Nuts in a Shell: Exploring the Impact of OFWs Phenomenon on the Family in Region X

Abstract

The study investigates Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFWs’) influence on their left-behind children and how the left-behind children cope with their situations. The respondents are purposively chosen. They came from the three cities in Mindanao, Philippines. Findings are: 1) the most salient negative impact is a feeling abandoned that cannot be compensated for by financial support; 2) the left-behind children feel helplessness, loneliness, pessimism, deprivation, and isolation being confronted with health and academic problems. Meanwhile, because the problems are psychological in nature, their ways of coping are also psychological, namely, relativizing, maintaining “shadow household,” sharing their experiences with other OFW children, doing shopping, and Bible sharing. Parents of OFWs work primarily for economic reason – to achieve financial stability. However, this brings an emotional disadvantage to the left-behind children: they feel themselves abandoned. Hence, it is important for OFW parents to prepare their children’s psychological problems caused by their parents of OFWs. It is feared that their long absence makes a feeling of meaningless. Therefore, in their absence, OFW parents should make it certain that the feeling is compensated for by regular communication with their children.  Keywords - Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), Impact, Left-Behind Children, Coping Mechanisms Â