Filipino Workers Research Articles

DOCUMENTING THE UNDOCUMENTED: A REVIEW ON THAI-PHILIPPINE LABOUR POLICIES AND THE IMPACT TO UNDOCUMENTED FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in the final stages of its planning for integration in the year 2025 (Valente, 2013; Novio, 2012). Different issues arise on how the focus on economic development can affect social development and impact the human rights of ASEAN citizens (Valente, 2013). One of the issues that are discussed is on migrant workers. The Philippine government sees the integration as an opportunity for more jobs since there will be an increase of exchange on economic goods, yet other labour groups see it as a “further implementation of neo-liberal polcies” (Labog in Valente 2013). The ASEAN Convention on Migrant Workers (ACMW) is focused on creating and implementing policies for skilled migrant ASEAN citizens, and the accreditation of their qualifications among ASEAN members, while there was very few mentioned on unskilled and undocumented workers (Chalamwong, 2012; Hall et. al., 2012; Valente, 2013). This research presents one of the flaws in the system as two members of ASEAN (Philippines and Thailand) have different existing laws, lack laws in accordance with international conventions, and weak implementations of effective laws that led to the increase and abuse of undocumented Filipino workers in Thailand. The research will challenge both states as to accountability and their action plans to change the conditions of Filipino migrant workers, and then improve the policies on ACMW for the benefit of all undocumented workers in the region.

Accounting for Job Satisfaction and Job Performance via Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory: The Case of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Vietnam

Accounting for Job Satisfaction and Job Performance via Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory: The Case of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Vietnam

Cultural and Emotional Intelligence: It’s Role in the Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Filipino Expatriates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

With the rise of globalization, labor migration is estimated to increase in the future as developed countries will experience shortages in skills of certain age brackets of the working population, thus, requiring more migrant labor in order to address this gap. Filipinos represent a considerable number of expatriates around the world. By 2018, there were 2.3 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), and 24.3 % (558,900) of them worked in Saudi Arabia. These expatriates pursue economic opportunities in the Kingdom due to better job prospects and higher earning potential despite the cross-cultural adjustment challenges. This study aims to explore the influence of Cultural and Emotional intelligence in the cross-cultural adjustment of Filipino expatriates in Saudi Arabia. A survey was conducted on 483 male OFWs, both descriptive and correlational research methods were used to test the hypotheses. Correlation results showed the significant positive associations with moderately strong correlations between cultural intelligence (CQ) and the cross-cultural adjustment of Filipino expatriates in Saudi Arabia. Behavioral and motivational CQ could significantly predict the cross-cultural adjustment of Filipino expatriates. Emotional intelligence (EQ) and the expatriate Filipino’s cross-cultural adjustment in Saudi Arabia showed significant association, with Appraisal and Recognition of Emotion in Others as its strongest predictor. The Filipino expatriates’ status, first time or seasoned, significantly moderated the association between EQ factors and their cross-cultural adjustment degree. This study suggests that high CQ and EQ levels along with previous experience with the host country could serve well as important considerations in international careers. This paper contributes a new perspective to the literature on Filipino expatriate management and cross-cultural adjustment.

Turbulence behind the Shadows: The Lived Experiences of Overseas Filipino Workers in Qatar Displayed after Natural Disaster Crisis, A Phenomenology

Turbulence behind the Shadows: The Lived Experiences of Overseas Filipino Workers in Qatar Displayed after Natural Disaster Crisis, A Phenomenology

Stigma on a spectrum: differentiated stigmatization of migrant domestic workers’ romantic relationships in Singapore

In Singapore, migrant domestic workers are not allowed by law to become pregnant. However, when it comes to their romantic relationships, the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable are less defined. Migrant domestic workers in Singapore experience layered stigmatization based on their twin marginalized statuses as foreigners and as domestic workers. But those workers in casual or committed relationships with partners in Singapore experience additional stigma due to the perceived illegitimacy of having romantic and sexual lives overseas. Through 28 interviews with Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers, employers, and placement agents, we find that this stigmatization is also a differentiated process. As the social distance from the worker increases, starting from their relatives, moving to co-ethnic peers, then employers in Singapore, placement agents, and eventually the sending and receiving states, the attitude of actors becomes less accepting. The relationship’s perceived encroachment into spaces seen as ‘pure’ or ‘private’, as well as the domestic worker’s level of commitment to the relationship also influences the degree of stigmatization they experience. Our findings highlight how, rather than studying any given stigma as a uniform, monolithic experience, we should consider stigmatization as a variable and contingent process.

