BEFORE AND AFTER. Happier in the process. Photos provided by Nina Terol

(First published on August 16, 2014 on Rappler.com) Here are some of the things that the writer did to make that change happen for the long haul. Three months ago, I was 40 lbs. overweight, addicted to chocolates and sweets, and hardly able to walk up 4 short flights of steps without running out of breath. I had just moved into a new job, and my medical test results showed that my cholesterol and triglycerides were high, and my blood sugar levels were above normal….Continue Reading “My weight loss journey: 12 weeks, 20 lbs, no fad diet (Rappler.com)”

FAMILY LOVE. The author (leftmost) says unconditional love defines a truly "modern family."

(First published on March 12, 2014 in Rappler.com) My sister came out to the family when she was in her teens – although she says she knew as early as 5 or 7 years old that she did not have a girl’s heart. It took a while for our family to accept and adjust to this reality even if the signs were there very early on: Kens over Barbies, cars over dolls, crying whenever she would be asked to wear a dress, challenging guys to “one-on-one”…Continue Reading “10 lessons I learned from having a lesbian sister (Rappler.com)”

MEETING MITCH ALBOM IN MANILA: Niña Terol-Zialcita with best-selling author Mitch Albom & freelance photographer Toni Alvarez

Perhaps my best assignment ever as a writer has been getting to meet and chat with one of the world’s most beloved authors, Mitch Albom. Unknown to many, Albom was a musician and an award-winning sports journalist before he captured hearts and minds all over the world with the #1 New York Times bestseller, Tuesdays with Morrie. After having published his latest novel, The First Phone Call from Heaven, Albom took the opportunity to visit the Philippines not only to promote his book, but also–and more importantly–to help rebuild libraries…Continue Reading “Lessons from a conversation with best-selling author Mitch Albom”

DON’T BE SCARED. “Skull 3”, pencil on smooth Bristol paper. Illustration by Sara Blake

(First published on Rappler.com on February 12, 2014) MANILA, Philippines – What does it take to live a life less ordinary? At the recently held Graphika Manila 2014, luminaries from the creative world shared the stage to talk about their creative process, their best work, the mistakes they’ve made, and lessons they’ve learned along the way. We saw from their individual journeys that whatever the speakers’ backgrounds—whether they hailed from Barcelona or Bacolod, were a newbie or a veteran, worked freelance or in a studio—they…Continue Reading “Feeling uninspired? Wise words from top creatives (Rappler.com)”

"Surviving the 10-Day Lemon Juice Cleanse": A must-read on Rappler.com! :)

NOTE: My first major piece for the year was the product of sacrifice, self-awareness, honesty, and a whole lot of lemon juice. THANK YOU to my editors at Rappler for allowing me to share this–and thanks to the many readers who made this one of the “most read” pieces for that cycle! Sharing an excerpt here 🙂 MANILA, Philippines – The Lemon Juice Cleanse, a.k.a. Master Cleanse or the Lemonade Diet, is a 10-day cleanse that involves fasting on all solid foods and drinking only…Continue Reading “Surviving the 10-Day Lemon Juice Cleanse (Rappler.com)”

AMANPULO. Paradise in the Sulu Sea. Screen shot from http://www.amanresorts.com/

(First published on November 4, 2013) in Rappler.com) [See the original image here] MANILA, Philippines – Amanpulo, the ultra-exclusive resort located in Pamalican Island in the Sulu Sea, has once again made it to Condé Nast Traveller’s list of Top 100 resorts, hotels and spas in the Readers’ Travel Awards 2013. The resort was cited among the Top 20 in the Asia & India category, with a numeric rating of 77.88 over 100. Amanpulo is the only Philippine resort to make it to this year’s Top 100. According…Continue Reading “Amanpulo, Visayas Islands among the best of Conde Nast (Rappler.com)”

DINIWID PARADISE. Heaven's painting. All photos by Niña Terol-Zialcita

(First published on November 3, 2013 in Rappler.com) I kicked off my flip-flops and dug my feet into the cool, soft sand. It was the first sunny morning in a week of stormy skies and sudden rainshowers, and I wanted to make the most of it. I sipped the warm, sweet taho that I bought from a roving vendor, then I settled my glass snugly into the sand before finding my own sweet spot. In front of me, the high tide was carrying strong waves in a…Continue Reading “Diniwid beach: The quiet side of Boracay (Rappler.com)”

"Technology, travel and 'tweet tourism' by Niña Terol-Zialcita, published in Rappler.com

(Published on October 7, 2013 in Rappler.com) MANILA, Philippines – Technology has drastically changed the way people travel. The ubiquity of smartphones and 24/7 connectivity, for instance, has allowed frequent fliers to use websites and mobile apps to book flights and accommodations, keep track of mileage points and other perks, share recommendations and reviews, and post photos in real time. A new conference, the Asia Pacific Tourism, Hospitality and Technology [APTHAT] Conference, aims to shed light on the impact of technology on tourism and hospitality, the…Continue Reading “Technology, travel and ‘tweet tourism’ (Rappler.com)”

In September 2012, I was fortunate enough to have been one of the panelists of Mashable and Rappler‘s “Social Good Summit” in Manila. Here’s an excerpt of a feature about some insights that I and fellow netizen Jane Uymatiao shared with the audience. To view my full segment, please watch the video on the right sidebar. To view a summary of the  Social Good Summit, please click HERE. Hope to see more of you “super citizens” online! 😉 — ‘The tweet is mightier than the…Continue Reading “In the News: ‘The tweet is mightier than the sword’ (Rappler)”

(Published in Rappler on September 17, 2012) MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipinos were among those named as Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP), an annual search by the Junior Chamber International (JCI), otherwise known as the Jaycees. They are Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, president of MicroVentures, a social enterprise known for the multi-award-winning program Hapinoy; and Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvaña, Assistant Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, also…Continue Reading “2 Pinoys among 10 Outstanding Young Persons of the World (Rappler.com)”