Vol. 8, No. 13, Sept. 27, 2004

The LCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. has formed a Raffle Committee to undertake its fund raising campaign for the LCHS Alumni Scholarship Program.  Appointed to the committee are Manuel Te (in photo), as chairman, and Dy Sio Te, Suniel Lim, Roger Suminguit, Vy Beng Hong, and Catalina Decipolo, as members.  The committee is currently preparing the raffle tickets to be sold at only P100 each.  This is the first time for the Foundation to handle the raffle project.  The activity used to be undertaken by the LCHS Alumni Association.  The raffle draw will be held during the annual LCHS Alumni Christmas party scheduled on Dec. 30.  Over P55,000 worth of prizes will be in store for the winners.  There will be five major prizes (consisting of a refrigerator, color TV set, and other appliances) and 30 consolation prizes.  As usual, proceeds of the fund campaign will go to the Scholarship Fund which has already benefited many deserving children of LCHS alumni in their education at LCHS through the years. Let’s support the Scholarship Program.  Buy your raffle tickets now.

Renovation of Iligan plaza underway

Reconstruction is under way at the Iligan City plaza.  New ornamental plants and trees are being planted all around the park.  The whole place is now well lighted at night with ten new colorful "sputnik" lights installed by Globe Telecom.  An octagonal tower is currently being constructed along the Juan Luna side of the plaza.  The tower will house the Iligan City Information and Tourism Office as well as a police outpost.  The tower will also have four public comfort rooms for men and women.  The perimeter of the plaza will also be expanded to include the block bounded by Labao and Fortaleza Sts. currently occupied by the Iligan Police Headquarters  The police headquarters will be relocated to the Iligan Bus Terminal in Barangay Del Carmen.  When completed, the city plaza will become a new center of attraction for both city folks and visitors alike.  The ongoing renovation is a pet project of the new city administration under the helm of Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Vice Mayor Henry Dy who are devoting their full time at City Hall.

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

VIVA SEÑOR SAN MIGUEL!  The fiesta fever is on in Iligan.  The whole stretches of Quezon Ave. and Gen. Aguinaldo St. have been adorned with colorful buntings and streamers.  Street vendors are having a heyday peddling balloons, maskara, fancy hats, whistles and assorted gimmicks.  The carnival too has come to town, with all sorts of rides and entertainment booths, along with an Agri-aqua Fair, at the open grounds of the Pryce Property in Tubod.  City folks are likewise busy preparing bisperas dinner for visiting relatives and out-of-town guests in their respective homes.  Hala, kumbira gayud!

Iligan City top honchos, led by the dynamic duo, Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Vice Mayor Henry Dy, are leaving no stone unturned to make this year's fiesta a special one.  Various cultural and sports activities are being held almost everyday in different venues in a month-long celebration of the feast of Señor San Miguel.  The city council passed an ordinance declaring Sept. 20 a special public holiday in Iligan to allow the people to grace the "Pagpakanaug" (lowering of the statue of San Miguel) at the St. Michael Cathedral.  The area around the cathedral have been closed to vehicular traffic at nightfall every weekend starting last Sept. 16 for people to patronize the stalls selling foods and beverage at the night street.  Spearheading this year's celebration is Jojo Boza as chairman of the Fiesta Steering Committee.

Last week, Robert Co (Batch ‘66), president of the Lanao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, led the association in expressing its appreciation to Mayor Lawrence Cruz for his impressive leadership by example and for lowering the crime rate in Iligan City with the help of Iligan Police Director Boboy Mijares.

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS.  Farley Sy (Batch '74), one of our most elusive bachelors, has opened a new line of business specializing in computers and peripherals.  It is located on the second floor of his Crown Paper & Stationers, Inc. Mike Lee (Batch '66) will arrive in Iligan from Edmonton, Canada on Sept. 28, just in time to join us in celebrating the fiesta.  On the other hand, brothers Peter Dy (Batch '66) and Carlos "Bonnie" Dy (Batch '57) are expected to return home to Iligan around the middle of October.  Meanwhile, Remedios Tan-Wee (Batch '64) received her 5th Madayaw Award given by the Philippine Airlines last week for topping ticket sales through her Airtime Ticketing Travel & Tours in Cotabato City.  Remie recently spent a two-week vacation in Alaska, U.S.A. together with friends from Davao (see photo).  Seen having a field day celebrating the "Pagpakanaug" last Sept. 20 was our past LCHS-AA president Arturo "Toto" Samson (Batch '58) together with his "Five Thirsty" buddies.  This group of food gourmets and beer connoisseurs never misses in observing the "pagpakanaug" ni San Miguel with an array of sumptuous native delicacies and, what else, San Miguel beer.  Hala beer-a!  Itaas mo!