Narrative identities of overseas Filipino domestic worker community in Macao (SAR) China.

Domestic workers comprise roughly one-fourth of the total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). They leave the Philippines primarily to provide financial assistance to their families they leave behind. Most of the existing studies investigated the problems they experience at work and with their families. Some studies focused on how they cope with these problems. However, little is known about the narrative identities of this group of labor migrants. This study addresses this gap by identifying the narrative identities of the community of Filipino domestic workers in Macao Special Administrative Region, China. This study utilized qualitative interviews to plot the identities into a three-part timeline: Premigration, during migration, and imagined future. Results show that, before migration, the community of domestic workers identifies as hands-on mothers and inadequate mothers. During migration, work- and family-related identities are present: Modern-day slave, inadequate, fighter, self-sacrificing, employer's family, and hands-on mother. In an imagined future, the community of domestic workers identifies as successful retired OFWs, reconciled life partners, hands-on mothers, and inadequate mothers. Findings highlight the multiple, interacting identities in community narrativesand their corresponding effects on experiences. Implications on policies and programs for this labor migrant group are discussed.

Duterte, Overseas Filipino Workers, and the Ethics of Representation

Codex 13 Figure 2. Online version of a photograph of Grace de Guzman. Photograph courtesy of Eloisa Lopez. Duterte, Overseas Filipino Workers, and the Ethics of Representation Ethel Tungohan Although the problem persists I really do believe the photographs put a face to the numbers. They allowed more people to witness the harrowing things we saw. More organizations were spurred to action from the reporting. None of this would have come to light if not for the very first wave of local reporters saying: this really is happening. —­ Hannah Reyes Morales, “Coming Home to Cover Duterte’s Deadly Drug War” Consisting primarily of former and current migrant workers who came to Canada under the low-­ skilled Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP), members of the Filipino diaspora in Edmonton, Alberta, have oftentimes expressed to me their disillusionment with the way politics was conducted back home, the economic conditions that led them to 14 Codex seek jobs abroad in the first place, and the sacrifices they underwent in Canada. Living and working in Canada did not mean that they were uninvolved with events in the Philippines. On the contrary, being migrant workers abroad with obligations to send remittances to family and other loved ones in the Philippines meant that they maintained transnational ties. I actually first heard about Rodrigo Duterte first announcing his candidacy for president from them. Despite favorable media depictions of the progress former president Benigno Aquino Jr. has made, which included “rapid economic growth of 6.9% and improved performance in global competitiveness rankings (from 86th place to 47th)” (Curato 2017, 144), many of those with whom I spoke were disillusioned. The economic benefits that purportedly accrued under Aquino seemed to them only to be felt by a few, leaving behind marginalized communities that included Filipino migrant workers. Through Duterte, many Filipinos in the diaspora felt that at long last, somebody was setting the nation on the correct path. Stories of Duterte’s reign as mayor of Davao were shared with reverence. That Duterte also made gestures toward catering to progressive causes, including his decision to offer cabinet-­level positions to progressive politicians (Bello 2017) and his condemnation of “anti–­Overseas Filipino Worker” (OFW) policies such as Philippine customs agents’ tendency to vigilantly search the luggage of returning overseas workers to search for taxable goods (Ranada 2016), seemed to show that despite his blustering persona, his politics were commendable. In addition, Duterte’s unwillingness to kowtow to U.S. imperialist policies appealed to progressive members of the diaspora (Bello 2017). Consequently, pro-­Duterte groups mushroomed across Canada, as they did in countries where there were numerous OFWs. The explicit goal was to get not just OFWs but also their families back home to support Duterte. Interestingly, within months of his election, some of the same members of the Filipino diaspora who supported him started to doubt his sincerity. There were hushed reports of extrajudicial killings, of children being the collateral damage in his “war against drugs,” of police forces acting without restraint. Then there was the jailing of political opponents, the eventual ousting of progressive cabinet members like former Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary Judy Taguiwalo, and the unceasing attacks against journalists. More recently, Duterte’s statements that he was “powerless to protect OFWs” and his belief that rape and sexual violence were unfortunate yet unavoidable realities that female OFWs had to face (Aguilar 2019) caused widespread anger among the Filipino OFWs whom I knew in Canada, including former supporters. Codex 15 Still, there were those in the diaspora who doubted the veracity of the reports. The discourse of “fake news” became prominent transnationally through Duterte’s and U.S. president Donald Trump’s use of the term. Both disavowed news reports that challenged their respective actions. This meant that there was widespread confusion about what was true and what was not. Hence many Filipinos abroad were unsure of who and what to believe. The way Duterte supporters quickly mobilized against anyone who dared voice concerns about Duterte, with vitriolic and oftentimes gendered threats made frequently, lent a chilling atmosphere to political discourse online. And yet even members of the Filipino diaspora who did not know what...

