“When we launched in 2019, one of the drivers was the realisation that, even though migrant workers account for a significant percentage of Hong Kong’s population, essential information and resources were often scattered and hard to find, particularly for those new to the city,” says Alonzo-Hayward, a musician and the Hong Kong-born Filipino writer and editor behind much of the platform’s content.

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“Our initial aim was to bring these resources together in one place, along with input from the many excellent migrant-focused organisations.”

Fast forward to today, and that seed of an idea has sprouted into a multi-platform movement: the Pangyao ecosystem now consists of a website, an app, a 75,000-strong Facebook community dealing with all the diverse aspects of migrant life, and a bimonthly print magazine.

The name might seem odd, but Hong Kong’s migrant community have adopted the Cantonese term for “friend” as a term of endearment. Fittingly, the platform makes a point of maintaining friendly ties with local NGOs, charities and migrant-centred businesses who can act as a trusted source of support when called upon.

This even extends to consular officials, with Pangyao a media partner at Sunday’s aptly named Kapangyawan Friendship Festival, organised by the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong in commemoration of the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence (celebrated on June 12).

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“We were always keen not to focus only on the employment aspect,” says Alonzo-Hayward, a mother-of-one. “While the migrant community may primarily be here to work, they are also entitled to a life outside work, as much as everyone else. So our platform lets individuals find the support they need, but also to relax, make friends and be themselves.”

As a second-generation Hong Kong-born Filipino herself – whose parents were among the first wave of workers to migrate from the island nation in the late 1970s – she understands what it takes to escape poverty and build a better life.

In her own case, that ultimately made it possible to complete a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and enjoy a 10-year career in the finance sector, before landing a dream job as a radio presenter and producer with public broadcaster RTHK. Her regular show, Pinoy Life, went on to win multiple awards, including international recognition for raising public awareness about issues related to Filipino migration.

“I still love the work I do on the radio,” she says. “But when Martin approached me with the initial idea for Pangyao, it seemed the perfect way to further my passion for helping the migrant community. The two of us have very different skill sets, but we complement each other and are now on a constant learning curve.”

Both aged 41 and residents of Lamma Island, the pair are long-time friends, having previously performed together in the local indie band Dark Himaya. Turner set out the basic concept, which came to him while learning to code during a six-month sabbatical from the world of banking.

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“From there, we started brainstorming,” says the Briton, who has called Hong Kong home for 13 years. “The goal was to bring the migrant community closer together, encouraging unity, regardless of background, nationality or religion. Building an audience seemed slow in the beginning, but once our idea caught on and more people saw the benefits of having a common platform, we gained the trust of the community.

“That connection is our strong suit – we understand and engage with our audience.”

At the outset, nothing was easy, especially as the initial launch coincided almost exactly with the first reports of Covid-19. But the extended period of quarantine, lockdowns and social distancing also created the ideal opportunity for a new site offering targeted, entertaining content and promoting involvement and interaction.

“Now that we’ve finally emerged from Covid-19, we feel that our hard work and persistence are paying off,” Turner says. “We see this every day through our very active social media, from meet-ups of hiking, photography and dance groups, employment-related queries, and even questions about locating a missing HKID card.”

Of course, as the pandemic years made clear, there are always more serious issues to address. Within the migrant community, as elsewhere, these include mental health, depression, workplace abuse and domestic violence, as well as maximum working hours, illegal agency fees and inadequate living conditions.

To play a constructive role, Pangyao has become part of the MDW Coalition, a group of around 14 NGOs and migrant-focused organisations looking to assist whenever necessary. “We can help disseminate any important information they wish to share,” says Alonzo-Hayward. “They feel our sincerity and commitment to the cause.”

She adds that even with the experience gained over the past three years, managing a growing and largely self-funded social enterprise – whose only external revenue streams come from donations and limited sponsorship and advertising partnerships – is not without its challenges.

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“We don’t always get everything right, and we’re very grateful to our volunteer moderators for the amazing job they do to keep it all running smoothly,” she adds. “The current model is manageable, but with around 400,000 migrant workers in the city, we strongly believe we are only scratching the surface of what is possible with further financial backing.”

However, as Pangyao’s profile and reputation continue to grow, one thing they don’t need to worry about is finding a steady supply of interesting and inspiring content.

“Serving such a diverse population, whose voice often struggles to be heard, that is seldom a problem,” Turner says. “The migrant community is so vibrant we’re never concerned about running out of stories to share.”