Shainne Hostalero

Dear Friends, For 10 good years, this blog has been an online portfolio and a constant confidant. A decade wasn't easy but we have to move forward - to be better, change, and achieve greater heights. Starting today, I will be permanently moving to shainnehostalero.com . Some of my past posts were imported to the site and some will remain here. The new site will be the new piece on the web that shall carry my random musings and readings; and of course, to serve as a professional and official online portfolio as a social entrepreneur and an environmental journalist. Though it is quite painful to leave this blog, I know that moving to the next will bring me better output. I cannot wait to see all of you there. Shainne

Not all students share the same privilege. Some students are working too simultaneous with their studies to suffice their need for allowance and pay other expenses. Some have parents who are on a no-work, no-pay setup; and not all have the means to access classes online (unless they have signed up for it since the very beginning; unless it was explained to them during the enrollment process - this way, they know what they got into.) Ending the semester early is not a disrespect to the academic calendar, especially that we are in the middle of a health crisis. Postponing school activities at this point is not being lazy. It is for everyone's safety.  Universities and other Colleges must decide now who they are and what they want to project: Student-centered? Faculty-centered? Admin-centered? Who are your biggest stakeholders? What you decide on during this crisis will say a lot about the core values you want to embody. It will also decide the fate of the institution for t

MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF) dated April 7, 2020.  April 7, 2020  - This World Health Day, as the world grapples with the worst public health emergency in recent memory, over 90 percent of respondents surveyed in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong support a government-led closure of illegal and unregulated wildlife markets, according to new research for WWF.  The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the link between zoonotic diseases - those transmitted from animals to humans - and wildlife markets into sharp focus. A survey conducted in March among 5,000 participants from Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam found that 82 percent of respondents are extremely or very worried about the outbreak, with 93 percent of respondents in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong supporting action by their governments to eliminate illegal and unregulated markets.  Questions remain about the exact origins of COVID-19, but the World Health Organization has confirmed

Aggressiveness, in the positive and leadership context, can be defined as 'readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity,'  or the 'quality or state of being forceful.' It can also be synonymous with action, initiative, drive, emphasis,  and fierceness . In this time of Public Health Emergency due to the pandemic Coronavirus or COVID-19 and its confirmed cases, there is nothing more reassuring right now than the voice of our leaders declaring safety measures, plans, and communicating the current state of the organization and imperative actions to be performed keeping the well-being of his/her people in his/her thoughts - and yes, in a prompt manner. We need aggressive leaders - the ones who are passionate, present, and exuberant. We need leaders of caliber - the ones who do not only have degrees to boast but with emphatic strategies that uplift the morale and ensures the welfare of the organization; the ones who do not tolerate mediocrity; the ones who constan

Photo from the web I just recently finished reading To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han and it was so fancy, my eyes were totally glued to it. I first saw the film on Netflix in 2018 and after two months since its film debut, I bought the three book-installment: To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean. It was nice to see the film prior to reading because at least I have a good character imagination with Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey (Noah Centineo and Lana Condor). At least, the characters had specific faces in my head while I was reading. It just brought back so much relief and relaxation that took me back to some good old days of high school and college. Hehe. It was so light but you'll get hooked in no time - it might be predictable at times, but you still have that knack of hope on what you actually expect to happen. Do you know what it's like to like someone so much you can't stand it and

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Photo from the web It took me a week to finish Gone Girl. I intended to finish it little by little because a part of me doesn't want it to end. I've seen the movie several times before and I got curious about its printed version. I know that there is always more in the book compared to the movie.  This, I could say, is one of the most gracefully written stories as it leaves you craving for more - parts that you quite expected, but not quite. It leaves you hanging in just the right amount then you flip the pages until you realize you're done reading yet it doesn't feel like you're craving for a better ending. It just about right.  Though I couldn't remember many quotable quotes, the story really got into me like I was, for some time, part of it, and I could relate to some of the problems or issues Nick and Amy were going through. It is merely loving someone that gets you all crazy and paranoid, and as much as you want it

Presidential Proclamation no. 760 declaring January as the National Zero Waste Month was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino on May 15, 2014. This declaration has a purpose to remind Filipinos and the rest of the country to be mindful of waste generated. The said proclamation was also pursuant to the Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. One of the highlight provisions of the RA is the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment including disposal of solid waste. ________ These decrees aim to encourage appropriate management of rubbish due to various crises the country faces in terms of garbage disposal.  The Philippines is the third-largest contributor to ocean pollution. The Philippines is known to be the third-largest ocean pollutant after Indonesia as it produces two million tons of plastic waste per year. Approximate 800,000 tons of this said waste goes directly to the ocean. Daily, the Philipp

Today's the fourth day of the year, its first Saturday. I have spent the first three days thinking thoroughly my plan for the year. Of course, plans are not something we follow religiously but it is nice that we have an overview of the path we want to take for the year. No one knows how long we are still going to hang here, but it is best to make the most of our time while we still have it. Herein, I wrote down the list (not in a particular order)of what I will do this 2020. I try my very best to achieve these goals, especially now that I am getting older and have paved the 20s goodbye. 1. Read more books - at least 35 to 40 books  During the past years, I read a lot. I go by a minimum of three books per month. 2019 came, I don't know, perhaps I have gone extremely busy (or extremely lazy reading) that I haven't opened yet the books I have subscribed myself to. I still have hundreds of purchased e-books in my Google Drive that I have yet to sort and pay attention to.

It has been a year since I last posted about the books I've read. This 2020, I will attempt (yet again) to read at least 35-40 books. I used to purchase a lot of books but procrastinate reading them. Maybe, this is the best time to get back to it and perhaps make this objective a priority. There are so many things you go into when you are reading. It is the chance to learn something new and get lost in a new world. It enables you to widen your vocabulary and get a chance to know some new characters that can influence and even change you. Photo from bookcoverarchive.com Kafka on the Shore by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami  has led me to different phases of delight, sadness, confusion, and understanding. It has given me a highlight of the reality the fantasy, the combination of the two and how we can possibly intertwine them. The adventure of the 15-year old Kafka Tamura led me to the end of the book. He's searched for his origin, the reasons behind his why