Forms of Social Security Services for Filipino Workers in Japan: Implications to Migrant Labor Policy and Practices

The rapid economic development of Japan between the 1970s and 1980s attracted millions of migrant workers from third world countries. On the other hand, the dwindling and aging Japanese population necessitates migrant labor. These two are the reasons why the Japan Social Security services for workers had to be restructured. This study examined the labor policies and practices of Social Security services available to Filipinos in Japan. It analyzed how this can enhance the living and work conditions of Filipino workers in Japan, at the same time benefit Japan as a migrant labor receiving country. Descriptive research methods of survey, interview and document analysis were employed. Triangulation of results was conducted to verify and compare the data gathered from different sources. This study found that the Social Security services that are highly availed of by Filipinos are medical assistance, pension or retirement allowance, access to general hospitals, clinics with out-patient services, dental clinics, training for employed workers, National Health Insurance, and food safety provisions. Those services that have low access should be given attention through awareness campaign, online dissemination and orientation in Filipino language. This includes (a) Social Welfare: Housing assistance, Support to the balance between work and family life, In-house child-care facilities, Short-time work options, Minimum living expense, Flexible working styles; (b) Employment security: Employment Counseling, and Career development promotion subsidy; (c) Employees Insurance: Pharmaceutical and Medical devices; and (d) Policies on radioactive materials, poison and contaminants in food. By virtue of their membership to the Social Security system, they are able to avail the services for foreign workers. Social Security in Japan enhances the living and work conditions of Filipino workers and enables them to save and invest the money that otherwise would be spent for health and other necessities. Providing effective Social Security to migrant workers also benefits Japan as a migrant worker receiving country. Japan’s strong Social Security system that can be availed by registered migrant workers, including Filipinos, is a model to other Asian countries that receive migrant workers. This is not only because the services that are enjoyed by the Japanese workers are likewise enjoyed by migrant workers but more importantly, they respond to the needs of workers, enhance their living and work conditions at the same time, contribute to the socio-economic development of Japan by filling in the need for laborers in different industries. Since not all Filipinos in Japan are aware of the Social Security services and how they can be availed of, it is recommended that information dissemination be done electronically, through the community or their workplace, in both English and Filipino. The 2017 Agreement between the governments of Japan and the Philippines can be expanded to include Social Security and protection of low-skilled workers such as domestic workers and Filipino residents who are not working because of family duties and age. The Japanese government can allow conversion of the visa of Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) trainees to Residence Status of Specified Skilled Workers and as such, will have Social Security benefits which is a way of motivating them to work with efficiency and excellence. A program can be initiated by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to legalize the status of the productive workers who are undocumented or irregular Filipinos in Japan so as to add to the labor sector of Japan and secure the employment of Filipinos who are already in Japan. Finally, monitoring of the availability of Social Security can be undertaken by the government of both Japan and Philippines to make sure that the services are implemented by the designated government agencies.

