Overseas Filipino Workers in the Philippines

According to an article in Panay News, children of Overseas Filipino Workers often sought after teachers and fellow pupils for attention. This might stem from the abandonment these children feel from their parents abroad. A women’s group conducted the study of the behavioral patterns of OFW children and it was held in a school in Pavia town.

Most of the women’s group’s data showed that the children craved for physical contact more than the children with parents working in local areas. Their studies show that these children often go to the school’s Guidance Office for behavioral problems such as bullying and violence. Also, in terms of academic performance the kids of these OFW parents is very likely to excel, but often lack concentration when it comes to their studies. It was also noticed that whenever the parents of these kids come home, they often miss school and go family vacations and they also academically perform better compared to when their parents are working abroad.

The psycho-emotional needs of these children must be addressed before it worsens, warned the researchers. They have suggested strengthening communication between the parent/s and their child and that the guardians of these children see to it that their psycho-emotional needs are satisfied.

Based on the editorial article of Dr. Violeta Bautista entitled “The Problem of Estrangement among OFW Children,” OFW parents most of the time do not consider the consequences of their relationship with their children when deciding to work abroad or not.

The article tackled the behavioral problems commonly seen in children of OFW parents. These children are often narcissistic and materialistic. This could come from the fact that they lack personal interaction with their parents, resulting in the showering of material goods from their parents in compensation for their strained relationship. Dr. Bautista recommended that the OFW parents should inculcate in their children healthy parental respect, other-centeredness, and love.

In the same article, it was discussed that as technology progresses, methods to communicate with people from abroad became widespread. With the invention of facebook, twitter, WeChat, Skype and other communication applications, communication between OFW parents and their children became easier. One may argue that this increases quality time but this sort of communication is superficial. Personal interaction is still a better method of communication with someone to foster a genuine loving relationship. It was recommended that parents should spend more time talking with their children whenever they are home in the country to avoid unwanted estrangement with their kids. Thus, a healthy familial relationship would create a better outlook on life for the child since family is the smallest institution in the society and this is where individuals start forming their paths and behavioral structures.

Reference:

Bautista, V. (October 3, 2011). The Problem of Estrangement among OFW Children. Retrieved on June 15, 2013 from http://www.transformnation.ph/the-problem-of-estrangement-among-ofw-children/