Vol. 8, No. 14, Oct. 11, 2004

Starting with this issue, the Spectrum comes with a new editorial staff.  Heading the new team is Roger Suminguit as editor (in photo).  He assumed the editorship from Victor Chiu who served as Spectrum editor from April 1, 2002 to Sept. 30, 2004.  Victor now joins past editors Charles O. Sy and Henry Yu as members of the Spectrum board of advisers.  Composing the new staff are Roger Suminguit, editor; Michael John Siangco, associate editor; correspondents: Teresita Racines & Michael Philips Lim (Iligan); Igdono Caracho (Cebu); Marie Janiefer Lee (Manila); Peter Dy (Canada); and Leonardo Tan (Australia).

Roger's assumption of the editorship signals the start of Spectrum's transition to a younger generation of LCHS alumni, as envisioned by Victor Chiu and Spectrum founder Charles O. Sy. The two Spectrum veterans have long planned for the eventual takeover of the Spectrum by the younger generation of alumni writers to ensure its continuity. Roger Suminguit belongs to Class of 1973 and Michael John Siangco, 1996. The previous editors all belong to batches of the 60s.  The new staff plans to recruit more members from batches of the 80s and 90s soon.

Roger is vice president of Global Techno Environment Consult, Inc., Iligan City. He joined the Spectrum in June 1999 as its correspondent and writer of the widely-read column "Tracers."  Henceforth, all articles and letters shall be addressed to Roger Suminguit, email: r_suminguit@lycos.com, with "cc" to: lchsspectrum@yahoo.com.
 

Miss Iligan 2004

Shmeisani Serape Macapobres (in photo) was crowned Miss Iligan 2004 during a glittering ceremony of pomp and pageantry at the MSU-IIT, Iligan City, last Sept. 27.  Shmeisani is 19 years old.  She represented Barangay Suarez. Photo courtesy of Robert Booc, Photo Arts Center.

Henry Dy heads Region-10 Vice Mayors League

Iligan City Vice Mayor Henry Dy (in photo) was elected chairman of the Vice Mayors League of Region-10.  The election took place at the Assembly of Region-10 Vice Mayors League held last Oct. 4 & 5 at the Crystal Inn, Tibanga, Iligan City.  Henry Dy garnered 25 votes against Allan Lim, of Lala, Lanao del Norte, who got 17 votes.  Out of 93 vice mayors based in Region-10, 42 attended the assembly.

Buy your Christmas raffle tickets now

The LCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. Christmas Raffle Tickets are now available.  A ticket sells for only P100, with fabulous prizes at stake. The major prizes are: 21-inch colored TV with DVD player for 1st prize; 7-cu.ft. refrigerator, 2nd prize; washing machine, 3rd prize; microwave oven, 4th prize; and mountain bike, 5th prize.  There are also 30 consolation prizes in store.  Prizes will be drawn during the annual LCHS Alumni Christmas Party on Dec. 30, 2004.  Proceeds of the ticket sales will go to the Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Life is full of surprises.  With the least of my expectation, here I am assuming the editorship of this distinguished newsletter.  With me at the helm of the new Spectrum staff are Michael John Siangco (Batch ’96), son of alumna Betty Lee-Siangco (Batch ’72), and Michael Philips Lim (Batch ’96), son of alumni Bienvenido Lim (Batch ’66) & Norma Sy-Lim (Batch ’65).

Looking back, I remember being briefed by Charles O. Sy, the ever dashing bachelor at large, about how it all started during their heyday at the then Lanao Chinese High School.  Much of the Spectrum's jaded history can be attributed to the talented men and women who started it all back in 1968.

Then in December of 2002, by some twist of fate, we were faced with the grim prospect of the Spectrum folding up.  Its closure would have deprived us of a high-tech medium that enabled us to reach out to our alumni scattered in different places.  The Spectrum was instrumental in the successful holding of our First Grand Alumni Homecoming in 2000.  Like many other alumni, I am profoundly impressed by the people who made the Spectrum a great source of information and a bridge that links our alumni here and abroad.  Can one ever imagine what life would be for our alumni without the Spectrum?

As the LCHS-AA secretary and chair of the Secretariat for GAH2005, I stand to benefit from my new role in the Spectrum because of its access to our alumni worldwide.  The Spectrum will play a key role in promoting our GAH2005 as it did in the first GAH.  I can't imagine how our GAH2005 will turn out without the Spectrum.

