SubSelfie is an independent online magazine for the young generation of Filipinos.
Founded in 2014, we continue to tell stories beyond the newsroom.
SubSelfie weaves the narrative of young Filipinos through their well-informed and responsible points of view.
With advocacy journalism at the forefront, we dig deep into the experiences and stories of the millennials and Generation Z.
What began as a passion project as the first online magazine for Filipino millennials has now grown to be a chronicle of this generation’s struggles and triumphs.
Instead of pictures, our selfies come in the form of multimedia stories.
The Editors
Toni Tiemsin
Issues and Campus Editor
Toni is a strategist, campaigner and changemaker. In the last two decades, he has done news media, development and advocacy communications, strategic communications, and corporate and consumer campaigns.
He is concurrently President & Chief Strategist of communications agency FILI Studios and Communications Manager for pharmaceutical company MSD Philippines. He also teaches media and communication at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
His most recent stint was with FleishmanHillard as Vice President for Corporate and briefly as Media and Influence lead. Previously, he was with global advertising firm Ogilvy Philippines, children’s rights group Save the Children, GMA News and Public Affairs, and BusinessMirror.
Email him at toni@subselfie.com
JM Nualla
Tech and Food Editor
JM is a communication specialist and educator. His two decades of experience span the fields of journalism, multimedia arts, public relations, and advocacy communication.
He is currently the Head of News and Public Relations at Outsource Accelerator (OA), a leading offshoring marketplace and advisory, and a Part-Time Lecturer at CIIT Philippines – College of Arts and Technology.
Prior to OA, JM worked as Senior News Producer of the now-defunct CNN Philippines. He also taught journalism, new media, and communication subjects as an Assistant Professor at iACADEMY and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
He started his career with GMA Network, serving as Researcher and Segment Producer for the award-winning GMA News Special Assignments Team.
MA Journalism 2014, Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism, Ateneo de Manila University. Broadcast Communication 2010 (cum laude), PUP.
Apple Gamboa
Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor
Apple is the Senior Executive for Corporate Communications for Canon Philippines.
She was previously the Content Lead for Maya, the leading digital bank in the country; a Media Relations Manager for Ogilvy Philippines; and an interview and field producer for GMA News programs Quick Response Team and News to Go. She was also a producer of lifestyle TV shows and documentaries.
Travelling and music are her passion, and taking risks is her reality medicine. Journalism 2010, UST.
Edma Remillano
Travel and Campus Editor
Edma is a communications consultant with over 14 years of experience in video production, directing, and multimedia content writing. Her work spans development and advocacy communications, news media, and corporate and consumer campaigns.
She currently serves as Chief of Creatives and Production at FILI Studios, and consultants for organizations such as the Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, LifeBank Foundation, and UNICEF Philippines. She also leads capacity development trainings for government agencies and NGOs.
Edma was part of the team that won GMA News the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for the news coverage of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
She is a staunch advocate of human rights, media workers’ rights, and children’s rights. Outside of work, she enjoys dogs, travel, tattoos, and crime shows — and is the proud owner and baker behind her home-based business, Edma Bakes.
Journalism 2010 (cum laude), UP Diliman.
Email her at edma@filistudios.com
Portia Amparo
Digital Editor
Portia is a public relations specialist, content writer, and freelance communications creative. Writing has always been her anchor—from academic papers to digital content, and now as a medium for telling stories that matter.
What excites her most is curating narratives hidden in everyday life. She loves pop culture, keeps up with media trends, and is curious about the different ways people connect online.
Outside her 9–5, she dabbles in passion projects and side hustles that keep her creative energy alive—though she’s just as likely to be sipping on her latest matcha find or doomscrolling her way into the algorithm’s rabbit holes.
AB Communication Arts 2024 (cum laude), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Antipolo.
Tricia Zafra
Mental Health Editor
Tricia is a mental health professional, educator, journalist, and advocacy specialist.
She works as a clinical psychologist at Mind Care Center – Perpetual Help Medical Center, Childfam-Possibilities Psychological Services, where she supports children, teens, and adults dealing with stress and trauma, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental issues, psychosis, anxiety, and personality disorders.
She is a field traumatologist and a compassion fatigue educator and practitioner certified by the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology.
Before obtaining her license as a psychologist, she was involved as a Peer Supporter of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Project of the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network Philippines (PECOJON). The project published a mental health handbook for media workers where Tricia is co-author.
Aside from clinical practice, she teaches at the University of the Philippines-Diliman Department of Psychology.
Prior to becoming a mental health professional, Tricia was a multi-awarded broadcast journalist. She was a correspondent for RPN 9, and news reporter and anchor for GMA 7.
