Vol. 11, No. 5, June 11, 2007
Thousands
of residents in Iligan City and from the towns of Lanao del Norte heeded
calls to join prayer rallies protesting the results of the canvassing of
three controversial ballot boxes from three towns in Lanao del Norte.
The Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBoC) reconvened June 2 afternoon and canvassed the election returns from the towns of Kauswagan, Bacolod and Maigo despite earlier findings of the NBI that the padlocks of the ballot boxes had been tampered. The PBoC insisted in continuing the canvassing despite the manifestations from United Opposition (UNO) lawyer Arthur Abundiente that the seals containing the Certificates of Canvass were destroyed. Abundiente further manifested that some of the votes were clearly altered and the figures did not match those in the Certificates of Canvass (COC) of the NAMFREL-Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (Namfrel-PPCRV).
In Maigo town alone, congressional candidate Imelda Dimaporo (in photo at right) garnered 7,550 votes after the canvassing of the tampered ballot box compared to the 1,550 votes reflected in the copies of COC in the possession of NAMFREL. The unofficial Namfrel count showed that congressional candidates Vicente Belmonte (in photo at left) got 58,962 votes, Angelique Badelles got 45,670 votes, and Dimaporo garnered 42,596 votes. The results of the Comelec canvassing immediately spread in Iligan and people rallied with priests in manifestation of their indignation. Candles were lighted and they prayed that the winning candidate based on the Namfrel-PPCRV copies of the COCs be given justice and proclaimed as the newly elected congressman for the first district of Lanao del Norte instead of a candidate whose victory is based on the altered copies of the COCs.
Pala-o market bounces back
More than 90% of the establishments at the Pala-o public market that burned down last March have been rebuilt enabling merchants to get back into business operations. Collection division chief Samuel Vicente of the Economic Enterprise Development and Management Office (EEDMO) told the media that the immediate rebuilding of the structures was made possible through the concerted efforts of Iligan City government departments and offices who heeded Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz’s call to help out some 300 dislodged vendors after a fire burned down their stalls at the Pala-o public market a couple of months ago.
Condolences
Sun, 27 May 2007 04:19:49 +0000
We deeply regret to hear the untimely demise and murder of Mr. &
Mrs. Molo. Our heartfelt sympathy to Charmaine and her family. May they
both rest in peace. Our condolence goes to Diony Chiu and family
too for his Mom's death. (P.S. Will anyone send me Charmaine's address?
Thanks.)
--Alex Rodriguez & family, Miramar, Florida, U.S.A.; email:
alpacino_8@hotmail.com
Sun, 27 May 2007 04:32:58 +0000
My prayers go to Mr. & Mrs. Molo's eternal repose. My heartfelt
sympathy to Charmaine & family.
--Elsa Lagrosas (Batch '67)
Wed, 30 May 2007 12:47:20 -0700 (PDT)
Our hearlfelt sympathy to the family of Charmaine Molo and to the Chiu
family (ate Fely, ate Remedios, ate Flor, ate Vivina, Vicky, and specially
Dioney) for the passing of Tiya Tina. I have close family relationship
with the Chiu's. Will the Spectrum please give me Dionesio's
phone number in Iligan so I can directly convey my personal condolences?
--Laureto & Elsie Lao, Stonehill Court, Riverside, California,
U.S.A.; email: elsierito5788@sbcglobal.net
Thu, 31 May 2007 03:10:39 +0000
Our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the Chiu family (Remedios,
Fely, Flora, Vivina, Diony and Vicky) and the Molo family (Charmaine) in
the passing away of their beloved ones. Our prayers for the eternal repose
of their souls. God grant them eternal rest.
--Dr. Henry L. Yu and family, Cebu, Philippines; email: hvty@skyinet.net
Life's
varied meanings
Wed, 06 May 2007 06:51:03
Silence doesn't always mean yes, it may also mean no, but it's better
left unsaid. Anger doesn't always mean hatred, it could just be a
means of coping up. Laughter doesn't always mean happiness, sometimes
it is just a mask. Tears doesn't always mean sorrow, it may also be an
outlet of joy. Staying away doesn't always mean it's the end, it
may also mean the best beginning. And life, though it's so complex,
it's always beautiful.
--Susan de la Cruz, Iloilo, Philippines; email: iko1031@hotmail.com
Alumni on the move
ON
THE MOVE. The summer just past saw many travel bugs among
LCHS alumni moving in and out of various destinations. Among them
were Dy Tiao Un (Batch '40) and wife
Lourdes Dy who recently
returned home to Cebu from a two-week tour of China. Together with
them on the trip were eldest son Dr. David Dy (Batch '74) along
with his wife and kid. Among the places they visited in China was
the world-famous three-gorges dam. Likewise on tour during the few
remaining summer weeks were Constantino "Jonas" Sy (Batch '68),
in photo at left, and wife Terry Wee Sing Sy. They visited
several major cities in the U.S.A. And sighted breezing into town
in Iligan last May 28 was Jose Sam Go (Batch '67), in photo at right.
