By Herman M. Lagon There’s something about how certain political statements manage to land far from the original point — illogical, jarring and, frankly, baffling. They often do not seem to follow from anything previously said or done, yet they are thrown out with such conviction that listeners are momentarily stunned, nodding along, trying to …
Impulses
Low-key self-care
By Herman M. Lagon Some of the absolute greatest life improvements do not arrive in bottles, on our phones or at a high-end price tag. They appear free, lying unobtrusively around us — not endorsed by influencers, no, but by our lolas. And we overlook them, assuming they are too simple to make a difference. …
When easy is the enemy
By Herman M. Lagon Some pandemics do not come with breaking news or body counts. They show up quietly, like the damp heat in a crowded office — felt, but unnamed. These are not viral outbreaks but everyday habits we have slowly accepted: the shortcuts we take, the rest we ignore, the disconnection we …
Quiet clues of genius
By Herman M. Lagon He did not look the part. No thick glasses, no medals, no highfalutin words. He barely spoke in class. But one day, when our math teacher scribbled a tough problem on the board and everyone froze, he casually stood up, solved it with quiet ease, then sat back down. No fuss. …
Walk the hallways firstWalk the hallways first
By Herman M. Lagon When the title becomes yours — principal, director or president — remember this: People may hear your speeches, but they will believe only your walk. Leadership doesn’t live in programs or papers — it lives in the hallways. The smell of chalk and coffee tells more stories than any speech can. …
Imagine ‘Imagine’
By Herman M. Lagon Imagine having a soft piano and a few bold lines rattle your worldview. That is what John Lennon’s “Imagine” did in 1971 — and still does. It quietly invites us to dream in just three minutes, not with lullabies, but with questions that unsettle the world as we know it. “Imagine …
The vertical trap
By Herman M. Lagon In a small university in the Visayas, a new graduate program is on hold — not for lack of students or ideas, but because of paperwork. Under CHED Memorandum Order No. 15, s. 2019, a school cannot offer a master’s or doctoral degree unless it has four full-time professors with PhDs …
ETEEAP makes experience count
By Herman M. Lagon Here’s a program many Filipinos quietly root for but rarely talk about. In a country where resumes often outrun diplomas, the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program, or ETEEAP, has been the hidden main door that many mistake for a side gate — open, dignified and life-changing. I say this …
Venn of us: Ilonggo x Negrense
By Herman M. Lagon You hear it on a jeep from Lacson to Libertad or in a faculty room from Bacolod to Barotac: someone says she’s Negrense, slips into a Hiligaynon story, and a friend calls her Ilonggo. No one corrects anyone. The labels only get tricky when we stop them from moving. In real …
When ‘sipsip’ turns poison
By Herman M. Lagon No matter how modern or high-tech the workplace, the “sipsip” still survives — the yes-man, the brown-noser, the constant flatterer. They never miss a chance to admire the boss’ ideas or agree with every plan. It feels polite at first, even team-spirited. But unchecked, it turns the office into a contest …