BY HERMAN M. LAGON
DURING weekends, my father took on a different role as the long-time barangay captain of our village. In this capacity, he was less the stern executive and more the genial leader. While still strict, he devoted his weekends to organizing barangay activities, mediating disputes, and addressing local concerns. His presence alone was often enough to defuse tense situations. He would bring me along to these community events, not with a specific task in mind, but simply to observe and learn. “Always learn from everything you observe,” he would tell me.
My father’s dedication to public service extended to his relationships with political figures, including then-Senator Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon, one of his favorite companions in conversation. Though he never drank or smoked, he took politics seriously, having studied pre-law in college and taught himself letters and stenography. A staunch oppositionist to Marcos, my father was prepared to be arrested by the Philippine Constabulary when Martial Law was declared in 1972. He was vocal in his opposition, even against his own employer, crony businessman Roberto Benedicto, leading to near expulsion from the company after being active in the union.
A journalist and poet in his own right, my father used his writing talents to contribute articles to Bombo Radyo editorials and short stories and features in Yuhum Magazine, all in support of his political ideals and advocacies. When the dictator fled the country on February 25, 1986, my father rang the chapel bells in front of our house, tears streaming down his face as he shouted, “Marcos is out. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.” It was the first and only time I saw my father cry, and yet, with unwavering conviction, he reminded me, “Never, ever forget to serve others.”
After the revolution, my father retired from his job but continued writing as a freelance writer. Three years later, after a two-month battle with heart complications, he passed away in St. Paul’s Hospital. Even in his hospital bed, he never abandoned his routine — waking up to the sound of the radio and the rustling of newspaper pages. I was 12, in my 8th grade, when my father — wise, strong-willed, and fiercely patriotic — died peacefully in his sleep.
But my father’s legacy lives on within me, like the steady hum of a radio broadcasting its signal across the airwaves. The values he instilled have subtly guided my life and career. Through his influence, I have been fortunate to pursue opportunities as a scholar, student leader, journalist, administrator, engineer, counselor, and educator. Today, I continue to strive as a university director, a father of two, and a lifelong learner, always mindful of the lessons he taught me.
The lessons my father imparted — “never settle for second best,” “always learn from everything observable,” and “never forget to serve others” — have become the guiding principles of my life. And, perhaps unconsciously, I have passed these values on to my daughters.
I see my father’s influence in my daughters. Parvane Mae, with her academic resilience, advanced from salutatorian at Ateneo de Iloilo to earning her MD after graduating Cum Laude in Nursing at WVSU. Psyche Mae, with her dedication, went from a service awardee at Ateneo to teaching in the US after earning Cum Laude honors in Special Education and completing her master’s in Guidance and Counseling at WVSU. Both, with God’s grace, have embraced values passed down from my father, and they have taught me to appreciate life, see goodness in all things, and balance the passing on of these values.
Today, with smart TVs, iPads, laptops, and cellphones at my fingertips, I have countless options for news and entertainment. Yet, thanks to my dad, who would have turned 97 this September 4, I still find myself tuning in to the radio via YouTube and Facebook first thing in the morning and before I sleep. This simple, enduring habit continues to resonate with me.
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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./PN
