all times and not just during fund drives.  With that, we may yet see a more favorable response from our out-of-town alumni the next time the LCHS-AA turns to them for financial aid.

Out of the blue, “mayday, mayday” he crash lands.  He dropped a bomb with the magnitude much like the one they dropped in Hiroshima.  It’s these words:  crush talaga kita.  I was dumbfounded and speechless not knowing what hit me.

If this happened 20 years ago, I’d have punched him in the nose and left him for dead.  Or do the next best thing and just totally ignore him as if his mother never brought him into this world.

This brings me back 20 years ago when one of my high school classmates slipped his “love letter” in one of my books.  That moment was and will forever be etched in my mind because it not only changed his life but mine too.

I walked home that afternoon with tears running down my cheeks.  I didn’t feel cold even if I was drenched in the rain because I was fuming mad.  I asked myself a thousand and one questions, like why me, why him, why now?  All the why’s I could think of and “how dare he?”.  Questions that were never answered, questions that I wasn’t brave enough to ask him, questions that were washed away by the rain.

At that time I felt betrayed, or maybe I wanted to believe that I was betrayed by him because I treated him like family.  Come to think of it, I must have been so scared.  Scared not knowing what’s expected of me.  Not knowing what to do, not knowing how to move normally in such a small group like our class, in such a small place like our school.  This topic was never discussed in class.  So nothing prepared me for this.

I ignored him for months, going the other way when I saw him; acted as if I didn’t hear anything when he spoke to me; acted as if I didn’t know him even if he sat just a few seats away.  Then one day, I learned that he was not finishing the school year at our school.  He was transferring to another school.  As much as I wanted to ask him to stay since transferring in the middle of the year would mean trouble.  Sometimes the other school would ask a new student to repeat the whole year.  But again my pride got the better of me, and so I acted as if I was really happy that he was leaving.

When he heard that my father was ill, he came to visit.  By then I was too dazed with the commotion at my house that I forgot to be mean to him.  But still I wasn’t too nice either.  Then when my father passed away he came to pay his last respect and to bid his final good-bye to me too.  He said his parents wanted him to go home to Zamboanga City.  It doesn’t take a genius to deduce why he was being sent home; his studies were suffering.  I know I was partly to blame, but I couldn’t even say “sorry for what I did and didn’t do.”  I just clammed down, and missed the opportunity to say something that mirrors what was in my mind.  If he had been angry at me, if he had just shouted at me for treating him the way I did, I’d have moved on without a bag full of guilt.  But all throughout this whole tele-novela, he was still kind and patient.  Acting more mature than his age.  And this added to the guilt that I’m carrying around up to now.

Through the 20 years that have gracefully passed, I’ve always regretted the way I treated that classmate.  I may have changed my attitude soon enough but it wasn’t soon enough to be able to let him know.  I know that in an ideal situation I could have helped him with his studies.  That he would have finished high school with the rest of us.

Now, 20 years later when this one person told me “crush talaga kita” I just smiled and say a gracious “thank you.”  I don’t want to make the same mistake again.  Then I told him that “you’ll get over that.”  I’m old enough to know what I’m supposed to say.  Old enough to know that I shouldn’t hit him in the nose.  Too old for this crush business.  And too married to react any other way.

You pray everyday, go to church on Sundays and give your offerings, contribute to charitable organizations, and so on and so forth. You believe you're doing what you're supposed to. You call yourself a "good Christian," or a "practising" Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, or whatever religion you are in. And that's good!  However, you watch people and judge them, you talk behind their back, turn your face away when someone is in need of your help (not for charitable contribution that you can use for tax deduction).  You tell the whole world of your heroic deeds with an intention to brag about yourself.  You counted how many times you've helped and expected something back in return. You have an interior motive when you help, something for your own benefit.  Is that Christ-like?

I do respect all religions, their practices and beliefs.  I was raised Catholic.  I learned the power of prayers as a child. I prayed to the Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints. I was a "dictator" in my prayers -- it was all about "me" and "my needs."  I was inconsistent; I prayed when I needed something.  I didn't know the Lord's Prayer.  On August 1990, I was invited by Dr. Tessa Fortunato to attend The Life in the Spirit seminar.  I was then working at Metro Cebu Community Hospital as a nursery charge nurse.  A doctor who later on in his life became an evangelist, Dr. Jaime Irrizari Jr., was a God-chosen speaker for the seminar.  He was my instructor in Anatomy and Physiology at Velez College. He delivered God's message of salvation that turned me around 180 degrees away from darkness. At 29 years old, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.  God put special people in my life that guided me through and helped me grow like Brod. Edward Uytengsu and his wife, Sis. Linda. He also put people that inspired me to seek more of God's presence in my life through their examples of faith, like my friend, Bernadette "Pinky" and her husband, Brod. Ed Canlas.  People who showed me genuine friendship, extended their family to us and live a prayerful life, like Brod. Jimmy and Sis. Mitzie Agtuca.  God found us the Lord of the Harvest Church, Pastors Joe and Rose Dejesa, Pastors Bob and Suk who introduced me to the Bible, motivated me to learn the words of God.  God found me the HUGS Cell Group under the leadership of Sis. Ellin Mc Brearty, a Bible study group and fellowship for single parents.