Life Challenges of Overseas Filipino Workers

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have been hailed by the Philippine government as “New Heroes” (Uy-Tioco, 2007) . Having big houses, farms, cars, jewelry, and other signs of richness are common to many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who are employed in different parts of the world. Working as an OFW is not always perfect as what is expected. The truth is that, they are also facing different challenges aside from leaving their families in the Philippines to have a better future. Communication, finances, and life and work environment are only some of those challenges they encounter. This research was made to evaluate the life challenges of selected overseas migrant workers. The 850 selected OFWs all around the world were the respondents of this study. The generality of this current study would be a great contribution to the huge knowledge concerning the challenges faced by Overseas Filipino Workers. The results of this study could be extremely significant and beneficial specifically to the following: Overseas Filipino Workers. The outcome of this research study will definitely produce essential information about the life challenges of every Overseas Filipino Worker, which might be a great support to the respondents in understanding themselves and their fellow OFWs who are also facing the same scenarios. Through the assistance of the recommendations of the researchers, it can also help them lessen their problems like in finances, homesickness or job burnout, “job burnout is an uncomfortable and unhealthy disorder that would like to improve for both individuals and organizations” (K. E. Santos, 2020) %%%, and be able to know what to do and who can talk to in case that they feel problematic while they are miles away from home. Families of the Overseas Filipino Workers: The results of this study will help them understand their family member’s situation while working abroad and appreciate their efforts in supporting their families. SSS, PhilHealth, POEA, and OWWA: The results of this study will help these agencies strengthen their services for the welfare, security, and benefits of the OFWs. Future Researchers: This will also be useful to the future and aspiring researchers to plan and create pertinent results to their studies similar to this current study. The researchers used a set of survey questionnaires in gathering pertinent data. The questionnaires were disseminated via an online Google survey form sent to the respondents. After all the data needed were gathered, the frequencies of answers in each question were tallied and their percentage and weighted mean were obtained. It was concluded that Overseas Filipino Workers were facing different challenges while doing their respective job abroad. However, they can assure that the Philippine government supports and protects them even they were not in the Philippines.

Elastic carework: the cost and contradictions of mobile caregiving in a transnational household

ABSTRACT This paper examines the pivotal role of digital communication technologies in the provision of transnational caregiving among geographically separated family members. Particularly, it examines the consequences of mobile device use in facilitating the circulation and consumption of money and consumer goods among 21 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Melbourne, Australia, and their left-behind family members in the Philippines. By deploying a mediated mobilities lens in analysing the data drawn upon in-depth interviews, photo elicitation, and field notetaking, I coin the term ‘elastic carework’ to articulate the contradictory outcomes of mobile caregiving at a distance as shaped by the entanglement of social structures and technological infrastructures. On the one hand, caregiving at a distance enables transnational family members to enact affective exchanges, fulfil obligations and cement intimate ties. On the other hand, it can also become a source of frustration and unsettling feelings, which are often dealt with personalised tactics. Ultimately, this paper provides a vantage point in re-thinking the performance, embodiment and negotiation of a family-based and networked caregiving at a distance in the age of global migration.

Why Do Filipinos Desire to Work More Hours?

In 2018, 16.4% of Filipino workers stated during the Labor Force Survey (LFS) period that they wanted to have more work hours in their present jobs, or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer work hours, i.e., declared themselves underemployed. This study inquires why. Analysis of the 2015 LFS data shows that 53% of the underemployed worked less than 40 hours in a week (visibly underemployed) and 47% worked at least 40 hours in a week (invisibly underemployed). 82% of the underemployed were in agriculture and services. By sector, underemployment in agriculture represented 27% of total employment in agriculture. The corresponding shares for industry and services were 21% and 16%, respectively. In addition, 54% of the underemployed admitted that they did not look for additional jobs. Using a multinomial logit model to determine the characteristics of the underemployed, we find that, relative to the full-time and not underemployed: (i) the major determinant of being visibly underemployed is basic pay. Region, educational attainment, type of sector, and primary occupation are much less important determinants; and (ii) sex, region, educational attainment, marital status, and basic pay, are determinants of being invisibly underemployed.

Filipino Guest Workers, Gender Segregation, and the Changing Social/Labor-Scape in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Filipinos are a major part of the workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a population of almost one million. This article investigates the effects of gender segregation on Filipino workers and how they navigate their lives through systems imposed on them. In particular, it examines the Kafala system (administrative sponsoring system) used for recruiting migrant workers for GCC countries. This article suggests that contrary beliefs about gender segregation and dress codes, Filipinas found it empowering. However, this article also concludes that gender segregation and dress codes also lead to isolation and loneliness. In addition, it is concluded that the fate and contentment of the overseas Filipino workers are directly dependent on who sponsors them.

