By Herman M. Lagon No one warned me that the most thought-provoking part of judging a university-wide non-teaching personnel event would happen at the foot of the picturesque Almadria Highlands in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. As an academician, I expected fashion, talent and maybe a few standing ovations. But I did not expect a Q&A portion …
Impulses
St. Peter Faber’s compass
By Herman M. Lagon Each August 1st, we honor the quiet, reflective man whose legacy endures, particularly for those with an inclination for listening, healing and inner transformation. This is St. Peter Faber, co-founder of the Society of Jesus and Pope Francis’ go-to Jesuit, whose death occurred on this date in 1546. His name does …
From chaos to caution
By Herman M. Lagon During a quick stop at a quiet café near UP Visayas, I found myself saying something I never thought I would — defending President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. It was not because I had changed sides, nor because I had forgotten martial law’s shadows or the promise of the Leni Robredo movement. …
Children as retirement plans?
By Herman M. Lagon At a small carinderia just a few minutes’ walk from the district hospital, I overheard a tricycle driver explaining to his seatmate, “Kun indi mo maalagaan ang imo amay, pwede ka kuno prisuhon.” The other man, who appeared to be in his early 30s, laughed uneasily and replied, “Eh paano kun …
Coming home in blue, maroon
By Herman M. Lagon This weekend, I will be coming home twice — once in blue, once in maroon. Two schools. Two identities. Two sets of memories. But one grateful heart returning to where so much of who I am was shaped, sharpened and sent out into the world. On Saturday night, July 26, I will walk back …
Truth, justice, mercy always prevail in the end
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We have to build up our conviction in this truth of our faith. God always is in control of things, no matter how twisted things in our life can be. The truth that can only come from God, his justice and mercy will always prevail in the end. We may have …
Classes suspended, again!?
By Herman M. Lagon It was barely 4:30 a.m. when a rush of messages flooded my phone: “May klase kita, Sir?” From my time as a principal in a basic education school, up until now in college, this question has never gone out of fashion. And why would it? It encapsulates the unique, rain-soaked uncertainty …
Why do people resign?
By Herman M. Lagon “Pagod na ako.” It is a line we hear in jeepney rides, in pantry corners and after long hours at work. But it is not just tiredness — it is the kind that wears down the soul. The kind built from unseen effort, unpaid extras, workplace dissonance, and staying too long …
Love isn’t enough, really
By Herman M. Lagon Come graduation season, social media floods with proud posts — caps mid-air, Latin honors gleaming, heartfelt thanks to parents and professors. Then one post stops you. “Sana hindi niyo na lang ako ipinanganak [I wish you had never given birth to me].” It does not cheer. It does not thank. It …
Maroonong Guro ng Bayan
By Herman M. Lagon It all started over coffee, iced choco and a cake named “Better Than Sex” — not a formal memo, just a spark of an idea between colleagues at Coffeebreak. “Let’s gather the M.Ed. alumni,” Dr. Jonny Pornel of the UPV Division of Professional Education said during the casual talk. That small …