By Herman M. Lagon It starts in subtle ways. A student asks for a grade bump because they “tried their best.” A colleague skips a task, saying, “That’s not in my job description.” A driver overtakes in traffic, asserting their urgency is greater than yours. These seemingly mundane moments reveal a troubling pattern: A growing …
Impulses
Blockchain in governance
By Herman M. Lagon Floods do not wait for paperwork. When rain slams Iloilo, Bacolod or Manila, you either have working drainage or you do not. That is why Senator Bam Aquino’s push to put the national budget on a blockchain ledger feels worth hearing out. The promise is plain enough for taxpayers who are …
No premium, no problem
By Herman M. Lagon Once upon a time, poorly written essays made teachers sigh. These days, they make teachers smile. A clumsy sentence or an awkward phrasing now feels like proof of something human — unpolished, yes, but unprompted. In 2025, many educators have come to quietly cherish the mess, especially in a world where …
Matteo Ricci’s quiet rebellion
By Herman M. Lagon Not all rebels come with fists raised or flags waving. Some walk into empires quietly — armed not with armies, but with a compass, a mind full of Euclid, and the grit to wait. Matteo Ricci, a mathematician-priest at heart, did just that. In 1582, this Italian Jesuit stepped into Ming …
When AI fuels distress
By Herman M. Lagon One evening, a student joked, “Sir, ChatGPT knows me better than my parents.” I laughed, though uneasily. That remark shows how deeply AI is creeping into our lives. We use it for meditation, stress advice, even resignation letters. Yet comfort often comes with unease. AI is no longer just a tool …
Tourism beyond slogans
By Herman M. Lagon It hurts to say this about a place we love, but many of us whisper it on jeepney benches, in faculty rooms, and in airport lines that barely move: It is hard to love you right now, Philippines. The sea is still the kind of blue that calms the chest, the …
Delicadeza, on air
By Herman M. Lagon We recognize delicadeza best when someone breaks it. One word on live teleradio — “tanga” — made offices and classrooms feel tense. People stopped debating policy and started asking about tone, respect and what public office demands. The clash between Senator Rodante Marcoleta and Abante Radyo anchor Marlo Dalisay was less …
When facts become survival
By Herman M. Lagon A few weeks ago, a senior high adviser caught her class buzzing over a viral Facebook post. It claimed to offer new scholarships, and several students had already submitted their IDs. Instead of scolding, she quietly projected the official city scholarship page on the board and explained the difference. The room …
Stop normalizing vote buying!
By Herman M. Lagon Saying vote buying is “normal” is not harmless talk. When a person who seeks or holds public office says it out loud, it signals a willingness to break the rules that protect everyone else. It lowers the bar for the whole city, town or barangay. People hear a leader excuse a …
Silence of the shepherd?
By Herman M. Lagon The streets taught a better homily than most pulpits last weekend. Students, teachers, farmers, nurses, drivers, parents, and faithfuls pressed together at the Trillion Peso March, a slow tide of people saying the simplest of lessons: Stop stealing public money. Many faith communities in Iloilo showed up with placards and prayers. …