Vol. 11, No. 1, April 15, 2007
10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
In
your hand is a special issue of the LCHS Spectrum. It is special
because it's the Spectrum's 10th anniversary. The Spectrum
has come of age. It is 10 years old today.
Revived in 1997, the Spectrum was expected to last only a year. Yet, despite all odds, it has grown stronger year after year. And now this little Internet newsletter has grown to become a regular reading material for LCHS alumni and friends. To fellow alumni scattered in different corners of the globe, it is their virtual bridge for reaching out to one another. To many homesick Iliganons, it is their one true source of news and information from home.
Over the past ten years, the editorship of the Spectrum has passed from one hand to another. Its first editor and founder was Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), who served from 1997 to 2001. He was followed by Henry L. Yu (Batch '69), from 2001 to 2002; Victor L. Chiu (Batch '65), from 2002 to 2004; and Roger Suminguit (Batch '73), from 2004 to the present. That the Spectrum has lasted this long is a credit to the men and women in its staff who work in the pure spirit of volunteerism and the many contributors and readers who continue to inspire and motivate the staff with their unrelenting support.
Coming Full Circle
With this issue, the Spectrum marks its 10th anniversary. Without much fanfare, we celebrate a full decade of public service to our fellow alumni and the LCHS community.
It does not seem too long ago when we were picking up the pieces for the revival of the Spectrum in 1997. And now, ten years thereafter, we are still at it -- though with only a few remaining diehards composing our skeleton force.
We started the Spectrum with a strong staff of writers driven by a shared desire to resuscitate a dormant Spectrum on April 15, 1997. Today, we are left with a handful of members still slugging it out come what may. Between then and now, a few new faces have stepped forward to join us. Most others, however, have left us, one after the other. They left a void in the Spectrum that was difficult to fill. Yet, somehow, we endured. We managed to carry on -- although, in the process, we lost a few pounds, missed plenty of sleeps, and lost lots of hair. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, we rest secure with a deeper sense of fulfillment for having been of service to our fellow alumni around the globe.
It is not our nature to blow our own horn. But reaching this far for what was perceived to last only a year is certainly no mean feat. It entailed a great deal of hard labor and raw determination for us to bring the Spectrum this far. Considering that all other similar attempts in the past to pursue a newspaper for the LCHS community never went beyond a year, what the Spectrum has achieved is something one can't sneeze at. It is hard to believe that the Spectrum lasted this long. But it did. Thus, with our readers, supporters and writers who stuck it out with us through hell and high water, we share this singular milestone.
What lies ahead for the Spectrum remains as bearish and capricious as the day of its rebirth. Much of it will depend on how supportive our alumni are to our endeavor. How our alumni here and abroad respond to our need by contributing their material inputs shall determine whether the Spectrum is good for another chapter or bound for retirement. Whichever way it takes, we leave that to our readers. Que sera sera.
For now, we offer you our toast and take a bow for we have come full circle. (C.O. Sy)
Our link
Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:01:08 +0000
1997. Oh, that's a good one decade ago. We were then ten years younger.
April 15, 1997. That was the day the first issue of the LCHS SPECTRUM
came out. Today, after ten years, we're still here - writing to reminisce
the bygone days of our youth, to reconnect with fellow LCHS alumni all
over the world and to update ourselves with the "who's who, what, where,
and when" among us, and more. Truly, the LCHS SPECTRUM is our link
to the past, present and future. May it last a lifetime. Mabuhay!
--Henry L. Yu, M.D., Cebu, Philippines; email: hvty@skyinet.net
Letting go
Mon, 12 Mar 2007 031207
You won't fully enjoy a swing unless you raise your feet from the ground.
You won't fully enjoy a boat ride unless you remove the rope's knot from
the river bank. Your dog won't fully enjoy its dog life unless you
remove the chain on its neck. Lesson? Never ever limit yourself
when it comes to happiness. Learn how to let go and move on.
Life is beautiful if you know how to handle it.