Sammy was in Cagayan de Oro City earlier to grace the birthday celebration
of his mother. The following day, Sammy took a quick side trip from
Cagayan de Oro to Iligan along with his brother Henry James Go (Batch
'68). James is branch manager of China Bank in Iligan City.
Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69
When Summer Is Gone
"I'll see you in September, when summer is gone. Have a good time but remember I'll be waiting back home. And when you go out dating with some guy all alone, just remember I'll be waiting when summer is gone..."
This is certainly one of the best and most popular songs written about summer, when we were in our youthful exuberance some years ago.
Rewind: Part of the things we did in the summer of our youth was dreaming dreams - those midsummer night's dreams amidst a summer place backed up by the summer rain. Yes, once upon a time, in our younger days, we did dream of becoming a millionaire, either out of the family business empire or winning in a lotto perhaps, being a lawyer, doctor, nurse, engineer, architect, a bakeshop owner, a hotel and restaurant manager, being president of our professional or civic group, etc. Truly, we were yesterday's students and today's professionals, with some of our dreams becoming a reality or just left in the can as plain dreams. Who would ever think that the once frail-looking classmate would become a millionaire at 35, that the once shy girl in our class is now the president of a multinational company, that the stummering and nervous classmate is now a university professor, or the boy next door would marry the girl next door?
We will never be Superman or Darna, but deep in us, we have more or less become like them - powerful, sturdy, and strong through the years, able to surmount whatever problems that come our way. A sign of maturity and wisdom.
We left behind the summer of 2007, the summer of our midlife, along with the memories of the people we met, the places we went to, and the things we did. Summer was indeed a respite from the school day's routines of having to catch up with time in preparing the kids for school in the morning, fetching them in the afternoon, or buying those materials for their school assignments, among other things. But most of all, summer was such a wonderful time to have more bonding with the family in the tradition of "The family that prays and plays together, stays together".
Summer 2007 is gone, but not our dreams and the memories of the good and wonderful life that we used to have, that we're having, and will be having for as long as we live. For as long as there are rainbows, bluebirds in the sky, songs to sing, people to love, and a lot of beautiful things to do in a lifetime. Keep dreaming. It's the secret of feeling young forever.
The Vision of Our Hearts
By Rodolfo de los Reyes
We don't have to think at all to assure ourselves that we can. All we have to do is to wake up to the gift of sight within us. Our inner eyes can alter shapes, can alter egos and alter states, because these are the eyes of feeling, and feeling is beyond measure.
This inner world can broaden our perceptions, but we often set it aside. We have been too fascinated with the beauty of what is external. For one, there's the dazzling array of fashion: gowns, suits, bikinis. For another, there's the lavish display of modern technology: television, word processors, home computers. And then of course there's the visual extravaganza that surrounds our global village: expressways, skyscrapers, and now -- even star wars!
These are certainly wondrous sights. We live in a world of material progress. But there is also a world within, a world of feeling, much deeper though unseen. We hardly touch this world, we hardly reach this world, because our mad race for progress has always been outward. As we count our coins and currencies, as we push buttons and swallow pills, as we tinker with electronic hardware, it is so temptingly convenient to become insensitive to the soft touch of warm fingers that can understand.
There is a kind of beauty that can conquer time and distance, a deeper kind of beauty we can perceive only from within. It takes the world of feeling to discover this in others: the beauty of being trustworthy, the beauty of being sincere. To appreciate this beauty, we don't need our naked eyes. All we need is the vision of our hearts.
That's why the blind American woman named Helen Keller could see the poignant struggle of people inside their hearts. All life long, she saw with her feelings. As a child, she could not see but she could feel doors slamming. She could not see but she could feel water running. But beyond these physical vibrations, she saw with a deeper range of feelings. As an adult, she dedicated the rest of her life to giving hope and meaning to millions of blind men, women and children all over the world, regardless of race, color, or creed. She made them realize that their hearts had a vision that could broaden their perceptions, an inner vision that could make them aware that seeing with their feeling was enough to make them whole.
Isn't it ironical that a blind person could open the eyes of mankind to the vision of feeling? She was not blessed with the gift of sight, but that handicap sharpened the vision of her heart. If anything can link us all, it can only be the warmth of our hearts.
Let us always see through the smile that could hide a world of tears, see beneath an angry cry that masks a plea for sympathy, see beyond a stubborn defiance that covers a yearning for sincere guidance. Everyday of our lives, let us always be sensitive to every person's need for human understanding by perceiving from within.
Yes, we can see the world in a grain of sand. We can see heaven in a wild flower, if we see with the vision of our hearts.
[ABOUT THE AUTHOR. The author, Rodolfo de los Reyes, is a much sought-after motivational speaker and professional lecturer. A member of the Makati Toastmasters Club, he is a former speech champion of the Philippine Toastmasters district.]
Igdono U. Caracho, Batch '66
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