Additional Information for the Review of Related Literature- Study on OfW Children

1. Source: http://journaloffilipino studies.csueastbay.edu/html/llorente.html Research Title: A Futuristic Look into the Filipino Diaspora: Trends, Issues, and Implications Researcher: Soledad Rica R. Llorente, Ed.D. Social Cost of Overseas Migration “ There is a substantial amount of human suffering and sacrifice borne by those forced to live diasporaic lives. The Filipino contract workers, unable to bring their families, endure pangs of separation, especially mothers and fathers from their children, and the culture shock of living in a foreign land. Not all families survive these protracted absences unscathed. The then Philippine Labor Attache Helen Custodio records a litany of dire social consequences.” There is a very human dimension. In the Philippines, there is an epidemic of broken families, high drop- out rate from school of the children and unwanted pregnancies, plus those who get into drugs, bad company, and those who fall into a life of crime, Overseas, you would not believe some of the cases we have like workers who fall sick, abandoned by employers or workers who suffer physical and emotional abuse. Both the parents and the children suffer.

Remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers in 2004 More than half of the remittances come from Filipinos in the United States, 56% of the total $8.5 billion; 9% from KSA; 5% from Italy; 3% from Hong Kong; 3% from Japan; 3% from UK; and 21% from other countries It is true that the money Filipino overseas workers earn trickles into towns and villages, helping build houses, open restaurants and send children to school. But the absence of so many industrious and skilled people also exact a heavy toll. The worth of it all to individual families is, however only one part of a cost-benefit analysis of Philippine Labor migration. 2. www.globalization101.org/index.php?file=issue&pass1=subs&id=176 The short-term economic benefit of migration for sending countries is found in remittances which according to World Bank were estimated at $318 billion in 2007. $240 billion of this amount went to developing countries. 3. www.pinoy_abroad.net/img_upload/025b967d5657e4bcc3cb374d7eb58846/march_31_forum_ printed_version.pdf Philippine Migrant Situation 2005 by Rhodora A. Abano Migrant families including their extended families are helped by the remittances from overseas work to survive crises and improve their lives. Most of the 6% families who receive remittances could afford better food; their children to better schools or buy educational plans, build, buy or improve their houses; seek better health care, even private hospitalization, or buy health insurance; enjoy rest and recreation and even conspicuous spending that were undreamed of luxuries in the past.

On the other hand, migration puts OFW families in crisis. Cases of dwindling communication between couples, unfaithfulness on either or both sides, double families, neglect of families, separation as well as crimes of passion continue to happen. Moreover, their children become emotional orphans.

There is a tendency for the parent left behind and their children to develop the “bilmoko” or “buy me this, buy me that” attitude, diverting relationships around remittances. 4. Manila Bulletin, January 3, 2005, p. G-1, “Study Shows OFWs’ Children Fare Better than Kids of Non-Migrants” The findings in the research entitled ”Hearts Apart: Migration in the Eyes of Filipino Children (conducted by the Scalabrini Migration Center) showed that children of OFWs are doing well despite separation from either one or both parents. Feeling of solidarity among family members across the miles is maintained through the use of technology such as the mobile phones. 5. Philippine Star, January 28, 2008, p. 15. “Study shows OFWs using ‘materialistic approach’ to child rearing’by Reinir Padua According to the study conducted by advertising firm McCann Worldgroup to examine the changing face of the Filipino family, one OFW mother was pleasantly surprised to find that her child was the most popular kid in school and in the neighborhood. She said, it’s because he always has money.

The study noted that working moms feel that providing their children with material things would make up for their inability to spend much time with them. The study concluded that the changes in the face of the Filipino family come with the breakdown of values formation and discipline as exemplified by the difficulty of women in disciplining their children properly when the fathers are away. 6. www.unicef.org/philippines/Synthesis_StudyJuly1, 2008. Title of article: Migration and Filipino Children Left-Behind: A Literature Review by Melanie M. Reyes ,Miriam College – Women and Gender Institute (WAGI) for the United nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) General Impact Of Migration on Children a. Global parenting One of the major responsibilities of the family is the transmission of values which includes spiritual formation from one generation to the next generation. With the advent of advance technology, a different level of intimacy is established among migrant families that further strengthens the linkage and nurturing bonding among the family members (Scalabrini, 2003). The different technological mechanisms such as cellphones, emails, videocams have been utilized as substitute for the absence of parents. But the fact that parents miss the growing up years of the children and their value formation still remains (Tanalega, 2002). b. Search for role models “The strength of family relationship particularly the closeness to their parents is reflected in the children’s choice of their parents as role models.” In the study conducted by the Scalabrini Migration Center (2003), 60% of the OFW children would like to take courses in nursing, teaching, and engineering/architecture so that they can work abroad. This is supported by Anonuevo (2002) who showed an alarming reality in terms of children’s aspiration to work like their parents.

c. Academic performance and school behavior Based on the study of Scalabrini, children of migrants were found to perform well especially during grade school compared to non-migrant children. But it was also evident that children of migrant mothers tend to score lower than other children. Similar finding came out in the 1996 study (Battistella and Conaco) which suggested the importance of mother’s presence in the academic performance of the children and that they experience higher anxiety and loneliness. Asis (2000) likewise, did not find any empirical evidence to prove that children of migrant workers are more likely to engage in juvenile delinquency than children of nonmigrants. References: (Asis, Maruja M. B., “Migration and Families in Asia”, 2000.) (Anonuevo, “Coming Home: Women, Migration and Reintegration, 2002) (Tanalega, “Families on the Move”, 2002) (Children and Families Study of Scalabrini, 2003) d. General Well-being “The 2003 study found that children of migrants were generally fine and faring better than the children of non-migrants. Surprisingly, “children of migrants are less anxious and less lonely compared with the children of non migrants. e. Socialization of children and learning to be independent Social behavior of children can also be affected by migration of either one or both parents. IN the study by Battistela and Conaco (1996), children with absent mothers showed poorer social adjustment and suffered impeded psychological development. However, in the Scalabrini study (2003), it showed that children have generally adjusted socially mainly because of the strong social support from family members and relatives. Although migrant children are reported experiencing difficulties and longing for their absent parents, they also acknowledge that they learned to be more independent in the process. 7. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/76667/Overseas-migration-of-mothers-takes-toll-on-childrenleft-behind... 5/7/2009; http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/01162008/nation07.html -The continuing exodus of mothers for jobs overseas affects the behavioral development of children they leave behind, psychiatrists say. - And the country’s top-notch psychiatrists are alarmed that the feminization of labor migration where fathers take the roles of mothers is causing a negative effect on children’s behavior.

- DR. Grace Macapagal, in-house psychiatrist of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for crisis intervention rehabilitation, said the trend is also causing a reversal of role where fathers are left to care for children and are normally not prepared to do so. This is supported by Dr. Antonio Sison, treasurer of the Philippine Psychiatric Association, who said that many fathers are not ready to take on the role of women in nurturing children. - Dr. Felicitas Soriano, President of Philippine Psychiatric Association reiterated the importance of conducting a study on the behavioral effects of migration on children. She said, “What will become of our children? We observe that many OFW children are becoming insecure and drug dependents.” 8. http://journalof Filipino studies.csueastbay.edu/html/llorente.html The biggest attraction and the most tangible result of overseas employment are economic benefits. Remittances by OFWs to their families can have a radical effect on people’s lives – building houses in depressed rural villages, paying off medical bills, sending little brothers, sisters and cousins to school. In 1997, 6.2% of Filipino families derived their main source of income from remittances.