When my husband left me with my children, so I decided to go abroad for the future of my children.

For the future of my children's and for me if you go and walk abroad you can earn more

than you walk in Philippines because when you walk in Philippines only how much money you earn.

So when you walk abroad for me I think I can give a good future for them.

I'm Susan Andes, otherwise known as Susan Kay,

and you're listening to virtual mothering on the BBC World Service.

I host a daily internet radio show from Manila in the Philippines on Rajo Inquirer called

the Bantai OW program, which looks after Filipino overseas

contract workers around the world.

We received emails 24-7 from some of the 10.2 million Filipino migrants who work abroad, including my sister in the U.S.,

another sister in Belgium, and my brother in London. Many of those we hear from are Filipino mothers like

Gertley who go abroad to work and watch their children grow up over a screen but does virtual mothering help maintain a mother and child

bond while spending years apart?

I'm Gearly Valencia. I came from Philippines. I'm here now in United Kingdom. I am a

single man. I have five children's. When I left my children is one year and five months and

think two years and a half like that, four and a half and then nine and 11 years old.

I left December 2007.

Oh, when you left, I say, oh, everyone come and kiss mama.

And then, because they are all small and then running one one someone holding your shirt someone

falling you don't come and I can't tell you and then I said, no, no, I only go for one week. I come, I come back. I see like that.

So when I'm left, I never lock back. I go straight and straight I said for myself I said this is not for me

this is for my children future because I think when I don't go how can I feed them they are so small and this is my

...