--Susan de la Cruz, Iloilo, Philippines; email: iko1031@hotmail.com
Something
to ponder
Sat, 7 Apr 2007 225208 -0700
Here are some pieces of advice forwarded to me
on the Internet. Hope it works for you -- and me! (1) Give people
more than they expect and do it cheerfully. (2) Marry a man/woman you love
to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important
as any other. (3) Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't
have dreams don't have much. (4) Love deeply and passionately. You might
get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely. (5) Don't judge
people by their relatives. (6) Talk slowly but think quickly. (7) Remember
that great love and great achievements involve great risk. (8) When
you lose, don't lose the lesson. (9) Remember the three R's: Respect for
self; respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
(10) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. (11) Smile when
picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. (12) Spend
some time alone.
--James Booc (Batch '82), Iligan, Philippines;
email: dimx2@yahoo.com
Alumni wiz kids
WIZ
KIDS. At the commencement rites of the Bethany Christian
School in Cebu City last March 31, among the awardees and honorees were
two math wiz kids who happened to be cousins belonging to this year's high
school graduating class. They were
Nathan Lance Garcia and
Melissa
Hazel Sua (in photo). Nathan and Melissa made up the team
that won the championship in the recent Metrobank MTAP DepEd Regional Math
Challenge. Both of them also topped this year's batch of entrance
examinees at the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU). Nathan won the
Best of the Best Merit Scholarship (top 1% among the examinees) of AdMU
while Melissa made it to the Director's List (top 2%) of AdMU. Melissa
was also this year's recipient of the Modesta Gaisano College Scholarship
worth P100,000.00. Earlier, Nathan also bagged the Distinction Award
in the International Mathematics Competition in Australia. Nathan
is the son of Livian Uy Garcia (daughter of Sy Yok Eng, Batch
'55) and Melissa Hazel is the daughter of Helton Sua of Batch '74
(son of Sy See Sa, Batch '54). Meanwhile, Helton Sua is scheduled
to bring his wife and kids for a brief summer vacation in Cagayan de Oro
City, Camiguin Island, and Iligan City from April 16 to 20. Helton's
visit to Iligan will be his first after more than twenty years.
GOLDEN CENTER. Dr. Henry Yu (Batch '69) was elected vice president - external of the Golden Center of Cebu Inc. (GCCI). He was inducted along with other officers led by its new president Dr. Amparo Florida last April 10 at the Cebu Grand Convention Center. The GCCI is an organization that's geared towards the improvement of the quality of life among the senior members of the community through services, education, training and research.
SCUBA DIVING IN MALAPASCUA. Ever the adventurous guy, Roderick Ngo (Batch ‘70) brought his family and a visitor from Malaysia, Jeffrey Ong, on a scuba diving trip to Malapascua Island, off the coast of Daanbantayan, in the northernmost tip of Cebu province. They spent two days of the long Holy Week break on this enchanting island exploring the underwater wonders of this island paradise. The beaches and crystal clear waters of Malapascua are said to be similar to Boracay. But unlike Boracay, Malapascua is still unspoiled by commercialism and big crowds of holiday-seekers. This virgin island is a favorite destination of tourists and diving enthusiasts from Japan and Europe.
Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69
As Time Goes By
One of the signs that we have landed in the world of the old and the restless is when we start collecting memories and imagining the faces of people we've been with, places we've been to, and the things we did. As we take a walk down memory lane and make a flashback, we are transported back in time. And we feel young again. Call it retrogression or whatever. But the fact remains that there's a smile on our face while we're taken aback to that era somewhere in time when we were young, fresh and carefree, oozing with so much vim, vigor, and vitality. There's really no better time than youth. Oh, to be young again!
Indeed, time flies so fast that without our knowing it, another year will soon be over and we will be turning a year older. The honest mirror never lies. Face to face with it, what do we see? Oh, some white hair here and there, receding hairline, sagging face, wrinkles, laugh lines, age spots, jowls, eyebags, drooping eyes, etc. Yup, we didn't have these ten or twenty years ago, did we?
