By Herman M. Lagon We like to think our Sunday worship bleeds into Monday’s choices. Yet time and again, many devout followers brandish their rosaries at Mass only to cast ballots for patrons whose pockets, not principles, line their campaign coffers. This contradiction between faith and vote did not spring up overnight. It has deep …
Impulses
Trollproof your vote
By Herman M. Lagon Truth is not a trending hashtag. It does not dance on TikTok or shout over a loudspeaker in the middle of a barangay basketball court. It does not come wrapped in tarpaulins with faces the size of jeepneys. Truth, as historian Yuval Noah Harari reminds us, is often painful, complicated and, …
Bollard built to harm
By Herman M. Lagon When a five-year-old girl and a 29-year-old man were struck down by a rogue SUV at NAIA Terminal 1, it was not just a car crash — it was a verdict on our public safety. We like to believe that simple fixtures — a bollard here, a railing there — stand …
What must a senator be?
By Herman M. Lagon Name recall may be enough if we elect someone to regulate pedicab fares or rename a porch in a barangay sitio. But when we are electing a senator, someone with national oversight, impeachment powers and control over billions in public funds, we cannot afford to treat it like a popularity contest. Yet …
The trapo playbook
By Herman M. Lagon If the trapo were a character in a teleserye, he would be the kind who smiles with pressed palms in public, but snatches the last piece of lechon backstage. The kind who cries on cue, kisses babies for likes and says “public service” like a punchline. Yet, the real punch is …
Literacy left behind
By Herman M. Lagon Something is profoundly wrong when 18 million high school graduates leave school with diplomas but cannot fully read a news article, understand a public sign, or follow basic job instructions. That is not just a statistic; it is a quiet national crisis. According to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass …
Benham Rise: Ours, period
By Herman M. Lagon Now that the West Philippine Sea is finally getting the attention it deserves, perhaps it is time we shift our gaze eastward. Beyond Luzon, in waters quieter but just as consequential, lies the Philippine Rise, also known as Benham Rise. And while our collective energy has largely been consumed by the …
Beyond red robes
By Herman M. Lagon In a time when the world once again looks to the Sistine Chapel for divine smoke signals — this time following Pope Francis’ passing last week — the name of Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle quietly echoes through the marble halls of the Vatican and the hearts of many Filipino faithful. …
Kamote on wheels
By Herman M. Lagon Have you ever been stuck in traffic — tired, frustrated — when, out of nowhere, a motorcycle cuts through dangerously close, jolting you awake? Chances are, you have seen a kamote driver. The term, now slang for reckless riders, has sparked laughs online but reflects a real problem on our roads. Behind the viral clips …
The blind following
By Herman M. Lagon In the vibrant and chaotic terrain of politics, one wonders at the relentless allegiance many people show toward politicians with dubious credentials and moral character. Outsiders and onlookers alike find this phenomenon perplexing: How can well-meaning people back leaders who have repeatedly let them down? The solution resides in the ingrained …