JOINT PUBLICATION OF THE ALUMNI & STUDENTS OF LANAO CHINESE HIGH SCHOOL
Vol. 1, No. 1, August - September 1968, Iligan City, Philippines

Alumni gym nearing completion
Construction of gym rushed to cope with Double Ten celebration

The construction of the gymnasium of the LCHS Alumni Association and the Alumni Badminton Club is now nearing completion.  It is scheduled to be completed in October this year in time for the Double Ten (October 10) celebration by both alumni and students of Lanao Chinese High School (LCHS).

The gymnasium, whose construction started in mid July this year, sits on one of the concrete playgrounds in the LCHS campus.  The foundation of the gym covers an area of 720 square meters and the gym structure itself stands more than thirty feet high.  Sources from the Association said the gym costs P50,000.   At press time, what are not yet finished are the roof covering, a part of the walls and the installation of lighting facilities in some portions of the gym.  The windows supplementing the concrete walls are completely furnished with jalousies.  The gym has two dressing rooms.  Beside the main entrance can be seen the cornerstone of the gym presented recently by Mr. Jose Dy Pico.  The concrete and spacious court of the gym is good for games like basketball, tennis, badminton and volleyball.

Miss Go is Miss Iligan '68

Josephine Jane Go, candidate of the Iligan Chinese Chamber of Commerce, was crowned Miss Iligan City of 1968 at the Iligan City Civic Auditorium.  Go won over Constanchita Abragan, candidate of Iligan City Government, second place; Juliet Padua, Provincial Government, third; and Merle Galan, Iligan Chamber of Industries, fourth.  Go was crowned by Brig. Gen. Vicente Raval who arrived in Iligan City on Sept. 28.  In the first counting of ballots held on Aug. 31, 1968, Merle Galan was leading, followed by Abragan, while Go was third.  In the second counting held on Sept. 14, Galan was still the lead while Go jumped to second, and Abragan, third.

Sept. 27 is "Chinese Night" in city fiesta

Students and faculty members of Lanao Chinese High School sponsored programs in the traditional "Chinese Night" held in connection with the Iligan City fiesta celebration on the night of Sept. 27, 1968 at the Iligan City Civic Auditorium.  The program began at 8 pm with Mr. Sy Chu An, president of the Iligan Chinese Chamber of Commerce, delivering the opening remark.  Other speakers were Iligan City Vice Mayor Padilla and Lanao del Norte Provincial Governor Quibranza.  Dances such as Spanish Dance, Teenage Dance, Sword Dance, Philippine Native Dance, Navy Dance and many other modern dances were presented by students of LCHS.  In commemoration of the fiesta, the LCHS basketball team, under Mr. Chio, also participated in the tournaments.  The LCHS team won over La Salle Academy by one point.

Bb. Pilipinas '68 to Iligan

Charina Zaragoza, Bb. Pilipinas of 1968, visited Iligan City on Aug. 14, 1968 together with First Runner-up, Maria Elena Samson.  They were accompanied by the Jaycees national officials led by club president Agapito Aquino, all of whom were in town for the Northern Mindanao Regional Conference of the Philippine Jaycees held in Iligan.  The Jaycees and the two national beauties paraded around town in a motorcade at noon that day.

DCCY Monthly gets new staff

The Chinese Catholic Youth Organization of Dumaguete City recently elected new members for this year's DCCY Monthly Bulletin editorial staff.  Elected editor in chief was Nunilon Sy, a graduating Pre-Med student at Silliman University.  Sy succeeded Ernesto Yu.  Elected Associate Editor was Henry Yu; Features Editor -- Verna Yap; Associate -- Pamela Yang; News Editor -- Ernesto Yu; Associates -- Catherine Yu Matiao and Frances Young; Circulation -- Oscar Ong and Virgie Tan.

Iligan's movie houses now total 7

A new movie house, Rajah Theater, is now open to the public in Iligan City, bringing the total number of movie houses to seven.  The Rajah Theater is a sister company of the Ace Theater in Tibanga built sometime in 1965.  The new theater, located also in Tibanga, charges P1.00 for orchestra, and P1.50 for balcony.  Although not air-conditioned, the space inside the theater is said to be wide enough for comfort.  Shown in the theater are MGM productions.  Prior to the opening of the Rajah was the Kris Theater which was also opened recently this year.  It is located in Tubod, Iligan City.
 