We were yesterday's teenagers and today's midlifers. Yesterday, when we felt some body aches, we didn't think of it as something serious. Today, a slight pain on the chest would make us think of so many things and we start to panic. Yesterday, we talked about the young life: the trendy apparels, the top hit songs and movies, discos, picnics, etc. Today, we talk about tuition fees, mortgage, time deposit, maintenance drugs, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, hospitalization, obituary, requiem mass, memorial parks, etc.
Yup, "It's only the age that changes". True. But if you try to dig deeper and analyze, there are really some things that do make a difference AS TIME GOES BY, as a result of the aging process, whether you like it or not. Yes, in this world, the only thing that doesn't change is change. Nothing is permanent. For every beginning, there's an end. Polarity is the name of the game. And yes, the trouble with hello is goodbye.
We drove about two and a half hours passing through the idyllic and ancient towns of Naga, San Fernando, Carcar, Sibonga, Argao, and Dalaguete. And from Dalaguete it was an uphill climb over steep and rugged terrain en route to Mantalongon. One could tell if one has reached Mantalongan by the sight of its fog-draped hilltops. Eerie vistas of mountains shrouded in early morning fog are a common sight in this upland barangay. Temperature in this area could drop to 9 degrees Centigrade at certain times of the year.
After depositing our luggage in a retreat house, my friend's family began their Stations of the Cross rituals. What made their version of the Via Crucis unique was that it involved climbing up and down 14 hills in the area, each hill representing one Station of the Cross. I joined them at the start. But after climbing two hills, the whole exercise turned from pure pleasure to sheer penitence for me. So I promptly climbed back to the retreat house instead and sought communion with a bottled saint called San Miguel.
Because of its year-round cold climate, Mantalongon has come to be known as the "Little Baguio of Cebu." With its pleasant climate, many city folks and other out-of-town visitors come in droves during summer to escape the sweltering heat in the lowlands. Waking up early in the morning the following day, we found the environment around us covered in a massive veil of mist. Visible air came out of our mouths each time we spoke. A friend joked that we didn't need to smoke cigarettes anymore because "smoke" came out of our mouths every time we exhaled. The weather was so cold that we found our appetite incredibly insatiable. Everything in our simple breakfast tasted delicious. Even the canned sausage and sardines tasted exceptionally scrumptious.
Mantalongon is also known as the "Vegetable Basket" of Central Visayas. The place is known for its high value crops, especially vegetables and flowers. Mantalongon is Cebu's major source of cabbage, pechay, carrots, lettuce and other vegetables. Many of its residents earn their living in agriculture. A common sight in Mantalongon are farmers -- men, women and children alike -- carrying huge baskets loaded to the brim with cabbage down the rugged mountain slope on their bare feet. The whole weight of the load is carried simply by bound cloth strapped around their foreheads (in photo above, at left). How these sturdy mountain folks manage to haul such a hefty load by the mere strength of their foreheads is simply awesome. What is even more amazing is that they are carrying them downhill.
While Mantalongon has been known for its climate and vegetables, not many people realize that it's also a magnificent haven for trekking aficionados. Here mountaineers pass through a natural showcase of highly-varied landscape. Osmeña Peak is the highest peak among the Mantalongon range (in photo above, at right). As a matter of fact, it is Cebu island's highest elevation at 3,500 feet above sea level. Behind it, the mountain ranges stretch as far as Badian to the southwest. One can trek across the mountain ranges to get to Badian, practically cutting across the island of Cebu westward.
My friend's family spent our second day in Mantalongon
scaling the Osmeña Peak. For them, it was their way of sacrifice
for Lent. As for me, I stayed behind and did my own version of holy
retreat. I walked to the retreat house and retreated to bed.
"Are
you ready, boys?" yelled the leader. "Yeah Boo!" shouted the small boys
in front of him.
A few years ago, I watched my son Rodrick "Yeah Boo" his way into joining the Boy Scouts. And I was happy for him because as a Boy Scout, he could learn honesty, integrity and a dedication to truth. And he did learn a lot from scouting. For instance, on a camping trip he learned to be independent by cooking his own meals. And he learned to be brave by eating his own cooking.
