Impulses

By Herman M. Lagon There is something oddly memorable about a political acronym that seems to forget part of what it promises. Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability — RAGE, they call it. Somewhere between the “A” and all the applause, you begin to wonder: Where did accountability go? Was it left somewhere backstage, …

By Herman M. Lagon This piece is not for those who have not seen “One Battle After Another.” Spoilers ahead. Released in late 2025, it quickly found its way into debates, chats and classrooms. By the 98th Academy Awards, it had won six of 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. I did not …

By Herman M. Lagon Donald Trump recently went after Pope Leo XIV, calling him “weak” and implying he should keep out of world issues. It came out in that familiar tone — straight, cutting, almost like it was obvious. The pope did not respond like that. He stayed where he has always been — talking …

By Herman M. Lagon There is a small moment many Filipino teachers know too well. Payday comes, the salary credit notification arrives and, for a second, there is relief. Then comes the payslip. You look at the numbers, but your eyes settle on the spaces in between — what was already taken, line by line, …

By Herman M. Lagon The easiest applause line in politics is often the most dangerous one. Say “abolish the SK,” and many exhausted citizens will nod before the coffee cools. They have seen the lazy stereotypes: the endless basketball leagues, the beauty pageants with tarpaulins louder than the programs, the chairperson who learns the art …

By Herman M. Lagon There is something quietly telling about a boxer who says, almost casually, that a highly anticipated rematch is “not actually a fight.” It sounds different when it comes from Floyd Mayweather Jr., a master of control and “running” protector of his 50-0 record. So when his planned September 19 rematch with …

By Herman M. Lagon This letter did not begin with me. A lawyer friend posted a “Dear Uncle” letter on Facebook late one night. It was light on the surface, but there was fatigue underneath — another claim, another near-ending war. I read it and felt that quiet nudge. This was not just distant politics …

By Herman M. Lagon Sometimes it begins quietly — a joke that exposes bias, a post that corrects a lie, a knee taken in silence. Entertainment may be the stage, but the light often turns into something that reaches places power forgets. In those moments, stars stop performing. They become megaphones for those with none, …

By Herman M. Lagon A few years ago, I wrote about the “publish or perish” culture — the quiet pressure that pushes academics to keep producing, often at a pace that feels more mechanical than meaningful. That pressure has not disappeared. If anything, things have become smoother, almost too smooth. Complaints have faded, replaced by …

By Herman M. Lagon There was a time when you could tell a local home was alive even before you stepped inside. You would hear the kids first — running, shouting, laughing over each other. Slippers by the door never stayed in pairs. Meals were a bit tight, a bit noisy, but no one minded. …