When Jennylyn Pascual spotted a Facebook post asking to hear her story, her heart skipped a beat. Finally, there may be someone who could help her find the mother she has not seen in nearly two decades. Like most Filipinos living in Hong Kong, Pascual is a domestic worker. She moved to the city with the hope of furthering the search for her long-lost mother, but since arriving at the end of 2018 she has found few people even willing to listen to her plight, let alone help her search. “I saw this post in my [Facebook] newsfeed, which said ‘tell me your story’,” recalls the 39-year-old, who lives with her employer in Tsuen Wan. “I think only they can help me. I’m so full of hope.” That post came from Pangyao, a new community platform for migrant workers in Hong Kong, which is currently mobilising its resources to track down Florinda Espiritu Pascual. She migrated to Malaysia more than 30 years ago, where she remarried and converted to Islam. She last saw her three daughters in 2001, at Jennylyn’s college graduation ceremony in the family hometown of San Agustin, in the province of Isabela in the northern Philippines. Jennylyn now has three children of her own, all still living in the Philippines. The eldest, Hillary, will graduate in March, and Jennylyn’s dream is to unite the three generations before her daughter’s graduation celebration. “It’s a very, very sad story – it’s been [almost two decades] we didn’t hug her, we didn’t see her, we didn’t know if she’s still alive,” she says. “That’s why every Christmas, every new year, my mother is always in my mind – how can I see her? “I wanted to become an OFW [overseas Filipino worker] to search for my mother. We don’t have a lot of money, but when Pangyao messaged me, and then personally met with me, I felt my 2020 was such a blessing. I now have a firm faith that Pangyao can do a lot to help me.” That faith in a community platform barely three months old – and still officially in a “soft launch” phase – is a telling indication of the shortage of people willing to listen to migrants in Hong Kong. Since the group went live in November, its two founders have been steadily building contacts with migrant communities. Fittingly, the name Pangyao means “friend” in Chinese. “This is a kind of family. They are very willing to help and listen to our needs,” says Annette Hope, a domestic worker and founder of the Bongbong Marcos United Hong Kong Chapter, a Filipino group that supports former Filipino senator Marcos which has more than 66,000 online members. “There is too little [support for migrants]. It’s very stressful on my part, but now I have someone to share my burden – I’m so glad Pangyao is here.” At the time of the 2016 census, Hong Kong was home to 360,000 documented domestic workers – more than 60 per cent of the total non-Chinese population of about 584,000. The figure is predicted to expand to 600,000 by 2036 to meet the needs of the rapidly ageing population. Pangyao’s first calling is as a trusted source of information. Alongside its growing social media presence, its homepage is gathering a wealth of reference material covering a migrant’s stay in Hong Kong, from repatriation advice and FAQs to a vouched-for database of NGOs, charities, government organisations and businesses. Crucially, it complements rather than competes with existing services and networks. “There is a real problem with access to worthwhile information for domestic workers,” says Marie Kretz Di Meglio, CEO and founder of Uplifters, an online education NGO for underprivileged communities and migrant domestic workers. “It’s not that there is no information, but it’s very scattered. They may not know where to look.” The project’s depth, breadth and rapid growth rests heavily on the existing connections and expertise of co-founder Aileen Alonzo-Hayward, better known as the long-term host of RTHK’s Pinoy Life, an award-winning weekly radio show that addresses issues affecting Filipinos living in Hong Kong. Soon after receiving Pascual’s message, Alonzo-Hayward invited her on the air to tell her story to the show’s global network of online listeners. When Martin first approached me with the idea for Pangyao, my initial response was: why don’t we have this already? Co-founder of Pangyao, Aileen Alonzo-Hayward The idea for Pangyao came first from Alonzo-Hayward’s one-time bandmate, Martin Turner, who took a six-month sabbatical from working as a project manager for HSBC to develop a different kind of project that offered life more meaning. “I always felt that migrant workers got a fairly raw deal in Hong Kong,” says Turner, a 37-year-old Briton. “They’re such a massive