REVIVAL OF BERDS CINEMA.  The Berds Cinema is making a comeback with a big bang.  What used to be a movie house has transformed into a new shopping mall.  People are now trooping in hordes to the air-conditioned Berds Theater Mall, which houses over 20 units of elegant shops, boutiques, playhouse, and snack bars.  What was once the Berds Cinema balcony has been replaced by a mini theater which opened last week.  Its spacious rooftop now serves as a function hall ideal for parties and social gatherings.

Berds Cinema is one of the pioneering landmarks that made Pala-o a thriving commercial hub in Iligan.  Before that, there were only Kim San & Company and a few business concerns operating in the area.  Pala-o used to be a vast sugarcane field in the 50s.  Much of the prime lots belonged to the Laya family.  The sugarcane plantation in Pala-o was a rich source of such by-products as kalamay, a major ingredient of the delicacy of our youth, the tira-tira.  Pala-o soon grew in population and commercial activity with the opening of a new public market and the birth of the Berds Cinema of the Dy Chu Te family in 1972.  Subsequently, the Dy family added three more movie houses (Derbe, Plaza Cinema, and Ultra) in the area that helped make Pala-o a major commercial and recreational center.  Today, Pala-o plays hosts to many thriving establishments, such as the Midtown Bowling Lanes, FK Mart, Excelsior, Trendline, among others.

SHAKEUP IN THE SPECTRUM.  A shakeup is brewing within the Spectrum.  As you may have known, new business commitments have compelled our editor Victor Chiu to spend most of his time out of Iligan.  And just recently, our point man in Cebu, Charles Sy, has gone on indefinite leave due to writing burnout.  Many of our senior staff seem to have retired from writing as well.  Given this situation, we might see a major revamp in the Spectrum in the days ahead. Abangan!  In the meantime, Victor Chiu and I have arranged for the transfer of the Spectrum computer system to my office to make it more accessible for our Iligan staff to connect to the Internet and prepare articles for the Spectrum.  Hopefully, with this we can manage somehow to sustain our publication with our skeleton force.

Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87

I need a cup of tea, so I thought. I need to calm down. I was already melting.  The air condition system inside the waiting area at the international airport isn’t cool enough for somebody who’s so anxious -- anxious and super excited anticipating thhe big task arriving that day. I prayed that the flight would be delayed, at the same time I prayed that time would pass by so fast so that this whole thing will be just part of my memory after three days. I was hoping that the monitor overhead would show that the ETA has been moved for a couple of days. Even if I know that any delay would just prolong the agony.

The flight code started to blink indicating that the flight I was waiting for has just arrived. Wow, 10 minutes ahead of time! This seldom happens so there must be a good reason why it has to happen that day. Anyway, I guess the sooner we start, the sooner we’ll end. Panic was slowly creeping because I still couldn’t find my president who was supposed to be with me. And the immigration officer who was supposed to escort us inside the arrival area was still MIA (missing-in-action).  Where’s everybody? I could feel sweat trickling down my spine, soaking my new white blouse. I can already hear my heart pounding louder as each second ticks by. I promised the group that I’ll be right there waiting. I don’t want to break a promise.

I must have dialed my president’s cell phone number a million times asking him where he was. He keeps saying that he is already in the airport walking towards the waiting area. I wanted to ask him if he is sure that he is in the right airport. Because he's been walking from his car for like ages. Where on earth could he have parked his car? What’s taking him so long?

Finally, I saw his head towering above the crowd.  Never have I welcomed the sight of him with such excitement until that very moment. Even if he obviously didn’t pay attention to what I was saying because he was in the opposite side of where I was.

After we were subjected to a body search, we went inside the baggage claim area just behind the immigration counters. The group from Taipei was already huddled together in one corner. Wow, it was great to see their faces once again. Those kind faces who welcomed me when I was their guest last June. The same faces which lit up when they saw me.

When I was in Taipei they all treated me as one of their own. Now this reunion at the airport is like a family reunion; it was like I was welcoming my 14 brothers.

We greeted each other as if we haven’t seen each other for years. When in fact it was just two months ago when I paid them a visit. Good thing I sharpened my ears and my Chinese-speaking ability the night before so that I could answer each of the 14 different questions which came at the same time.

It’s during times like this when we have to speak in straight Chinese that I realized how we’ve been using some English words and how we’ve incorporated them into our language as if it’s a natural part of it. Because those are the words that would get a big question mark on their faces. And those were the times when I have to resort to sign language and a little body language.

