Vol. 8, No. 12, Sept. 13, 2004
Iligan
City is abuzz with a frenzy of activities for its fiesta celebration in
honor of its patron saint, Señor San Miguel, on Sept. 29 (accompanying
photo courtesy of Bobby Timonera). Congressman Alipio "Tikbong" Badelles
and Mayor Lawrence Cruz have allocated no less than P1.6 million for prizes
in the city-wide Beautification Contest as part of the monthly celebration.
Criteria for the said competition include cleanliness aside from beautification,
according to the programs headed by Mr. Leo Rebleza, Chairman on Physical
Arrangement, Buntings, Lightings and Beautification Contest. Prizes
for the contest are: P500,000 for the first prize; P300,000 for the second
prize; and P200,000 for the third prize, to be given by Congressman Badelles
in the form of infrastructure project for the winning barangay. Cash
prizes to be given out by the mayor will amount to P30,000, P20,000 and
P10,000 for the first, second and third prizes, respectively. Two
LCHS alumni are likewise playing key roles in this year's celebration.
Spearheading the Sports Activities Committee are Frederick W. Siao (Batch
'83), committee chairman, and James Booc (Batch '82), vice chairman; with
the Sports Development Office staff as members, and Chona Aquino, secretariat.
Among the lineup of major sports and cultural activities are: Alay Lakad (Walk for a Cause) on Sept. 5; Taekwondo competition (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 12; Karatedo Competition (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 13; Judo (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 17; Aqualand -- The Legend of the Falls (ICC auditorium), Sept. 18; Porkchop Duo Show (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 18; Banda Señor (Drum & Bugle Competition) at the Iligan City National High School grounds, Sept. 18; Swimming Contest (Mimars Pool), Sept. 19; Basketball (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 19; Hot Babes Concert (MSU-IIT), Sept. 19-25; Pamukaw (Daily Diana), Sept. 20; Nonucan Bridge Inauguration, Sept. 20; Binandahay, Sept. 20; Blast from the Past Dinner Concert (Elena Tower Inn), Sept. 24-26; 1st Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz Tournament (MSU-IIT), Sept. 25; Dance Choreo Contest "Iligan March" (City Plaza), Sept. 25; Gabii Sa Ludabi (City Plaza), Sept. 25; Football (NSC field), Sept. 25-27; Kasadya Street Dancing, Sept. 27; San Miguel Comedia (City Plaza), Sept. 27; Civic-Military Parade, Sept. 28; Miss Iligan 2004 Beauty Pageant (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 28; Romancing the Falls (Maria Cristina Falls, Agus 7), Sept. 28; Search for Modelo 2004 (MSU-IIT gym), Sept. 28; and Pana-ad & Solemn Procession, Sept. 29.
Zhang
Yimou's "Hero"
Wed, 01 Sep 2004 14:15:18 +0800
The
movie "Hero," under the direction of Zhang Yimou and starring Jet Li (in
photo), recently topped the North American Box Office. The movie
was shown in Philippine cinema two years ago, in its original form and
in Mandarin language with English subtitle. I saw the movie much later
than its release, with my DVD copy, and I was able to dissect and absorb
the story fully. I enjoyed the movie for its dazzling martial art scenes;
but more over, for its story. A love story in fact is embedded in
the plot that can challenge the age-old "Romeo & Juliet" in epic proportion.
It tells superbly Chinese history as well, in its crossroad to be a great
unified Middle Kingdom. I urge you to watch the movie, focusing on its
story and put the martial art part aside, though it is topnotch enjoyable
too. I am sure the Chinese blood in you will ignite the fire of love for
the ancient motherland.
--Rene Tio (Batch '70), Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
Alumni daughter opens new eye clinic
More
and more young Tsinoys these days have entered the medical profession.
The latest addition is Dr. Janice Lim who recently 
opened
her clinic in Cebu City. Janice is the daughter of Dr. Dionesio Lim
and Helen Ngo-Lim (Batch '68). She is a graduate of the Faculty
of Medicine & Surgery, University of Santo Tomas. She completed
her Residency Training at the UST Department of Ophthalmology in 2002.
She obtained her Diplomate in Ophthalmology in October 2003, where she
was ranked third place overall. Her clinic boasts of the latest high-tech
ophthalmic equipment and facilities.
Among those present at the blessing of her clinic last Sept. 3 were her parents Dr. Dionesio Lim & Helen Ngo-Lim, Dr.Alice Ngo-Militante (Batch '69) and Pete Militante, Roderick Ngo (Batch '70) and Marivic Ngo, Joseph Lo and Susan Ngo-Lo (Batch '74), Emily Uy (Batch '71), Igdono Caracho (Batch '66), Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), and a host of many other guests and well-wishers from Cebu's business community and medical profession. So if you happen to have some eye problems, visit Dr. Janice Ngo in her clinic, located at Room 507-A, Chong Hua Medical Arts Center, Cebu City. Ever loyal to LCHS, Janice's mother Helen says all LCHS alumni will be given special accommodation. In photo is Helen Ngo-Lim together with her husband Dionesio and their children at the blessing of Janice's clinic. From left: Arthur Lim, Helen Ngo-Lim, Dr. Dionesio Lim, Christine Lim, Dr. Janice Lim, and Jasmin Lim.