Her work has earned recognition both locally and internationally, with awards such as Outstanding Field Reporter (2018) and Favorite Female TV Newscaster (2016) from the OFW Gawad Parangal, a Certificate of Creative Excellence (2016) for Brigada’s “Para sa Pangarap” from the US International Film and Video Festival, Best Culture-Based TV Reporter (2014) from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and a Plaque of Recognition for “Biyaheng Totoo: Batanes” (2012) from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
After 10 years in the field, she transitioned to working behind the camera as an Executive Producer for CNN Philippines handling various news programs.
She further expanded her experience outside the newsroom and into the humanitarian, government, and non-profit sectors. She was a Communications Officer for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) – HongKong, and later served in the public sector as the Chief of the Public Relations and Information Division of the Philippine Space Agency. She is also the lead researcher for VERA Files‘ 2023 Media Ownership Monitoring project.
Outside her professional life, Tricia reads mostly non-fiction, keeps a dream diary, lights scented candles, meditates, paints, scuba dives, and plays with her dog. She is a vegetarian, Buddhist, and likes comedy films.
Top 2, 2023 Psychologists Licensure Exam, PRC.
Master’s in Psychology 2020, UP Diliman.
Broadcast Communication 2007 (cum laude), UP Diliman.
Team SubSelfie
Bam Alegre
Co-Founder
Bam is a Co-Founder of SubSelfie and writes from time to time as a guest contributor.
He is a Senior News Correspondent and News Anchor for GMA News. He was also part of the team that won GMA News the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for the news coverage of Super Typhoon Yolanda (2013).
Previously, he worked behind the scenes as a Segment Producer for State of the Nation with Jessica Soho and 24 Oras (2009-2012). He is also the vocalist, pianist, and guitarist of the band No Parking (2005). BA Broadcast Communication 2007, UP Diliman.
Lian Nami Buan
Former Associate Editor
Lian is a senior investigative reporter and minder of the justice, human rights, and crime cluster for Rappler. For SubSelfie, Lian led the #SubStory and #TanawMindanao segments. She was a news producer for GMA News for six years before she moved to England to take up her Masters in Digital Journalism at Goldsmiths University of London. Her areas of journalistic interest include human rights, particularly indigenous people, women, and migration. Whenever she has money, she travels to collect feelings for writing material. Journalism 2010, UST.
Kristoffer Pasion
Resident Historian
Kristoffer is a public historian working for the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. He has been serving in government for almost a decade, having worked as a cultural officer for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2011-2013), and as a history researcher for the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines (2013-2016).
He runs the blog Indiohistorian and does active history writing on social media. He is finishing his masteral studies in History at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, pursuing research on the history of government institutions.
John Thimoty Romero
John Thimoty is a licensed professional teacher, a graduate of Philippine Normal University – Manila last 2017 as Bachelor of Secondary Education – Major in English. Upon his graduation, he received the Gawad Graciano Lopez – Jaena Co-Curricular Award for Campus Journalism.
He is the founder of Essays Against Mediocrity, a website dedicated to support independent authors, poets, and other content creators.
Aries Oliveros
Aries has written textbooks on grammar and creative nonfiction and is currently an executive assistant at the Office of the Executive Director of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) – Central Luzon Campus.
He was formerly Chief of the Curriculum and Instruction Division and adviser of the school paper The Central Scholar. He studied Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English at Philippine Normal University, Manila.
Sheena Kristine Cases
Sheena Kristine is a data analyst and a knowledge manager who is an advocate by heart. She believes in working with a purpose and for a cause greater than ourselves.
As a person who deals with a mood disorder, Sheena Kristine loves to write about Mental Health and General Psychology to help others learn from her experiences.
Most of her professional career was also devoted to the academe and international NGOs like Save the Children and Oxfam to seek and share knowledge. She had been a volunteer for Victory Church since 2010 doing various functions. She holds a B.S. Economics and an M.A. Demography degree from U.P. Diliman. Thus, she is also passionate about writing on development.
Jervis Manahan
Jervis is a reporter for ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs. He is also teaching broadcast media courses at the Department of Media and Communication, Trinity University of Asia.
He is also an advocate of press freedom and media literacy. Outside work, he goes on outdoor adventures with the Travel Factor group. He has also written theatre plays for Short and Sweet Manila.
Gerald Gloton
Gerald is a visual storyteller. He is currently a Writer/Reporter/Photographer for the Pampanga Public Information Office. Gerald is impassioned in capturing moments from field assignments and framing portraits of his subjects who have various messages for the world to witness.
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