And now, the task of carrying the torch for the Spectrum has been handed down to us.  It is a big challenge that I accept without any qualm or rejection but with some measure of apprehension.  Apprehension because of what our alumni might expect of us.  Knowing fully well that we can't match the writing skills of our predecessors, we can only hope our alumni will continue to support us as we take on our new role in the Spectrum.

We shall draw our strength from the strength of the Spectrum itself.  Nurtured for 8 years now, the Spectrum has matured and outgrown its initial birth pangs.  We shall continue to draw our inspiration from our contributors and readers whose tribe we hope will continue to increase.  We shall be successful and effective in our new role for as long as we can receive the same support our alumni have extended to our past editors.  The support and cooperation of our alumni are what we need the most to keep the flame of the Spectrum burning for our generation and the generations to come. --R. Suminguit

Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

Despite the economic downturn, Iligan City still manages to thrive with the rise of several new businesses.  Alumna Luisa Uy, sister of Glicerio Uy (Batch ’65), inaugurated her new Medical Centrum at the main crossing in Iligan.  It houses a grocery and drug store on the ground floor and medical clinics on the second floor. This is the fifth drugstore branch of the enterprising Uy-Libron family. They have been in the medicine supply business for almost 30 years now. They also own the Iligan Village Hotel, a famous landmark in Pala-o district.

Jollibee Iligan recently launched its new two-storey branch located along Bonifacio Drive, Tibanga Hi-way, near the MSU-IIT.  It is owned and operated by a group of prominent families in Iligan. It has a drive-through counter, the first in Northern Mindanao and a big Jollibee mascot head adorning the facade.  Its formal opening was graced by no less than the new City Mayor, Laurence Ll. Cruz and other city officials. On the other hand, "Tracers" heard from a highly reliable source that two giant malls will soon rise in Iligan.  These are the Gaisano Shopping Mall along Bonifacio Drive and SM Shopping Mall along the old highway of Hinaplanon. This is the fruit of the relentless efforts of our new city officials to jumpstart economic activity in Iligan.

And there is the Southbound Jeepney and Bus Terminal which is almost completed. It is located at the highway of Camague, Barangay Tubod. The new terminal will serve southbound route to the neighboring provinces as well as Marawi City, Pagadian, Dipolog and Zamboanga.  With this terminal in operation, the city will decongest traffic and eliminate illegal terminals within the city's central district.  The people of Iligan can now expect to see Iligan with a new direction and brighter future under the tandem leadership of City Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz and Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy (Batch ’64) who is also our LCHS-AA president.

Seen having a vacation in Boracay last Oct. 3 was Remedios Tan Wee (Batch '63) together with family members and friends.  Jennifer Chan will exchange "I do's" with Elfred Liong on Oct. 17 at the Sacred Heart Church, Cebu City.  Jennifer Chan is the daughter of Felipe Chan and the late Susan Ong-Chan (Batch '67).  The bride's groom is the son of Engr. Godofredo Liong and Dr. Esperanza Liong of Ozamis City.  Nuptial reception will follow at the Atlantic Hall of the Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City.  Among the principal sponsors are Mike Lee (Batch '66) and Aurora Ong-Sy (Batch '66).  Our best wishes to the newly-weds!

Michael John L. Siangco, Batch '96

It’s 1:00 a.m. and my eyes are involuntarily shutting down. I took another sip from my coffee and continued checking my students’ test papers. It’s one of those ordinary midnights since last June when I started my return service as a Chinese teacher in my alma mater, Lanao Chung Hua School.  Believe me, it was never in my wildest imagination to become a teacher, much more a huagi siansi. It was the "consequence" of the opportunity that took me to China I grabbed two years ago. Well, teaching itself is also an experience.

While checking the papers, I ran into the Chinese character ki huey and thought of the ki hueys that I have had. My China Experience immediately came out from my subconsciousness and took me right back two years ago.

I was happy as well as excited when I received a phone call from Manila informing me about the venue and the date of our meeting. It will be a meeting of all 10 "scholars" picked by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce for the two-year study program in the Overseas Chinese University, in Xiamen, China. Who would say no to this program? Two year of study in a foreign country -- all for free?

