By Herman M. Lagon There is a quiet kind of joy in ticking off a full list of government errands in one afternoon. Not because it happens often, but because when it does, it feels like a miracle. No fixer needed. No dramatic sighs. Just systems that actually work — like when government offices stick …
Impulses
‘Shut the f*** up’
By Herman M. Lagon I have heard worse words shouted in a barangay basketball game over a bad foul, and nobody called it statesmanship; they called it ordinary Saturday. So when Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson opened the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on flood control anomalies by telling the “skeptics, detractors and hijackers” to “shut the …
Dealing with digital drama queens
By Herman M. Lagon There is always one in every thread. You know the type. The one who snubs joy like it is a sin, who turns your good news into a courtroom drama, and who reads your promotion or your child’s graduation post like it is a personal affront. It does not matter if …
The real life’s luxuries
By Herman M. Lagon The most expensive thing to wear today is not a Rolex or Hermès scarf — it is a peaceful face. It comes from a full night’s sleep, the warmth of morning sun through soft curtains, and the freedom of not needing to rush. We often think of luxury as something bought, …
Santo Niño, revisited
By Herman M. Lagon January has a peculiar way of turning our streets into moving sanctuaries. Drums replace bells, barefoot dancers claim asphalt, and traffic gives way to prayer — sometimes clumsy, sometimes loud, often beautiful. From Kalibo to Iloilo City to Cebu City, the calendar thickens with devotion. Ati-Atihan, Dinagyang, Sinulog, Halad, Sakay Sakay, …
Forthwith, finally, forthwith
By Herman M. Lagon A funny thing happens in Philippine politics when English gets involved: One word can suddenly acquire the flexibility of a rubber band and the stamina of a seasoned senator. Take “forthwith.” It is a term that sounds like it was borrowed from a British courtroom drama, dusted off, then dropped on …
4-day workweek? Why not?
By Herman M. Lagon Some ideas spread faster than official memos because they sound like relief. The four-day workweek is one of them. Mention it in a faculty room, and you will hear two reactions in the same breath: “Pwede gid tani,” followed by, “Pero indi na bala kami mapatay sa 10 hours?” That mix …
The quiet story of job orders
The year began quietly, over a canteen breakfast. There were no speeches or resolutions — just hot coffee, cold Coke Sakto and the familiar, careful conversation of job order friends. Someone joked about holiday weight gain. Another spoke, with relief, about a child returning to school. For a moment, there was gratitude — work would …
When tourism becomes personal branding
By Herman M. Lagon The criticism directed towards a magazine cover that featured Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco was never primarily about photography, layout or even a single publication. It struck a deeper nerve because it echoed a familiar frustration: When public institutions slowly begin to resemble personal billboards, people notice. This is not because we …
Standing for Fr. Flavie
By HERMAN M. LAGON There are moments when public silence becomes a form of laziness. Not neutrality, not prudence, but the quieter vice of letting noise do the work, so one does not have to. This is one of those moments. I am usually critical of institutions, including the Catholic institution I remain part of. …