When God opened a door for us, it doesn't mean the devil has left us.  In fact, he's standing at the doorstep thinking of ways to get us back with every opportunity he can possibly get.  Did he devour my spirit?  Yes! Many times!  Did he win?  Sometimes.  Why?  Because I allowed him to manipulate me.  He knows me very well; he knows which botton to push. That's why to accept Christ isn't enough, the Spirit has to be kept alive.  Feed your spirit with the words of God everyday to make it strong and powerful.  Find a church where your spirit is being fed and bear fruit as God's disciple.

In this article, I'd like to share with you how to follow Jesus' pathway based on my own personal experience.  I'd like you to close your eyes and meditate. Imagine yourself in the desert.  The only one you see besides yourself is Jesus.  He's waving at you and says, come follow me.  Jesus walk ahead of you, and you follow Him into where He wants you to be.  Can you see His directions crystal-clear?  Of course. When there's nothing in between you and God's way, you'll be able to see His directions, listen and hear Him.  Now, open your eyes.

Look at the world today.  Examine yourself, do an inventory.  After talking and listening to my friends, co-workers, patients, my family, and learning from my own experiences in life, here are some of the most common factors that created building blocks and walls:  1. Low self-esteem ("I'm not good enough," "I'm ashamed of myself," "People will criticize me, they will laugh at me, talk bad about me.")   2. Money (lots of bills, not enough pay, no savings, envious of people who earn more, "Why do I have to give 10% tithe?") -- read Malachi 3 in the Bible.  3. Relationship at home, your family, boss, co-workers, friends.  4. Stress from work.  5. Vanity and obsession of the flesh ("I'm too fat!" "I'm getting old and wrinkly." "How do I look?" "This acne is killing me!")  6. Differences in cultural background and upbringing, moral values, Christian values versus desires and freedom.  7. Past experiences in life that would recur in your mind, control your emotions. This includes people and events.  8. Health problems especially debilitating condition.  9. Resistance, doubt, fear and arrogance.  10. People (it can be your spouse, children or anybody that you're attracted to or interested at).  You can put this person in front of you, spend time imagining and losing time for fellowship with the Lord.

To follow Jesus, remove one block at a time, manage your time wisely, set your priorities.  Clear up the pathway, put everything beside you and not in front of you. Jesus will lead you the way, you'll see the light and appreciate what He has stored for you. He gives you nothing but the BEST.  Godbless!

Pag-Ibig Ay Di Mansanas Lang
Ni Vicky Valencia
Laguna, Philippines

Ako'y sawa na sa pasalubong mong mansanas
Ilang tao kaya ang humipo-hipo at umamoy-amoy
Ilang beses palipat-lipat ng lagayan
Ilang oras nakabilad sa araw
Bago naiuwi sa akin
Sana ay mag-iba naman ng istayl ng paglalambing
Ng ang matatanda nating puso'y muli magka-sigla.

Ok naman ang mansanas -
Siya'y tool of the trade ni Adan sa pagsedyus kay Eba
Main prop sa kwentong William Tell
Peborit na regalo ng batang gustong magsipsip kay Ma'am.

Nguni't ang mansanas ay old hat na
Mababa ang market value mula ng Import Liberalization Law
At and dating elusive na mansanas (apir lamang pag Pasko)
Ngayon ay bargain na lamang, pagulong-gulong sa bangketa.

Siguro ay dapat mag-iba ng istilo, pakawalan ang kathang-isip.
Ulit-ulitin ang pagsuyo, ibahin araw-araw and pasalubong.
Grapes kaya? Butterfinger? Bracelet?
Gusto ko magkaroon ng pagbabago
Matamlay nating seks layp.

---

The Sandpiper's Blessing
By Candice Ang Uy
Cebu, Philippines

I walk along the deserted beach
swirling and tumbled thoughts
happiness seemingly out of reach.

The rolling waves and the pounding surf
brown and brittle leaves
scattered carelessly on the sandy turf.

How bleak the day seemed
like a winter's night when
the candle has been doused and dimmed.

A speck of brown on the land
a sandpiper
his tiny prints etched on the sand.

A sandpiper to bring you joy
long-forgotten words of far recall
from a beloved mother to her little boy.

As I watch it flit and hop
a burgeoning sense of hope
within me I could not stop.

I walk along the deserted beach
storms gently ebbing like the tide
happiness just within my reach.

---

We were born without a silver spoon in our mouth.  As a matter of fact, the closest thing to silver that we had in our house in the mountains were the stainless steel forks and spoons.  Having been born to such a family, we learned our ABCs not in the hallowed walls of an Ateneo nor under the tutelage of the American Jesuits.

Rather, our primary schooling was spent in our hometown's only school.  It was a good two kilometers away from our house, but we were luckier than Abraham Lincoln because we didn't have to walk that far.  Our parents could at least afford to get us get a ride in the tartanilla.  And so ride we did in those carriages drawn by horses that did not undergo a seminar on good manners and right conduct and so they didn't mind scattering their droppings or their pee all throughout the two-kilometer stretch whenever they felt like it.