Each year at the close of classes, LCHS graduating students in the secondary level start to leave the portals of LCHS to prepare themselves for further advancement, another sphere of undertakings, or simply another step forward.

In the process, we witness an exodus of sorts.  As each batch departs from our Alma Mater year after year, a relation so crucial to all of us gradually diminishes.  Yet, many fail to recognize it, and if ever they do, they either ignore it or regard the matter as none of their concern.  This is a crucial matter and we, who are concerned, must not let it go at that.

Before each one of us stepped out of our Alma Mater, a feeling of togetherness, a pleasant bond, persisted among us, a sense of solidarity reigned among us.  Yet, look what happens now at the close of each school year, bunch by bunch our students part ways, turning our bond into a cube of ice left unsheltered under the scorching heat of the sun.  The chain that binds us is dismantled, the bond that ties us together diminishes.  The result?  The missing link!

That is why the Spectrum is established.  It is for all of us who once before stayed under one roof in our Alma Mater, and for the rest of those still to come.  So through this newsletter, let us reconnect and reunite ourselves, let us keep in touch, surmount the distance between us, and close the gap that has separated us.  --COS
 

 

Between the Lines By Ernesto L. Yu

In Dumaguete, lovers trudge along the neon-lighted and acacia-lined boulevard without fear of abrupt assault from ill-natured individuals and "pareglas."
The girls, however, are not secured sometimes in their lover's hands. * * * * * I never thought that Charles' plan to publish this gazette would metamorphose into reality.
Now I conclude that it is not only miracle rice that does miracles! * * * * * "Miniskirt is a temptation to the eyes," a pal commented.
Blessed are the blind. * * * * * Nowadays, scores of people suffer from the only irritating "Inday" that cause LVM (loose bowel movement) -- "Indigestion." * * * * * Daffynitions:
South Vietnam -- a chaotic nation where bullets are labeled 'to whom it may concern.'
Wife -- a sala mannequin, a kitchen lieutenant .. a loud speaker. * * * * * Popular exercise of the mouth:  Excuse me, Miss, your thighs are showing. * * * * * It is rather appalling to witness countless reckless drivers who seem to be masters of the street.  They race too speedily, ignoring the fact that they are exposing themselves nearer to fatal mishaps.
Oh, why are they too in a hurry to die!

Spectroscope By Rudy D. Co

Howdy fellas!  How about getting started by opening up the curtains for our newly-arrived fellow alumni in Cebu?  Nothing sweeter could be felt by us than their company here in the city.

Standing by the Cebu Eastern College corridors are Jose Lim, Felipe Lim and Jesus Chan.  The threesome, who just finished their Chinese Junior Year in LCHS, are now continuing their Senior Year in CEC.   Hey, remember that pogi writer of the column, "Let's Go Over Acting," in the Campus Keeper?  Well, he is Alex Handumon.  He is now at the Cebu Institute of Medicine, taking up Pre-Med.  Together with Alex are our jolly Manuel Tee Tiu and charming Elsa Lagrosas.  They are taking up Medical Technology.  Both spent a year in St. Michael's College before transferring to CIM.  Another one-time Michaelite is Teresita Racines, the very able assistant to the editor of this Spectrum Bulletin.  Terry is taking up B.S. Math in the University of San Carlos.  Easy now, you might mistake a square root for a Baby Ruth.

There goes our debonaire fellow alumnus, Ramon "Ham" Balian.  If you have engine trouble with your machinery, just contact him.  Ham is a Mechanical Engineering stude at the Cebu Institute of Technology.  By the way, did I hear "Forward"?  So there you are!  Carlos Lim just entered the Colegio de San Jose Recoletos where he is taking up Commerce.  Señor Carlos, adelante!  Same goes to Jaime Rodriguez, now a graduating Commerce student at CSJ-R.  Jaime had also been a student in SMC.  And there's Emelita Lee, Commerce freshman, and at the same time Chinese Senior first year at CEC.  Emilita was co-editor of the Campus Keeper.  How about trying out in CSJR's Forward, Em?