China?  I only knew a little detail about this vast country. I was unfortunate that my gua-kong already left us even before his daughter was married. He would have told us about his hardships when their clan migrated to the Philippines. I knew a few traditions by practice, some through the school and other just by reading.  I really did not know what to expect.  I imagined China to be a big country with a lot of people. I imagined Chinese mainlanders as mostly farmers, poor and deprived of most of the human rights. I imagined every Chinese people owned a bicycle. I imagined China to be very strict in implementing their laws, and the Chinese people meek and obedient.  But when we landed in the Gaoqi International Airport, I immediately thought of the modest airport back in Manila. And the same happened when we drove to the school. The same happened when we went to the city proper. You see, it was absolutely the opposite of what I thought it would be. Xiamen is a very progressive Special Economic Zone. It had the pulse of any of the international cities in the world. Many had really happened since its capitalization.

I remembered my first night in a foreign country.  I remembered the first Mandarin sentence that I was able to speak fluently (that would be ni hao, of course). I remembered the first time I entered class (the room was full of foreigners like me). I remembered mispronouncing even my own name. I remembered our first test. I remembered the first test I gave to my students. Puff! I remembered I that I still have a lot of things to finish. It’s 1:30 a.m. and my eyes are involuntarily shutting down. I did not take a sip from my coffee. I went to bed instead and continued in my journey to dreamland.

There is always another midnight for checking papers.

It got to be our adrenaline-fueled cylinders twirling at the top of the game, solidified by the sweet promise of hugging dear parents and kin in Cebu and Negros. Has to be. With Cathay Pacific Airline’s seats crammed like packed sardines and a food menu in which the descriptive prints induced drooling in the pleasure zone of our taste buds but the real treats were steamy trays that left our stomach in knots, my team of five (myself, Verna, Dominic, Sean and Chris) wouldn’t have disembarked in the airport with minor out-of-body feeling that’s the corollary of sleep deprivation. An apt illustration of how the human mental networks can grind some twenty odd hours of unadulterated boredom into charmed hours of anticipation. I had an added soothing comfort by my court: Verna’s warmth cuddled on my shoulder, an exhilarating ode to love in my definition.

With blood humidified in Northeastern United States summers (typically 20-25 C), once jarred by the mid-afternoon sticky hot Mactan wind, we felt our bones turn soft. “You got lucky today,” brod Henry enthused, “a monsoon rain has really cooled down things.” I caught a glimpse of my troop’s apprehension and dread on what will be tomorrow’s Mister Sun specials. It is amazing how my body thermostat has forgotten this type of broiler heat. Not so many moons ago, I bathed in this fury every time I visited Verna at the Lapu Lapu Emergency Hospital where she did an internship rotation. Back then, I never glistened with sweats and didn’t succumb to slippery toes inside the shoes. Ah, the magic of bashing in the glow of inspiration. It recycled dry air into a refreshing breeze.

After a couple of good nights sleep in Cebu (not sound sleep because the jetlag had us restless before dawn), we proceeded to Negros Oriental. The beach house we stayed in was a feast for the senses. A coral reef sanctuary exists across our doorsteps, chest-deep on low tide, and a mesmerizing sunrise that compels one to take small bites out of life and chew thoroughly. As such, snorkeling was the usual order of the day. We abused idle times watching the clouds float by, until the thermometer headed north when we scrambled for the chilled indoor luxury. I guess the mixture of salt water and playful fishes was an excellent medium to reboot the chemicals of the appetite center because we were unforgiving to all the “see-food” diet. Yep, foreign whales ashore! Then again, how could we not burp in shameless pleasure when lechon, lansones, kinilaw, balbacoa, marang and the likes were our imported dreams leveled into savory realties? The basic challenge: Polish off your plates and drown in snores. No twitching of a single muscle to wipe cleaned the mess. A joy pop. Indeed, it was a culture shock for the kids. For a day. Soon, the boys adjusted to the drills and ordered in fractured dialect, “Inday, bugnaw tubig.” We gave a belated birthday bash to our mom who turned 90 last March. Forty-five relatives and friends showed up at the Forest Camp Resort. Another encounter of the crispy roast and native dishes-to-die-for teased our normally calorie-shy mouth. Lucky us, our bank account were not billed based on postprandial weight gain!

