The Iligan-Bukidnon Road project is among the six newly adopted bills under the Senate Committee on Public Works.   The bill was initiated by Congressman Alipio Badelles of the first district of Iligan City and Lanao del Norte.   The Iligan-Bukidnon Road Bill indicates that the budget for its construction and maintenance will come from the national government making it a national road instead of a barangay road as earlier proposed.  The Bill now awaits President Gloria Arroyo’s signature or a 30-day lapse period to turn into a republic act and for the preparation of the P2-B budget for the 67-kilometer road construction.

Fiesta in CdO!

Come Aug. 28, a popular TV show, a gold-themed mardi gras, and a visiting President Gloria Arroyo will make this year's fiesta in Cagayan de Oro City the grandest, organizers said.  While retaining most of the previous traditional activities, this year's fiesta will see improved content, broad participation from private sectors, and will be shown overseas.  While concerts, stage shows, and similar entertainment performances are crowd-drawers, organizers said preparations are being done for one single major event -- the live staging of popular television ggame show Wowowie -- which they expect to gather around 200,000 people.  Anticipating an enormous crowd and the security and sanitation problems associated with it, organizers also assured that everything has been sorted out two weeks before the big day.

Other activities include Indigay sa Banda sa Divisoria, Miss Cagayan de Oro Pageant, Agro-Fair, swimming competition, Lambagohan Festival’s Bangkite, a concert of international balladeer David Pomeranz at Lim Ket Kai Mall, cultural show by government agencies, Kagay-an Festival, Motocross clinic and competition, marathon, basketball with the stars, annual civic military parade, whitewater rafting race, kayak and jetski exhibition, boat paddle race and fluvial parade, and Tsada Pop Music Festival.

Beautifying the city plaza

The City Engineer’s Office (CEO) is now processing the Purchase Request (PR) and other essential requirements for the improvement and beautification of the City Public Plaza under the city mayor’s directive. City Engineer Franklin Maata bares plans which are all set for the expansion of the stage with an appropriate dressing room, additional lighting facilities, replacement of the crazy-cut tile flooring with clay tiles and repositioning of the Rizal effigy to the center portion of the public plaza among other things. The improvement of parks and plaza is another step towards bolstering Iligan City’s tourism industry.

Nicasio Ong, 71

Nicasio Ong, aka Ong Bing-Uy, died of lingering illness on Aug. 12, 2006 in Cebu City.  He was 71 years old. He was the husband of Tina Bernardo Tan (Batch '56).  His body was laid to rest last Aug. 15 at the Sanctuary Park, Minglanilla, Cebu.  Nick Ong used to operate the Oriental Food Shop, near the Chong Hua Hospital, which sold a variety of traditional Chinese canned goods & delicacies. He spent several years in Iligan in his bachelor days when he was employed at the Sin Tay Sing Rice Mill. We request our pious readers to pray for the eternal repose of his soul.

Secret of success
Tue, 1 Aug 2006 10:44:56

What is the secret of success?  "Taking pain," says the nail. "Keeping cool," says the ice.  "Driving hard," says the hammer.  "Being up to date," says the calendar.  "Being led," says the pencil.  "Being sharp," says the knife.  "Making light around you," says the fire.  "Sticking to it," says the glue. "Being bright," says the lamp.  "Being on time," says the clock.  "Saving a drop," says the faucet.  "Learning from it," says the mistake.  Have a nice day!
--Remedios Tan Wee (Batch '64), Cotabato, Philippines; forwarded SMS; cell: +639209213613

Secret of life
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 08:21:40

The secret of life is not just to live, but to have something worthwhile to live for.  We only live once but if we live right, one lifetime is enough.
--Stela Navarro, Cebu, Philippines; forwarded SMS; cell: +639173879935

Coke Litro
Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:29:18

Teacher:  How many liters does a Coke Litro have?
Pupil:  Four liters, ma'am!
Teacher:  Are you sure?
Pupil:  Yes, ma'am.  Liter C, liter O, liter K, and liter E.
--Glenda "Hong Hong" Sy-Cabilan (Batch '72), Iligan, Philippines; forwarded SMS; cell: +639177166091

ALUMNI HOMECOMINGS.  Alumni of the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) will converge at the White Gold House, Cebu City, on Aug. 27, 2006, at 10 a.m. to hold their annual alumni homecoming.  One of the highlights of the affair is the election of new officers and directors of the CEC Alumni Association.  Of all the Chinese schools in the country, CEC has the most numbers of LCHS graduates among its alumni.  The current school administrator of CEC is Kho Siok We, herself an LCHS alumna.  Meanwhile, alumni of the University of San Carlos (USC), too, gathered last Aug. 20 at the USC College of Architecture & Fine Arts (CAFA) building, Talamban, Cebu City, for their grand alumni homecoming. A highlight of the occasion was the awarding of Most Outstanding Alumni of 2006.  This year's homecoming theme was "Relive Memories ... Reunite Ties."

