Human Lens
When Research Meets Storytelling
Research helped me understand migration through policies, economics, and evidence. But it was through film and conversation that I began to understand the emotions, relationships, and lived experiences hidden behind the statistics.
Documentaries and podcasts have become an extension of my research, offering another way to explore complex social issues and amplify voices that are often unheard.
Some questions cannot be answered through data alone.
In frame: Gina, migrant worker working in Singapore for 32 years as featured on Banging Bayani.
Research & Documentary Film
Banging Bayani
Every migrant worker carries two stories: the opportunity they pursue, and the relationships they leave behind.
Inspired by the conversations that shaped my research, Banging Bayani explores the lives of migrant workers beyond the economic narrative that often defines them.
The documentary follows the stories of individuals whose sacrifices have created opportunities for their families while revealing the emotional realities of separation, caregiving, identity, and belonging.
RECOGNITION
Founder, UWCSEA Film Society
The Global Epiphany Podcast
Through The Global Epiphany Podcast, I speak with researchers, nonprofit leaders, healthcare professionals, and community advocates working across migration, poverty, education, and global development.
The podcast creates space for conversations that connect academic research with lived experience, making complex global issues more accessible to students and wider audiences. One of the most meaningful episodes featured Grace, whose reflections on migration, family, and sacrifice brought a deeply personal perspective to the questions that first inspired my research.
Welcome to my Podcast
Equity vs Equality: Educational Opportunities and Socioeconomics
The Venezuelan Humanitarian Crisis: A Deep Dive into Resilience
Balancing Access, Equity, and Innovation in Healthcare
Guest: Ian Cabellero
Learning about the Philippines and the Realities of the Ultra-poor
Solutions to Empower the Ultra-poor. An Interview with Executive Director of ICM Hong Kong, Louise Joachimowski.
Guest: Gina Mae Alba
The Stories of a Migrant Domestic Worker
Guest: Grace
The Cost of Care: Grace’s Story
The Human Side of Migration: A Conversation with Grace