But contrary to my hopes, the reality was that as a Boy Scout, Rodrick was going nowhere fast. The knots he tied kept falling apart. He kept falling further and further behind with each hiking trip. And he was always made the fall guy around the campfire. All of those setbacks discouraged him so much that he wanted to quit his scouting. I still remember the day he confronted me about it. He said, "Dad, I'm a lousy Boy Scout." I replied, "Don't think that way. Be positive." And he shot back, "Okay, I'm positive I'm a lousy Boy Scout."
But I told him I wouldn't hear of it. And all through the summer that followed, I worked on his attitude. "Rodrick," I said, "do you remember that whenever your scoutmaster called out 'Are you ready, boys?' everyone always shouted back 'Yeah Boo?' Well, there is a special meaning to 'Yeah Boo.'
Yeah Boo means yes I’m ready and boo to anyone who dares block my way. Yeah Boo means yes I can do it and boo to anyone who thinks I cannot. Yeah Boo means yes I will succeed and boo to anyone who speaks of failure.
And so everyday, we would high five each other and shout "Yeah Boo!" We did it so loudly and so often that pretty soon, even our helpers began to "Yeah Boo" each other. And everyday he got more and more excited. And everyday his spirit and confidence grew stronger. When school finally opened Rodrick came home and proudly announced that he had formed his own Boy Scout Patrol -- the Black Stallions, and that he was their Patrol Leader. And then he told me that his new goal was to earn the highest rank in scouting ... Eagle Scout.
I was so proud of him. My son was fulfilling a lifelong dream that I never had the chance to accomplish. You see, I too had aspirations to be a patrol leader ... and an Eagle scout. But no one told me that it was all right to fail. No one told me that it was all right to try again and again and again. No one told me what "Yeah Boo" meant. No one told me ... so I quit. And the sad thing about quitting is: it is habit forming.
Ever since then, whenever the going got tough, I got going ... out of the way. Isn't it strange how often we don't practice what we preach? Even after the whole "Yeah Boo" experience with Rodrick, I still quit when things got too hot to handle.
Some years ago, I was a participant in a speech contest. The contest was over. The hall was empty. The people had gone home. But I lingered on alone, and I allowed the stillness of the room to swallow my soul. And for a long time, I just stood there ... defeated, dejected, disgusted. Later that night, in the silence of my room, I did what any experienced Toastmaster would do ... I got drunk. And just as I had done so many times before in my life, I decided to quit.
Just then, a voice at my doorstep called, "Dad, can I kiss you goodnight?" It was Rodrick. He raised his eager face to me and lovingly wrapped his arms around my neck. He gave me a peck on the cheek. And before he turned to leave, he whispered two words in my ear. Two simple words that startled me for I had almost forgotten them. He said, "Yeah Boo."
It was only then that I fully understood the very lessons that I had taught my son. I never got to be the Boy Scout that I wanted to be ... because I couldn't accept failure ... and quit. And if I am to be the champion speaker that I would like to be ... then quitting is not the answer. An American speaker, Terryl Bechtol, once said that you could go to hell if you quit. His definition of hell is this: "One day, the man you are will meet face to face ... with the man you could have been. One day the woman you are will meet face to face ... with the woman you could have been. That's hell. Not a place you go to burn forever after you die ... but hell right here on earth."
We don't ever have to go there -- as long as we don't quit. Instead, let us shout the two magic words with all our might the next time someone asks: "Are you ready, guys?"
"Yeah Boo!!!"
[ABOUT
THE AUTHOR. Johnny Uy is president of the Pawe Group of Companies,
Inc. in Cebu City. He is the past president of the Taipan Toastmasters
Club and a former national speech champion of Philippine Toastmasters.
He is currently the president of the Toastmasters International based in
Sta. Margarita, California, U.S.A. He is the first Asian to capture the
highest position of Toastmasters International that exercises leadership
over 11,000 clubs worldwide.]
Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66
The lure of Malapascua
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