By Herman M. Lagon “Ballerina,” the fifth chapter in the John Wick world, is not just another action movie. It is a sharp, stylish tale that dances between violence and vulnerability, grit and grace. After a long, draining duty, my daughter Parvane — clearly exhausted and in need of a break — was nudged by …
Impulses
No more polished scores
By Herman M. Lagon Every Filipino teacher knows that the real weight they carry is not just the lesson plan or the chalk, but the silent frustration of decisions made far from the classroom. Education policies often come from top floors, built on numbers that do not reflect what is happening at ground level. That …
Education cluster with caution
By Herman M. Lagon In the country, one does not often find education making front-page policy breakthroughs. But when Malacañang gave the green light, in principle, to the long-proposed Cabinet Cluster for Education, it felt like a much-needed gust of air had been allowed into a suffocating room. As classrooms reopen post-pandemic and our learners …
The weight of functional illiteracy
By Herman M. Lagon The numbers did not whisper — they shouted. According to the 2024 FLEMMS survey, only 68.4 percent of people in Iloilo province and 70.7 percent in Iloilo City are functionally literate — the lowest in Western Visayas. Once hailed as an academic stronghold, Iloilo now trails behind Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, and Capiz. And while “functional literacy” may …
Libraries unbound
By Herman M. Lagon Not long ago, I had the chance to teach a PhD class on Technology Integration in Formal Education. Most of my students were librarians. What started as a deep-dive into tech tools quickly turned into something more profound: A shared realization that libraries are far from outdated. They’re not dying — they’re transforming. And …
Trial by delay?!
By Herman M. Lagon Tuesday night felt less like a solemn constitutional proceeding and more like a confusing rerun of a political drama that no one asked for. Many of us — teachers, tricycle drivers, nurses, cops, market vendors, even lawyers-in-the-making — are still trying to make sense of what just happened. The Senate, expected to play its part …
Holiness without the mask
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 …
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 …