CEC GRAND ALUMNI HOMECOMING. Alumni of the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) trooped to the White Gold House last Sept. 5 for its annual grand alumni homecoming. The assembly began at 10 o'clock in the morning where CEC alumni gathered themselves by batches for a luncheon get-together. Among the highlights of the affair were the election of officers of the CEC Alumni Association, welcome address by CEC School Administrator Kho Siok Wee, and several song and dance numbers performed by students and faculty members of CEC.
TOUR PACKAGES. Alumni travel buffs in search of tour opportunities might be interested to join a series of special tour packages being offered by the Cebu Fortune Travel of Aida Lim-Uy (Batch '61). Among the packages are a tour aboard the Super Star Virgo of Star Cruises for Penang, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand for US$308 for the first two persons with departure on Oct. 24, 2004; a 12-night tour of Australia and New Zealand for US$1,370 (cruise only) with departure of Jan. 18, 2005; a 12-night tour of Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai, Pusa (South Korea), Vladivostok (Russia), Nagasaki and Osaka (Japan), with departure on April 11, 2005 aboard Princess Cruises for US$1,420 (cruise only); and a 16-day European tour of Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands for US$1,898. Interested alumni may contact Cebu Fortune Travel by email at: fortune@mozcom.com, or tel. (32)-234-2149.
It
is raining now. I sit here in my favorite overstuffed chair with
a blanket wrapped around me. I look at the trails of wetness making
their path down the blurry windows. I hear the endless patter of
the rain hitting the cold roof and I am suddenly swept by a wave of melancholia.
I clutch the pillow tighter to my chest, its plumpness stemming the flow
of salty tears from my eyes.
Does love always hurt this much? Not even the poets of old could well and truly describe the yearnings and pains of one who has loved. Perhaps I was wishing for the moon, then. Perhaps I was too carried away, carried along by a tide of emotions which caught me unawares. And truly I was. I have always been pragmatic and sensible, always the girl with her head upon her shoulders. I thought that when I fell in love it would all be the same. I wasn't ready for the changes that came along with it. How could I have known that I would want to be near you where I could see you and touch you? That I would look forward to the nights when the telephone rang to see if it was you. That your voice would wake me each morning and cradle me in my dreams at night. That you would never be far in my thoughts and that I would find myself missing you so.
When did the thread start unraveling then? When did things start to go wrong? I know that there was something between us. Though we never put it into words, our hearts knew what our minds couldn't bring themselves to say. Was it because of my hesitation? Perhaps the wait was too long and you were confused as to where this relationship was going. Maybe you never quite understood my request for time and space. It was an entirely new world for me and I needed to sort out my feelings. Perhaps you wanted commitment too soon and I was not ready to give it. Or did the sparkle just suddenly die in your eyes, just like the moon when it wanes except that it faded away forever?
I cannot believe that, I just can't bring myself to believe in it because it hurts so much. And it makes you seem so shallow, something I know you aren't. It makes me wonder if there might be a flaw in me somewhere that I failed to see. But then I tell myself that unconditional love means accepting the person for what she is. Maybe you thought I was like other girls, playing with a boy who was foolish enough to bare his heart. But it was never like that at all. There are things which I long to tell you, explanations for my actions but I could not bring myself to tell you about them, not at that time. It was a form of self-preservation, protecting myself against rejection and disillusionment. I find myself tossing in bed at night, my ears straining for the sound of the telephone ringing. My days are restless, my eyes often darting to the blank screen of my phone. I am unwilling to believe that it could all come to a stop, just like that.
I so badly want to make things right between us, to thresh out whatever misunderstandings, hurts, and wrong assumptions we might have had about each other. How many times have I tried to call you only to withdraw my hand at the last moment. Pride has held me back, that and the fear that I could be wrong about everything. That you might not be the person who I thought you were and that I would only be subjecting myself to more humiliation and hurt.
The rain is coming down harder than ever, misting the windowpanes with the coldness of it. The booming thunder and the white-streaked lightning do little to muffle the wrenching sobs that tear through me. I am a believer in chances. Perhaps there still might be a chance that things could work out between us. I will keep my fingers crossed, the same way I did when I first met you.
[Author's Note: An essay about love or something leading to it from a woman's viewpoint, subjectively. The use of the nominative pronoun, I, may or may not be suggestive that this is from the writer's own personal experience;-) This essay hopes to bring a better understanding to men of the workings of a woman's heart and mind, again subjectively. Comments are welcome at candz911@yahoo.co.uk]
Old Landmark of Iligan
This imposing three-storey Padilla building used
to reign supreme in the vicinity of corner Juan Luna and Gen. Aguinaldo
Sts., Iligan City. Today, the building that was once resplendent
with its immaculate pink coat of paint still stands on the same spot but
it now bears unmistakable signs of age. The building used to be occupied
by the prominent Padilla and Magsalem families back in the 60s. Among
its notable occupants on the ground floor were the famous tailors of our
time, the likes of Neil’s Tailoring and Jun Bundalian. Photo
by Charles O. Sy.
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