part of everyday life. They bring so much and do so much for the rest of the population, and currently don’t get recognition. “It was a realisation that as an ‘expat’ in Hong Kong you’re absolutely flooded with resources, and yet the flip side of that – the domestic workers who make up the numbers – there’s really virtually nothing. I just reflected that migrant workers shouldn’t be treated any different to anyone else in Hong Kong.” Alonzo-Hayward, a second-generation, Hong Kong-born Filipino, whose parents emigrated in the 1970s to escape poverty, gave Turner’s plans her wholehearted support. “When Martin first approached me with the idea for Pangyao, my initial response was: why don’t we have this already?” she recalls. “I didn’t really think about it before. For me it was normal there wasn’t anything there. When Martin shared the idea, the first thing I thought was, ‘I would use this.’” From the outset, the pair were clear about what would set Pangyao apart. While a wealth of invaluable organisations exist – including Enrich HK, Uplifters, Help for Domestic Workers and The Zubin Foundation – Pangyao primarily focuses on the migrant experience through the prism of work and money. Meanwhile, the social side of migrant life in Hong Kong – the joy and release in evidence every Sunday in the dance routines, karaoke and barbecues enjoyed from Victoria Park to Cheung Chau promenade – is largely undocumented and uncelebrated. Pangyao seeks to promote pertinent social events and services likely to resonate with the migrant community. For every remittance centre, employment agency or freight company listed in its directory, expect to find a migrant-friendly event, specialist ethnic food shop or welcoming affordable restaurant. Entirely self-funded at this stage, Pangyao’s eventual goal is to become self-sustaining by allowing businesses to advertise and directly interact with this often-overlooked audience. “Migrant workers have become an integral facet of the Hong Kong society, and with the increasing number of overseas foreign workers each year, the need for a social platform is utterly compelling,” says Sherrlene Uy Gomes, a 32-year-old Filipino teacher at language school English Excel. “This is where Pangyao comes in. It gives us the opportunity to find our voices here. It serves as our stepping stone to understand Hong Kong better, and share our stories and ideas through blogs and Facebook surveys. We finally found a community that is truly made for us. Pangyao is our newest home away from home.” I hope it can eventually bring a deeper and more profound change in the way migrants are seen. It feels like we’re doing something that will make a genuine difference Co-founder of Pangyao, Martin Turner A key pillar of this community building is the website’s blog, offering anyone with an internet connection the chance to share their experiences with those in a similar position. Dozens of users have already submitted moving stories – under headings such as “Why I came abroad”, “Hong Kong as one of the best cities” and “The plight of migrant workers” – fuelled in part by an ongoing competition offering HK$5,000 worth of prizes to the best contributors. Meanwhile, the Hao Pangyao feature allows users to nominate valued friends for the recognition of a surprise online feature. “Pangyao gives us the space to express our feelings about the daily journeys of migrants’ life – it endows us the chance to tell our stories, it presents us the privilege to put our thoughts in writing,” says blogger Ron Lacson, a Filipino semiconductor engineer who has lived in Hong Kong for more than a decade. So far Pangyao’s posts, in English and Tagalog, have resonated most with Hong Kong’s Filipino community, a clear consequence of Alonzo-Hayward’s roots and network. But the founders are keen to sow deeper roots in all Hong Kong’s migrant communities, and especially the more than 150,000 Indonesians, the city’s second largest minority group – accounting for 26 per cent of non-Chinese in the 2016 census, behind the 32 per cent of Filipinos. They are actively looking for collaborators who may be able to help expand Pangyao’s friendly reach. “Normally any media stories about migrant workers are very sensationalised, and it’s generally bad news,” Turner says. “There’s very little in the way of general coverage, which is what we’re trying to do. A lot of this is making these voices heard, bringing it into the public eye. I hope it can eventually bring a deeper and more profound change in the way migrants are seen. “It feels like we’re doing something that will make a genuine difference.” Find out more at: www.pangyao.hk