What attracted you to the LLM in Health, Law, and Society at Bristol?

I am committed to bridging the gap between global health, law, and the most vulnerable peoples and communities. My passion fuels my work as a public health campaigner and legal advisor in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, where I have worked with local and international nonprofits, UN bodies, and government agencies. I am currently one of five members of the Drug Price Advisory Council, an independent technical body established by law to assist the Philippine Department of Health in ensuring that quality medicines are accessible and affordable to Filipinos, especially people and communities living in poverty.

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted individual and collective reflections on the unsustainability of “business as usual.” I was motivated to pursue academic opportunities that would allow me to delve deeper and reflect. I chose to study the LLM in Health, Law, and Society (HLS) at Bristol because I felt an existing programmatic and culture ‘fit’ with my interests, values, and lived experiences. I was attracted to the programme because of its ‘socially-engaged’ and research-focused curriculum taught by world-leading academics, and a deliberate departure from how the law is 'traditionally' taught. 

I also took the University of Bristol's "Decolonising Education: From Theory to Practice”, a free online course open to the public, which I highly recommend. I was eager to join collective efforts from within the university, including the Law School, and the wider Bristol community in challenging racism, sexism, and colonial legacies in current institutions, including academia and the legal profession.

Tell us about how you learned about the Wellcome Trust Scholarship scheme and the application process, what did it mean to you to be awarded the scholarship?

I found out about the Wellcome Trust Scholarship scheme after applying to the HLS programme. The PG Admissions Office sent applicants and prospective students helpful links and resources, including free access to the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding platform, blog posts by HLS students, and available scholarships. My positive interactions with exceptionally supportive PG admissions staff during the pandemic, especially Stephanie Dimberline, were also important factors in my decision to study at the University of Bristol.

I'm beyond thrilled to have been awarded the scholarship. I believe in a fair and equitable future in which researchers from disproportionately at-risk and underrepresented communities, such as mine, can freely speak truth to power and influence global health narratives as respected and equal partners for social change. Full tuition fee coverage, made possible with additional funding support from the Law School for students from countries with low- and middle-income economies, as well as access to a dedicated research budget and an annual stipend, enables me to study full time and focus on developing sociolegal research skills, attend workshops and conferences further afield, and purchase textbooks to support my studies.

What have you found most inspiring so far about your time at the Law School?

So far, what has inspired me the most is being a part of a supportive and genuinely caring academic community. Regular and informal "virtual coffee chats" with the Law School's Centre for Health, Law, and Society fosters a sense of belonging. My personal tutor, Prof. John Coggon, provided much-needed academic and pastoral support as I navigated the pressures of relocating amid a global pandemic and initially missing classes due to Covid-related disruptions that resulted in visa delays, travel restrictions, and a two-week mandatory quarantine in London. These were among the significant challenges many international students faced this academic year.

Aside from enrolling in modules that combined my interests in global health, gender justice, and human rights, it is exciting to learn from academics committed to challenging the unjust status quo and championing transdisciplinary teaching and learning. For me, who is doing the teaching is as essential as to what is being taught. The HLS programme has exceeded all my expectations.

There is also a wealth of inspiration available outside of the university's four walls. Bristol is a progressive and creative city with numerous opportunities to participate in community initiatives and projects. I have attended “teach-ins” in my neighborhood, and contributed my artwork and an opinion piece on sustainability to Vocalise Bristol, a community magazine for Ashley Ward residents.

Studying and living in Bristol taught me new things while also strengthening the foundational skills required to unlearn ways of thinking or working that contribute to inequitable and systematic disparities in health and other social outcomes.

How did you find being able to tailor your degree from the variety of optional units available – and how do they align with your future ambitions?

I was drawn to the HLS programme in particular because it provided a wide range of specialist units covering topics such as feminist legal theory, health inequalities, and mental health law and governance which students could tailor to our academic or professional interests. This flexibility will be useful when I apply for a PhD.

My research interests center on the legal determinants of health, which can either improve or worsen health outcomes for women and girls in disasters and emergencies. I am part of an ongoing multi-country research project on women migrants and sexual and reproductive health and rights, through Migration Health for South Asia, and I have co-written an article on the pandemic realities of Filipina economic migrants in Bangkok and Metro Manila.

What I am currently studying aligns with my values and career aspirations of leading an international research institute or global health non-profit that co-creates evidence-based health research in genuine partnerships with communities. I look forward to participating in brave spaces where we ask the difficult, yet absolutely vital questions needed to begin dismantling the structural barriers that underpin the global health problems of today and tomorrow.

In November 2021 you went to Glasgow to speak at the People’s Health Hearing at COP26. Tell us about your experience there and what you spoke about.

I shared my testimony during the People’s Health Hearing, held as part of the COP 26 Coalition's People's Summit for Climate Justice. The purpose of the hearing was to bear witness to the public health consequences of extractive industries, to create a space for movement building between health and climate activists, and to lay out an intersectional and transformative vision: health justice means climate justice. I recounted my personal experiences of Typhoon Vamco, one of the seven storms that hit the Philippines in six weeks, and the flooding of my family's home in the Philippines a few weeks before Christmas in 2020.

I felt that it was important for me to share my story to emphasize that the climate crisis is also a global inequality crisis. For some communities, such as mine in the Philippines, the negative effects will be felt sooner, more harshly, and more frequently. Urgent action is needed. The Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones per year. My story was covered by The National in 'COP26: Stories from the Frontlines of the Climate Emergency.' I was also fortunate to be able to travel to Glasgow and join the climate strikes since I was also part of the Bristol SU’s COP26 delegation.

What advice would you give a student currently considering studying the LLM?

An LLM is for everyone, not just lawyers, and would be a good fit if you believe in the law's transformative potential in advancing positive and sustainable change. An LLM is also an excellent opportunity to develop the conceptual and analytical skills needed to critique dominant perspectives and question the limits of law in addressing our interconnected social problems.

I feel a deep sense of fulfilment when I can simplify and demystify complex legal concepts, share these with my communities, and use co-created knowledge to promote justice and fairness in everyday dealings. Studying for my LLM in HLS has been a positive and life-changing experience that has enabled me to do all of these things and more.

Follow your interests and let your passion and values guide each step. You probably have some initial ideas about what you want to do with your knowledge, skills, and time. A spark is more than enough. Your ideas do not have to fit so neatly at first. Just keep going, ensure you carve out space to reflect during critical junctures of your journey, and you will find that everything will fall into place later on!