An Analysis of Working Conditions of Filipinos in Malta

Malta is experiencing a strong economic growth which is attracting increasing numbers of foreign workers. This study investigates the working conditions experienced by Filipinos in Malta, the largest group of migrants from outside the European Union. Survey data collected from a sample of 317 Filipino workers was compared to the results of the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey. While most respondents experience positive work outcomes, a significant minority grapples with negative conditions and perceptions. Overall, the Filipino respondents in Malta appear to face more difficult working conditions than other migrants in Europe. Nearly half of the respondents report that their health or safety is at risk because of their work and over a fourth suffered from discrimination during the year leading to the research. A substantial minority of Filipinos work below their skill levels and more than 40 hours per week. About a third of the respondents are not satisfied with their working conditions, claim not to be treated fairly at work and do not find sufficient help and support from their managers and colleagues. This study indicates the need to take into consideration the realities of both the home and host countries when analyzing the working situation of migrants. It highlights the employment vulnerability of migrant Filipino workers in Malta, and points to an apparent structural deficiency in the Maltese society to protect them.

Occluded Histories: Philippine Labor after EDSA

Abstract The uprising alternately called EDSA Revolution or People Power Revolution or EDSA People Power Revolt, which led to the downfall of Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, supposedly ushered in the formal restoration of civil freedoms that had been snatched away by Marcos’ martial law. In the aftermath of the uprising, formal democratic institutions and civil rights were returned, including the right to free elections and the right to peaceful assembly. But as this article seeks to show, the administrations after EDSA have been marred by the neglect of workers’ welfare and the failure to address old labor concerns such as inadequate wages, job precarity, and contractualization. Given the shortage of employment opportunities in the Philippines, the administrations after EDSA have also promoted migration as its de facto job-generating mechanism. But the export of human resources is not without its ugly consequences, such as making overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) susceptible to abuse and exploitation. Deploying the notion of counter-history and using various materials from both government and non-government organizations, this article undertakes to critically assess the labor conditions during the historical period after the fabled EDSA People Power Revolt, and concludes that no notable changes have taken place.

Digital Ties, Disrupted Togetherness: Locating Uneven Communicative Mobilities in Transnational Family Life

Ubiquitous digital communication technologies play a crucial role in shaping the nature of family life at a distance. Paradoxically, mobile device use has not only brought dispersed family members together, it also sometimes stirs communicative tensions in transnational households. These tensions are often produced by uneven access to a wide range of re-sources in mediated communication. Employing the mobilities lens, this paper examines the role of smartphones and networked communications platforms in binding ties and relationships among twenty-one overseas Filipino workers in Melbourne, Australia, and their left-behind family members in the Philippines. Based on data drawn from in-depth interviews and photo elicitation, the research study uncovers the performance, embodiment, and negotiation of transnational relationships through mobile device use. Signifcantly, it also demonstrates the impact of structural and infrastructural forces in enabling differential mediated mobilities. In illuminating asymmetrical mobile communication, I propose six categories: access, socio-technical competency, quality of connectivity, rhythms, affective experience, and communicative space. Ultimately, this paper offers a critical lens on investigating mobile practices in the conduct of transnational family life.

Labor Policies and Implications in the Philippine Settings

The study determines the implications of labor laws from the 1987 Philippine constitution up to the implementation of labor laws to the lives of both the capitalist and working sectors. This time immemorial clashes between the labor groups and the owners of the businesses persist today even to the modern industrial economic countries and more so to the developing countries like the Philippines. Through a number of policies, the government adopted and tried to equalize the relationship between the capitalist and working groups. It is a common legal maxim that “don’t kill the hen that lays the golden eggs,” this pertains to the rights of the business because they contribute this much to the development of the economy. The Supreme Court of the Philippines, in a case, held that the job or work of the employee is considered property within the context of the law; hence it may not be taken from him without due process of law. These policies anchored impliedly with the famous quotes of the late President Magsaysay that “Those who have less in life should have more in law.” The research used a case study method to determine the implications of these labor policies to the labor and enterprise sectors. The objectives of the study are the following: What are the bases of Philippine Labor laws? How does the government implement labor laws? What are the effects of labor laws on the workers and businesses? What are the benefits of government, private enterprise, and the labor sectors? The finding of the study: Government must give equal opportunities and incentives for local and foreign companies in the light of ASEAN 2015. The government must secure the preference of Filipino workers over other nations. Revisit the law that encourages the business to include the workers in the policymaking process. The government must strictly watch over the widespread abuse of contracts in order to avoid the regularization of employees. The study will present the legal bases of the policies on labor through the available data, primarily government documents. The scope of the research concentrates on the policies affecting the business and labor sectors to compare and analyze through the records, media interviews and jurisprudence. A case study is appropriate for this study because researchers have used the case study research method for many years across a variety of disciplines. Social scientists, in particular, have made wide use of this qualitative research method to examine contemporary real-life situations and provide the basis for the application of ideas and extension of methods. Researcher Robert K. Yin defines the case study research method as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. Multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984, p. 23).