SINGING BUSINESSMEN.  Spotted last Aug. 8 serenading the crowd with gospel & inspirational songs in Cagayan de Oro City was Rene Tio (Batch '70), in photo, together with the Fishers of Men.  This group of singing businessmen was invited to sing at the inauguration of the Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels, located on Capistrano St., Cagayan de Oro.  Owners of the Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels graced the occasion in full force, led by Renato "Oly" Dychangco Jr., president of the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes Inc. and his mother Aurora Dychangco.  Also present were Oly Dychangco's wife Gie (who is an Iliganon) and their five daughters.

PHOTO CONTEST JUDGE.  Lilen Uy (in photo), daughter of the late Yok Eng Sy-Uy (Batch '55), was among the judges in a special photo exhibit featuring the sights of Batanes and other famous destinations.  The exhibit was held at the North Court, Rockwell Power Plant Mall,  Manila, Aug. 24-27.  Selected to judge the five best travel photographs in the exhibit were Eric Torres, Eugenia Duran-Apostol, Lilen Uy, and Lorraine Belmonte.  Proceeds of the auctions after the exhibit will be used to restore an Ivatan Stone House, a project of the Batanes Foundation for the benefit of the Ivatan Vernacular House Restoration and Conservation Program.

NEW BABY.  Sandy and Scarlet Sy are the new and proud parents of a healthy baby girl. Sydney Blythe Sy was born on Aug. 15 in Iligan City.  Sandy is the youngest son of Sy Bing Gui while Scarlet is the daughter of Ben Hur Dy.  Congrats!

CEBU VISITORS.  Spotted in Cebu City last Aug. 22 was Antonio "Boy" Te (Batch '69), in photo at left, who came to town briefly to pay his daughter a visit.  His daughter Armi Leslie Te (Batch 2002) passed this year's Nursing Licensure Examination.  Both father and daughter were seen at the Cebu Ayala Business Park celebrating Armi's passing of the board exam.  Armi was a campus correspondent of the Spectrum during her junior year at LCHS.  Boy Te is a practicing physician in Taiwan.  Also seen doing some leisure shopping at the Robinsons Place in Cebu City was Glenda "Hong Hong" Sy-Cabilan (Batch '72), in photo at right.  Glenda was taking a well-deserved breather after the periodical exams at LCHS where she is a Chinese faculty member.  Accompanying Glenda in Cebu was her sister Lilian Sy (Batch '75), who owns the Aqua Rose Style Shop along Jakosalem St.

Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69

Here's a list of some of the most popular songs of the 70s which I'm sure not a few of us would love to listen to again and again if only because they bring back the nostalgic past, the good old days of our youth, when the world was more peaceful, less polluted, traffic was not that heavy, and our ways of life were simpler in many ways than one.

What, with these songs of the 70s, do you remember doing? Where were you when these songs were the hits?

A = Alfie // Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko
B = Ben // Betcha By Golly Wow
C = Can We Just Stop And Talk A While // Can You Read My Mind? // Close To You
E = Endless Love // Evergreen
F = For All We Know
G = Got To Believe In Magic
H = Honesty
I = Ikaw Ang Miss Universe Ng Buhay Ko // I Love You All The Way // I Need To Be In Love // I Will Survive // I Won’t Last A Day Without You
J = Just The Way You Are
K = Kung Kailangan Mo Ako
L = Last Dance // Let Me Try Again // Looks Like We Made It
M = Mahiwaga // Memories // Moment By Moment // More Than A Woman // Morning Girl // Mr. D. J. // My World Is Getting Smaller Everyday
O = One Day In Your Life // Only Yesterday
P = Precious And Few
R = Rainbow Connection // Rainy Days and Mondays // Ready To Take The Chance Again // Reunited
S = Saturday Night Fever // Scarborough Fair // Sing // Staying Alive
T = Tag-ulan Sa Tag-araw // Top Of The World // Torn Between Two Lovers // The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face // The Morning After // The Way We Were // This Masquerade // Through The Years
V = Vincent
W = We’ve Only Just Begun // When Will I See You Again
X = Xanadu
Y = Yesterday Once More // You Needed Me // You’ve Got A Friend

Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66