Now let's switch to the our alumni elsewhere ... Ernesto Yu, graduating Pre-Med student at Silliman University, has just been elected president of the Dumaguete CCY and is presently news editor of the DCCY Bulletin.  Another pat on the shoulders goes to Ernie's smiling brod, Henry Yu.  Henry, co-editor of the Campus Keeper, is elected editor again.  He now edits the Crossian, school paper of Holy Cross High School, Dumaguete City.  Henry is a graduating stude both in high school (English) and Junior Year (Chinese).   Another facile pen alumna is Emma Yap.  Emma, a Journalism junior student in Silliman, is for the second year appointed news reporter for the Weekly Sillimanian.  How about a correspondence with us in the Spectrum?

On with a noble task elsewhere are Bonifacia Co and Aurora Ong. They are now teaching in Bohol Chinese School, Tagbilaran City.  How was the visit to the choco hills, ma'ams?  Besides supervising us with our technical problems in this publication, Peter Dy is another busybody in the CEC campus.  He is public relations officer of the CEC Chinese Senior Third Year Class Organization.  He sure deserves that position.  For all you know, Peter's motto says, "There is no thriftiness in conversation." (Sa Binisaya pa, walay tihik-tihik sa estorya.)   Florfina Teh, brainy fellow alumna, has recently been elected vice president of the Junior Accountants Club and Secretary of the Scholars Organization of the Iligan Capitol College.  To Flor, our  hearty congrats!  Back home in Iligan is Miguel Ong.  Mike has just finished his Senior Year from CEC.  Any business prospect coming along, Mike?
 

Behind the prism By Henry L. Yu

"The city of Dumaguete is a lonely place."

This was the thought that registered in my mind during my first day's stay in the city.  But then, with the passing of days I found myself no longer lonely but in the company of new faces.  They were and are just as good as my chums in Iligan.  The people and condition of the place are similar to that of our hometown.

Dumaguete is the place fitted for everyone.  Its placidity reflects the traits of the people here.  At daytime, just before the sun commences to rise from the east, chirping of birds could automatically be audible outside your window.  Perfumed roses immediately sweep its scent into your room, and all of a while, you find yourself awakened from your deep sleep.  Here, it is the rising sun that welcomes the day and goads the people to their works.  At night, one can go out without fear of "pareglas" or whatever there is.  And if you decide to stay home, the serenity of the night is enough for concentration in your studies.  Seldom can one witness a mishap, violent accident and all those terrible happenings common in other places.

People are usually seen at the Silliman Farm.  Young and old.  Family picnics are likewise one of the frequent sights on Sundays.  Aside from Silliman Farm, Dumaguete has for everyone the Uymatiao, Ozoa, Uypitching beaches; Milrose and many other lovely resorts.  Indeed, Dumaguete is bleesed with fantastic beaches!

As to social entertainment, the city has just a few of it.  There are four theaters, namely Main, Park, Town, and Tend.  And there is also the Billiard Hall which proudly stands near HCHS.  Students from SU, however, are the frequent visitors.

The city of Dumaguete plays a great part in education.  No doubt, the city is getting progressive.  There are two Chinese schools, namely Chong Hua High School and Holy Cross High School.  The former is run by Protestants while the latter is by Catholic priests. On the other hand, St. Paul's College, Foundation College, St. Louis High, Cathedral, Negros Oriental High, and the renowned Silliman University play a major role in the field of learning.

The last but not the least is the place where one sniffles the sweetness of the day -- the boulevard, Dumaguete's counterpart of Manila's Luneta.  It is where people at at sundown to refresh themselves and observe with total ease the setting of the sun.

So these are the views behind the prism ... a tranquil place, a city of cities, a place that longs for all your presence -- Dumaguete.
 

Postscript By Charles O. Sy

A gymnasium is now constructed on one of LCHS playgrounds.  Thank God, no longer will we hear of a convertible auditorium used as badminton court. -ooo- Pope Paul VI has released his new encyclical, Humanae Vitae.  No more birth control.  Let's try self-control. -ooo- In time of music, Manila has the Tilt Down Men.  In time of earthquakes, Manila has tilt down buildings. -ooo- Fisherman use fishnets to catch fish.  Women use them to catch attention. -ooo- A woman in Cebu was reportedly kissed by a stranger.  Wonder if she turned the other cheek. -ooo- To teachers who are worth admiring, we say: To sir with love.  To teachers who are incompetent, we say: To sir with laugh.

