My name is Bianca Luna and I am a first year PhD student with the School of Geography and Environmental Science. I am interested in learning about peoples’ migration experiences as I too, migrated to the UK at a very young age. In turn, my personal experiences of migrating to the UK inspired me to dedicate my PhD research to the Filipino diaspora. My PhD research will explore a comparative analysis of the ways in which migration has affected the lives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the UK as well as their left-behind family members in the Philippines. It will particularly focus on the extent to which the migration of a family member affects family dynamics. Additionally, it will investigate the issues that migrants and members of the left-behind family face as a result of migration and the different means through which they are able to sustain filial relations despite the geographical distance between family members. Undertaking this research is very important as this allows me to learn more and understand the unique experiences of Filipino migrants in the UK and also the perspectives of the left-behind family in the Philippines.
