Home away from home: A photographic essay

• Main Author: Sabenecio, Felecito L, II
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Documentary photography; Young adults > Philippines; Children of foreign workers > Philippines; Graphic Communications
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_comm/49; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdb_comm/article/1067/viewcontent/2023_Sabenecio_Home_Away_from_Home_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Home Away from Home is a photographic essay that tackles the lives of various young people living away from their families as they stay in Manila to study at universities and colleges, at the same time, who are children of an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) parent. The project includes a collection of 22 photographs with each individual caption, an introductory text, and a 16-minute testimonial slideshow video discussing the firsthand experiences of each subject. The photo essay follows the daily lives of four individuals residing in Metro Manila, highlighting their routines, struggles, and accomplishments while away from home. It depicts a specified storyline from morning to night about the perspective of how students force themselves to survive their everyday lives. The project intends to produce a compelling visual narrative that can further comprehend the dilemma off the subjects – of being alone as it focuses on their responsibilities and independence in a different environment as adolescents without the presence of their family. They force themselves to create an environment that can suffice the same comfort and security as their original homes, thus having a home away from home. The proponent followed the four subjects for two months and documented different moments inside and outside of their intimate spaces which they stay in. Due to ethical considerations, all four subjects have consented to be followed, photographed, and interviewed about their personal and everyday lives.