The sight and sound in the provincial town had us cheering in bewilderment and fascination, especially the boys. They observed in awe the harvesting of farm-raised bangus; absorbed the teeming energy of the public market in active trading; choked on fogs of cigarette smoke and thundering roar in a live cockfight; rode with blind faith in a pedicab maneuvered by a frustrated stuntman, snaking by a surge of traffic; sipped young coconut juice straight from the bulky organic container (“Straw, please,” Chris begged); marveled at the vibrant array of orchid blooms that made us green with envy. One highlight that keeps on bobbling to the surface of our consciousness: Distributing toys in the pediatric ward at Bindoy Municipal Hospital where sickly and emancipated patients’ eyes sparkled in wholesome delight. It really hit us in the tender spot to witness how a small token could light up a whole face of aches and pain. The scene reflected back one avenue where we can invest volunteer hours when pay back time comes.

Back in Cebu, we emptied our wallets in the malls, spa and refreshment parlors. We regrouped our family circle with a sumptuous dinner in a popular Chinese eatery. Charles Sy refereed the free-for-all. Of course, another piles of bad cholesterol and salt that got overpowered by the rhythm of family togetherness. On our departure day, we had a Thai lunch invitation from classmates from medical school who are now headliners in the Cebu health community. It was a session of trading hellos, counting grandchildren, tapping fat pads and replaying ancient adventures and tales. Doubtlessly, all these countless rounds of eat-here-eat-there have curdled our red blood cells into white cream.

We settled back in the States last August: tanned, freckled, limp, and prosperous in the waistline. But, never a quart low in rosy memories. The moment we got off the plane, the cool and rejuvenating air of Buffalo was a welcomed relief. This vacation has watered down tremendously the extraneous drags on our lives and spirits, from workplace headaches to school term papers. Actually, it was the harrowing adjustment to time zones that was the stinker. We just can’t knock ourselves unconscious from mere exhaustion. Oh well, at least, at dawn we have dried mangoes and biscotso to tire our jaws. Unmistakably, there is a healing potion of being united with people who matter most in your heart. It is a step on higher grounds of bonding and love. Mine has lingered and never let down.

Cuddled soundly next to my shoulder.

The Tradition
By Candice Ang Uy
Cebu, Philippines

Sitting upon my grandmother's knee
Oral tradition fell from her lips to me

I sat still with my hands clasped tight
And watched her face suffused with light

Her voice rose and fell with the wind
Her moving fingers passing in a blur, almost unseen

She told me about the lady in the moon
When it is full, you can hear her croon

Lovers thwarted by destiny, never to be
Only once in August each other they'll see

The stories like fine silk she wove
Entangled in that spun web I could not move

The tale of a girl who fought with sword in hand
Forced she was to be a man

For her father and country did she fight
Heroine and deliverer from the enemies' might

Till the day faded into the dark
Her eyes lit with that certain spark

Time stood still for grandmother and me
Two shadowed figures beneath the tree

And now it is my turn
To those precious memories my thoughts return

As I sit my granddaughter on my knee
And continue the tradition that began with me.

[Author's Note:  The above incidents are not factual but the stories, Chinese myths and legends, are those which I recall my mother relating to me.  It is in moments spent with mother at home that I try to learn as much as I can of these stories, stories which she herself heard from her own mother and aunt or which were taken up in Chinese history lessons.  It is this writer's own personal belief that storytelling in itself is an art form and that this oral tradition should be greatly encouraged.]

EDITORIAL STAFF       ROGER SUMINGUIT, Editor    MICHAEL JOHN L. SIANGCO, Associate Editor  Correspondents: Teresita Racines & Michael Philips Lim (Iligan); Igdono Caracho (Cebu); Marie Janiefer Lee (Manila); Peter Dy (Canada); Leonardo Tan (Australia); and past editors Charles O. Sy, Henry L. Yu & Victor L. Chiu (Board of Advisers). Founded Aug. 1, 1968.  Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni & supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Web site: www.oocities.org/lchsspectrum. Spectrum welcomes articles, news reports & comments from LCHS alumni, faculty, students and readers. For subscription & submission of articles, contact Roger Suminguit, tel. (63)-221-2422 or e-mail: r_suminguit@lycos.com, with "cc" to: lchsspectrum@yahoo.com