After a short photo session we hoisted them to the hotel. I was pushed into the coaster before I could make any form of protest. Nobody from my club would ride with them since nobody else understands Chinese. Not that I don’t want to ride with them.  It’s just that I was hoping I could ride in the smaller cars so I could have a chance to powder my nose. Hehehe.

We were running on a tight schedule that day.  There was a golf tee off time that the golfers had to catch and there was a lunch reservation for the non-golfers that would expire if we didn’t show up on time. But what I assumed to be an effortless check-in procedure at the hotel turned out to be the most time consuming. There was confusion over the registered names and their real names. I guess the person who reserved their rooms just enumerated their names over the phone because we couldn’t match them with their passport names.  Arghhh! Then, once the registration was done, we had to match their bags with their room numbers. By then I was running low in the patience department.

I suggested to the bell boy to just bring all the bags in one room and the owners will just get them when they come back in the evening just to expedite things. But no, the bell boy wanted a piece of the lime light by insisting that he has to deliver the bags to their respective rooms.

By then I was already hungry. I was covered in sweat and I was just trying very hard not to grab the bell boy by the neck. I keep reminding myself that choking the bell boy would not look very pleasant to our guests. Hehehe. And I still had to take care of our guests for three more days.  If I land in jail then nobody else would be able to do my job. That thought alone eased my tightly clenched fists.

So the golfers arrived late at the country club. They had to forego lunch and went on with the game. As for the non-golfers who were my charge for the duration of their stay, well, we got to lunch just in time, just in time before we fainted with hunger.  The rest of their stay went on smoothly. Even if there were changes along the way.

The day they left I finally had a chance to laze around and savor a cup of my favorite green tea.  Reflecting on the events, I realized that if I were a tea bag that week, people around me must have tasted how I really am under stress. I hope that they saw me as a green tea -- calm and soothing to the nerves; not a black tea which jolts the senses and leave some people sleepless.

I just came back from an International Cell Conference at Bethany in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There were thousands of Christians from all over the world, the conference room was packed! I took off for a week, but I still woke up at 5 O'clock every morning because we wanted to be in the conference early to get good seats.  We sat on the third to fifth rows in the center. It was an all day conference, started at 9 a.m. and usually ended a little bit after 9 p.m. except on the third day when it ended as late as almost 11 p.m.  Wow! three days of 12 hours or more per day! I won't even work any overtime with my job in the hospital, and I only work an 8-hour shift!  That in itself is a testimony!

The power of God moving in each of our hearts, keeping us awake even without multi-dose of caffeine!  Yes, there were a few times when I was dosing off a little, especially after lunch, but no saliva drooling, no snoring!  After all, the place was so fired up with the Holy Ghost!  And to be honest, it was hard to get back to the "real" world after being in such a spiritual and exuberant environment.  If only I could stay there forever and never live in our corruptive and deceptive society again, I would.  But that's not why I'm here for. Or how could I serve God's purpose in my life if I seclude myself from where I should be.  I was called to win souls for God's Kingdom.  This conference was focused on God's Vision.

What's a "vision"?  All we could probably think of is "eye-sight" since we learned that from the time we were kids during physical exam: 20/20 vision, no need for eyeglasses.  But the vision that I'm referring here is the one from God.  Vision is God's idea revealed to man for him to execute (to do, to fulfill).  God uses people to do His work just as a CEO of a big company uses his board members to discuss, delegate tasks/responsibilities to promote and expand his business. God's vision is "multiplication" as a CEO aims to double up or triple up his capital gains. With the booming of his business venture, the CEO will open up branches, franchise, network from local to national to international market.  Let's look at God's network -- how is it doin'?

You and I are accountable for one another.  If you know Jesus, if you're blessed in your life then let others know that.  Our blessings is NOT for us to keep, but to share.  Look at the cross and meditate on it.  It has a vertical line and a horizontal line, and the two lines are connected. The upper part of the vertical line is our acceptance of God's blessing as we lift up our hands to heaven, then we extend our hands horizontally to share that blessing to others so that together, we will stand firm in the ground and that's the lower part of the vertical line.  Amen.

For those who do not know Jesus, this is your chance to know Him before it's too late.  Life on earth is temporary, all your treasures on earth (money, power, prestige, luxuries in life) are not yours to keep forever.  I really like my dad's analogy that "life is like a wheel," it rotates. That analogy stays with my thoughts up to this day.  I had lived through the "ups and downs" in life. I thank God for His amazing grace to save me, to set me FREE.  Now I know how to handle crises and problems in life.  Being a Christian doesn't mean "trouble-free," but "able to handle." I like this verse from Hebrews 13:5 that says: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." That's my greatest assurance that I don't have to face anything alone because God who is strong and mighty in power is with me all the days of my life. Amen.

