Rissa Mananquil Trillo reveals cancer battle

Says “I’m finally ready to tell this story.”

Journalist, model, and entrepreneur Rissa Mananquil Trillo has opened up about her private battle with cancer, sharing a deeply personal post marking both her birthday and a major turning point in her life.

“This birthday, I’m celebrating life,” she wrote. “Because last year, on March 8—International Women’s Day—I heard the words I never thought I would: ‘It’s cancer.’”

In the lengthy Instagram post, Trillo recounted the emotional weight of the diagnosis, admitting that “nothing prepares you for that moment—the way everything shifts in an instant.” She said she made a conscious decision early on not to let the illness define her, focusing instead on “how I showed up, and how I held my mind.”

A year of silent resilience

The past year, she revealed, has been marked by intense medical treatments. “2025 became a year of treatments I never imagined I would go through—chemotherapy, brachytherapy, radiotherapy—and now, continuing immunotherapy,” she shared.

Despite the physical toll, Trillo emphasized the importance of mental strength. “I chose to fight it mentally first. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that strength isn’t always visible—and winning often starts in the mind.”

She also disclosed that only a “very small circle” knew about her condition, calling them “my most trusted, my prayer warriors—the strongest I could have asked for.”

Breaking the silence

Reflecting on her silence over the past year, she wrote: “For a long time, my silence made things easier for everyone else—but it asked me to carry more than I should have. And it feels good to finally let myself be seen.”

Ending her post on a hopeful note, Trillo said her birthday now feels like “a quiet milestone” and declared: “I’m finally ready to tell this story. More, soon.”

Trillo is a prominent figure in the Philippine beauty and media industries. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Allure Philippines, a role she assumed in 2024, and is best known as the co-founder of Happy Skin, a pioneering homegrown cosmetics brand she helped build into an award-winning company. She is also a longtime journalist and columnist, a published author, and an advocate for women’s empowerment and sustainability.

Her revelation has since drawn support from followers and industry peers, many praising her courage and openness as she begins to share her journey publicly.

 

 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that strength isn’t always visible—and winning often starts in the mind.

Rissa Mananaquil Trillo

 

 

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