By Herman M. Lagon The conversation surrounding the future of the Catholic Church often circles around vocations. Are there enough priests? Are the young still listening? Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, offered a refreshingly honest take. He said, “It is true that some parts of the world right now … there are fewer …
Impulses
Senate on trial
By Herman M. Lagon Not everyone has to be a lawyer to recognize when something smells off. I am no legal expert, but as a teacher, a columnist and a concerned citizen who reads and listens, I believe I can take part in this public discourse. Especially now, when one of the most crucial accountability …
Beyond majoring in math
By Herman M. Lagon To my BSEd Math Major graduates, You made it. And truly, I am happy for you — not just because you completed the requirements, but because you endured. You pushed through when things became chaotic, frustrating, overwhelming, and at times, painfully dramatic. Analytic geometry, differential calculus, integral calculus, mathematical investigation, problem-solving, …
Arnie Teves’ arrest: Justice and diplomacy at work
By Ignacio R. Bunye The arrest of former Congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr. in Timor-Leste was a breakthrough in his long-running legal troubles. For almost two years, Teves had been out of reach, despite serious charges — including alleged involvement in the 2023 assassination of Governor Roel Degamo. His fugitive status had become a major …
Curriculum with a conscience
By Herman M. Lagon When news broke that the Department of Education (DepEd) was proposing to remove ethics from the Senior High School (SHS) and college general education curriculum, many educators, thinkers and citizens winced, some in confusion, others in silent dismay. It felt like watching the final scene of a film where the hero, …
Promotion by default
By Herman M. Lagon In a public high school in Iloilo City, a Grade 9 teacher scanned her class list and sighed. Out of 43 students, eight could not read a full sentence. Some had not returned since September. But come April, nearly all would receive identical report cards: promoted. In a school in Barotac …
The clock, the code and Chiz
By Herman M. Lagon Walking the fine line between law and delay, Senate President Chiz Escudero is balancing the Constitution with a ticking clock. Calm and calculated, he has become the quiet centerpiece of the ongoing drama surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment. Yet the spotlight is slowly shifting from the accused to those possibly …
Putin’s sunken cost dilemma
By Herman M. Lagon Beyond all expectations, the war in Ukraine has persisted; hence, the issue of why Putin has not yet stopped it remains. Countless lives lost, a damaged economy and military conflicts — why then continue? The solution seems to lie in a psychological trap called the “sunken cost” fallacy, whereby the more …
Shepherding the streaming age
By Herman M. Lagon It was almost poetic. In 1925, the year when Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King to reaffirm spiritual authority during rising secularism, the average life expectancy globally hovered around 35 years. The world was recovering from war, electrification was still trickling into rural homes, and childbirth remained …
The perfect storm for Kiko-Bam
By Herman M. Lagon It started with a faint mumble from across a cramped café table — someone sighing, “The elections are rigged anyway.” She said it not as a provocation, just a weary comment that barely rippled over the murmur of grinders and steaming milk. But somehow, the line stuck. Not because it was …