Perspectives of Filipino workers on the usage of a personal mental health dashboard: A qualitative analysis of user reviews

Perspectives of Filipino workers on the usage of a personal mental health dashboard: A qualitative analysis of user reviews

Lives Lived in “Someone Else's Hands”: Precarity and Profit-making of Migrants and Left-behind Children in the Philippines

AbstractIn the labour brokerage state of systematic recruitment and export for the maximisation of labour, development, and profit, the Philippines continues to simultaneously fashion migrant workers as temporary, yet heroic and sacrificial. As the largest migrant-sending country in Southeast Asia and the third largest remittance recipient in Asia, the Philippines’ discourse of migrants as modern-day heroes and martyrs reveals the interplay of nationalist myths and cultural values, alongside the neoliberal favouring of finance and flexible labour, to craft filial migrants and celebrate mobile, capitalist subjects over migrants’ welfare and well-being. The article explores the contemporaneous institutionalisation of migrant labour and migrants’ institutionalised uncertainty lived every day to investigate how this profound precariousness in the Philippines is perpetuated historically to shape the resilience and realities of migrants and their left-behind children today. Drawing from news reports and films on migrant lives and ethnographic fieldwork in the Philippines, this article considers how the formation and deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) turns from a focus on sustaining the nation to supporting migrant families and developing translocal communities. Through this examination, the paper seeks to uncover who profits and is indebted from the precarity created and sustained by the larger economic system built on transnational labour migration.

Factors influencing health-seeking behavior among overseas Filipino workers

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the various predictors of health-seeking behavior among overseas Filipino workers. More specifically, this determines the influence of sociodemographic factors, perceived health status, and knowledge on PhilHealth insurance to health-seeking behavior. It is based on a study that involved 3001 survey respondents. Findings reveal that the respondents in general perceived themselves to be healthy. Their knowledge about PhilHealth, however, is limited. The respondents preferred to seek medical care from a physician. Results also indicate that when illnesses are manageable, the respondents resort to self-medication instead. This paper concludes that perceived health status, sickness in the past two years, level of education, age, and no. of children predict health-seeking behavior particularly seeking medical care from a doctor. Moreover, income and sickness in the past two years were significant predictors to seeking care from a traditional health provider. Sickness in the past two years, sex, perceived health status, and age influence self-medication. Lastly, sickness in the past two years, perceived health status, age, and income were significant predictors to a hospital visit. Summarily, the findings suggest that to increase health seeking, health promotion should consider the various sociodemographic and personal characteristics of individuals.

‘They could picture me, or I could picture them’: ‘Displaying’ family life beyond borders through mobile photography

ABSTRACT Taking photographs has been an integral part of family life. However, recent technological innovations in mobile communication have paved the way for diverse use of photographic images in a household. This paper investigates how 21 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Melbourne, Australia, and their left-behind family members in the Philippines deploy mobile photography to perform and embody visual co-presence. By examining the data based on in-depth interviews, photo elicitation and field notes, the study uncovers the role of images in enabling the ‘display’ (Finch, J. 2007. Displaying families. Sociology, 41(1), 65–81) of familial roles, responsibilities, and values. Notably, by taking into account how socio-cultural and socio-technological forces inform photographic practices, this study identifies and proposes four dimensions of visual co-presence, including casual, practical, curated, and strategic. Consequently, images are broadly understood as important tools in bridging and reclaiming family life as disrupted by the uneven consequences of a global economy in the Philippines. In sum, the study aims to unpack the paradoxical consequences of mobile photography in the maintenance of transnational domesticity.