Our first teacher was a stern looking but kind-hearted disciplinarian of a teacher, Mrs. Baricuatro.  She drilled the ABCs into our young minds in English yet but she did not require us to read tons of books.  She was armed only with thin mimeographed sheets of paper that contained the little adventures of Pepe and Pilar and their dog Bantay.  With a book that thin, we didn't have to lug heavy luggages with trolley to carry our books and notebooks.

Though lacking in books (compared to the children nowadays), we didn't feel the dearth.  Our teacher was good and so aside from Pepe and Pilar, we also had social studies, arithmetic and health & science.  Most of all, we learned good manners and right conduct, thus we knew that it was not right to scatter our droppings and our pee all throughout the two-kilometer stretch of road from our house to the school.

Our teacher taught us that if we wanted to pee, we just had to raise our hands and say, "Ma'am, may I go out?"  Sometimes though, many in our classrooms had such small bladders and even smaller guts (that even such simple words as "May I go out, Ma'am" could not squeak out from our throats).  So some of us ended up wetting our pants on our chair.  But that was up to grade one only.

These days, we call the hours in the afternoon as sleepy.  But these hours had always been sleepy even in those days.  Of course we could not just lie down on our desks and fall asleep while the teacher was explaining about the moons and the trees.  So we just sat there and tried to keep our eyes open.  Finally, we mastered the art of sleeping while sitting upright.

We can't recall now how our teacher did it, but we were eventually able to learn English.  In a few months time, to the delight of our parents, we were going through our mother's Reader's Digest and other books.  But we only looked at the pictures.  Still our parents were happy and proud because their son knew how to read.  To the parents of a five-year-old, that was like having a son pass the bar!

In that public school, our learning was not confined to academics.  Our school's thrust was to develop a well rounded personality among its students.  So we learned how to keep the school ground clean by picking up the fallen dry leaves and pulling out the amorseco grass.

One of our classmates once got a big bundle of dry leaves which he showed off to our teacher.  And he got a big pat on the back.  We saw that and from that time on, we tried to outdo each other by coming up with the biggest bundle of dry leaves to show off to the teacher.

In our higher years, we also learned agriculture.  We cultivated a garden plot within the school ground and planted it to various vegetables. We had onions in grade two, tomatoes in grade three, and eggplant in grade four.  (We didn't find out what grade five had to offer because our parents didn't want us to spend the rest of our life gardening.  So they transferred us to the city.  We eventually studied in a school where we did not do any gardening anymore.  But we had to sweep the floor and clean the desks.)

Going back to our public school, we also learned a lot about our Filipino culture and all in a practical way:  every end of the school year, we had our commencement exercises and all of us were made to dance Filipino folk dances.  (Macarena was unheard of that time and there were no Ketchup sisters yet to teach us Asereje.)

We performed the "Maglalatik" and other dances in the town plaza. And we remember our parents were always there, proudly clapping their hands, egging us to give it our best, as if we were competing in the Olympics when all we did was to twist and turn and waltz while silently keeping count in our mind the way our teacher did in the practice.  "One, two and three and four, and turn and one and two and three and four, waltz."

Ah, but even in those days, we have always dreamed of becoming a stage actor.  And we finally got our chance when we were made to be the narrator in a Christmas play.  We practiced eagerly and enunciated seriously for several days on end.  Then when the big day came, we developed a high fever and couldn't go to school.  So we had to stay at home and nursed the fever as we kissed our dream of becoming an actor goodbye.

[About the author:  Fermin Chio (in photo) writes from Cebu City, where he is assistant vice president of a leading universal bank.  He was editor of the Easternian of the Cebu Eastern College, and associate editor of the Weekly Carolinian of the University of San Carlos in his student days.  He is also a past president of the Cebu Toastmasters Club.  He spent two years in Kathmandu, Nepal as project consultant of the United Nations Development Fund Cottage and Small Industry Project in 1988 and 1989.]

Health tips from the Internet:  Going bananas
Forwarded by Peter Dy (Batch '66)

If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack than a banana. Containing three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber -- a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough for a strenuous 90-minute workout. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, such as the following:

• Depression.  According to a recent survey undertaken amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood, and generally make you feel happier.
• PMS.   Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
• Anemia.  High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
• Blood Pressure.  This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium, yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit: It's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
• Brain Power.   200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.  Research has shown that the potassium packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
• Constipation.   High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
• Hangovers.   One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and rehydrate your system.
• Heartburn.   Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
• Morning Sickness.  Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
• Mosquito bites.  Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
• Nerves.  Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
• Ulcers.   The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniculcer cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
• Temperature control.  Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, trypotophan.
• Smoking.  Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
• Stress.   Potassium is a vital mineral which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body's water-balance. When stressed, our metabolic rate rises thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
• Strokes.   According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
• Warts.   Those keen on natural alternatives swear that, if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!