If you haven't seen the movie "The Passion of the Christ" directed by Mel Gibson, I would definitely encourage you to watch it.  It will allow you to understand and truly appreciate the significance of the cross, and believe in the power of the cross.  The cross is NOT just a piece of jewelry we wear, it's not just another piece to hang on the wall.  The man in the cross was tortured brutally, mocked, crucified and died for us, for the forgiveness of our sins and restoration (back to its original form, pure and clean, no flaws) of our souls. The cross represents our salvation. Amen.

We've been  going to a non-denominational Christian church, The Lord of the Harvest since June 15, 2003. In a year's time, we have tremendous growth-spurt spiritually.  Glory to God!  Since God's vision is multiplication, I believe God planted us where we can grow and mature.  This is our church.

We have what you called "The Encounter" in our church, which is like a retreat.  It's Friday to Sunday and it's held outside of our church facility.  Its main focus is to know who Jesus is and what He did, can do and will do for you and your life.  It's VERY POWERFUL!  I had witnessed many lives transformed, a 180-degree turn.  But the BEST soul won and transformed that I would NEVER doubt the Lord Jesus again was that of my teenaged daughter, Karen.  As a single mom raising a teenager in the States with no relatives closed-by, I have no one else to rely on than the Lord Jesus. He is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverance. Amen.

Moms and dads, bring Jesus to your household. If you know Jesus, if you believe in Him, pass it on to your children.  Show a good example to your children.  Do not be all talks, but no deeds. If you teach your children how to respect then you also need to respect them no matter how old are they.  Oftentimes, we blow our temper, raise our voice, lose control towards our children. And we wonder why our kids are like that?  Same thing with spouses for those who are married -- you take them for granted when you shouldn't.  Where's the "romance" that used to be there when you were still dating?  It shouldn't stop at the altar.  The exchange of "I dos" and "I will" must continue.  Yes, I am single, and who am I to say?  Because I know now what I did not know then. And one of the biggest eye-openers for me is "jealousy, possessiveness, nagging chases your mate away."  Don't let the spirit of intimidation and jealousy dwell in your heart because it bears doubt, mistrust and anger.  Check how's your self-esteem because jealousy, intimidation, possessiveness are by-products of low self-esteem.  The best book I had read that was uplifting to my self-esteem was "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.  I would highly recommend this book.

May this article touch your heart, may you open the door for Jesus to come in into your life. Give yourself a chance to know Him. I can assure you -- you will never regret.  God bless you! 

In Ode to Emily Elizabeth Dickinson
By Candice Ang Uy
Cebu, Philippines

Perhaps on the night she was born
The night itself was lonely and forlorn

The stars must have been gleaming dully in the sky
When the infant girl gave her first cry

Her destiny must have been charted then
Great things to come from her though no one could comprehend

She grew up in a distinguished family
Among academicians and statesmen well-known in the community

Sent off to the finest schools
At a time when gender and not equality was the rule

She came home to Amherst
Closeting herself inside her room, thoughts did she nurse

Shy, gentle, and withdrawn
She seemed lost in a world of her own

She became a recluse by choice
But to her feelings and emotions she gave a voice

Writing about love, immortality, and things she did know
The seated figure touched by the lamp's glow

She walked the gardens in the dusky twilight
As seen by those in the streets out of her sight

What went on behind her shadowed eyes?
A great loneliness she could not disguise

Perhaps pining for an unrequited love
Sent on prayer's swift wings to above

Piece by hundred piece she wrote
Sheaves of parchment flooding her like an endless moat

And when she felt that her life was at the end
She must have looked beyond the bend

Death in his carriage soon came driving by
She closed her eyes with a peaceful sigh

'Twas only years after her death
the scope of her works and its depth

Praises heaped upon her by the world
Accolades by the dozen lay unfurled

She who had written,
"Who are you?  Me, I am nobody."
Destined to become
One of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century.

[Author's Note:  This poem is dedicated to the memory of Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, one of 19th century America's most famous poets.  This piece is dedicated to Uncle Hesing and Auntie Melania, who upon their arrival here last February gifted this writer with a book of Emily Dickinson's poems.  It was from this book where the inspiration for this piece was drawn.  The writer thinks it is but right to dedicate to Emily Dickinson a poem for she has contributed much to American Literature and what would be a more fitting gift for a poet than a poem.]