The Spectrum staff wishes to thank the following wonderful people who have given us their financial support in making this publication a reality:

Josely Ang, Ramon Balian, Jesus Chan, Edwin Co, Rudy Co, Shirley Co, Jose Sam Go, Alex Handumon, Emilita Lee, Betty Lim, Carlos Lim, Jose Lim, Ong Chin An, Miguel Ong, Susan Ong, Teresita Racines, Helson Sua, Jane Sy, Lydia Sy, Nelson Sy, Gloria Tecson, Mansueto Villanueva, and Jimmy Wong.

We believe the fact that professionals are the best weapon of a country, for they can think of better ideas than any other persons.  Such professionals are engineers, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, etc.  By their physical disposition, they appear all at a level but when it comes to their intellectual deeds, we can see the great difference.  In other words,  among these professionals, those who profess in teaching outdo the rest.

Teaching, if we take it as a mere course, is just an ordinary one compared to other courses.  Its course of study can be accomplished in four to five years at minimum.  But we say it differs from the other since it is a continuing and growing profession.  Education starts as early as infancy under the untiring tutorship of our mothers.  And as days roll into weeks, months and years, we reach the school age whereby we begin our formal education.  Upon completing our elementary course, we proceed to high school and thereupon, receive basic education.  Then we begin to choose the course we are to pursue in college.  Day by day, we can acquire additional knowledge to be successful in our ambitions.  Therefore, we can say that teaching is a growing profession; it is above all else a noble one.

Teaching is noble.  Why?  Without teachers, there could be no doctors, engineers, lawyers and many other more.  It is from their teachers that these professionals acquire their education since the very first day they innocently enter the world up to the day they come up to their professions.  It is the teachers who endeavor to provide us the technical know-how we need in our chosen career.  It is the teachers who sweat daily in the cultivation and shaping of our mentality as well as the morality we need for the well-being of ourselves.

Henry Van Dyke says, "The teacher awakens the sleeping spirits.  He quickens the indolent, encourages the eager, and steadies the unstable."

The Philippines, we all know, is the only Christian nation in the Orient.  But what is being a Christian?  Are we truly behaving like one?  Some probably are but unfortunately a majority of us are only Christian in name.

Christianity was spread here by the Spaniards four centuries ago; they labored and strived just to build a Christian nation out of the Philippines.  Truly, our ancestors adopted it, practised it and lived as Christians, but that was a long time ago.  Today, one refuses to go to church without a new beautiful dress, and whenever a lady enters the church, strong scent of perfumery fills the air inside, though the smell sometime is fragrant, it usually is strong enough to be irritating.  Others enter the church miniskirted and high-heeled, occasionally arousing the attention of the men from their spiritual meditation.  Others seem to go to the extent of competition and exposition of their new laces, velvets, etc. making the church aisle a fashion runway.  Do these who call themselves Christians deserve to be called Christians?

As Christian, we have to have modesty in us, we should help one another, we should be charitable, like helping the Mission on Sundays and other Christian societies.  But what then are being done?  Most of those who drop coins for the Mission do so only because they are compelled to due to the presence of others; they merely want to show off.

We, Christians, are also obliged to send missionaries to places where Christianity seem faint.  But are those missionaries sent our own brown brothers?  Most of them are not.  They are foreign missionaries.  Although this helps but the fact is we are trying to let others help ourselves, not we ourselves helping ourselves.

In the churches, out of ten priests not more than half of them are Filipinos.  This is very saddening.  For over four centuries of Christianity now, we are still having a shortage of priests of our own race.  However, we can blame no one but ourselves.  We have to be models of Christian ourselves if we want others to behave and live like a true Christian should be.  We have to reform our moral traits if we have the wrong ones. We have to have true concept of what a Christian really is.   We have to be understanding, charitable and love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Tape Recorder
By Jesus Chan

Eighteen years have gone
That echoing life I've lived
Seems to me
What are done are gone.
My life goes thru
Like a tape recorder
So am I going to shun the hurts
And repeat the better.

mother nature
By Castor O. Lim

the tiny birds are gay
   the merry children play.
the rain falls down
   wetting all the vast playground.
the flowers bloom
   while busy bees fly and roam.
in the east the sun rises
   in the farm the farmer toils.
mother nature
   creation of Almighty God.
creation beyond human doubts
   creatioin beyond human grasp.