Effects of Having an of Parents
Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data This chapter presents, analyzes and interprets the data gathered on the respondents regarding on the effects of having an OFW parents. Table 1 shows that 35% are mother, 40% are father and 25% of the respondents are both parents are working abroad. This means that more father works abroad than mother and only few of the parents both work abroad. Mostly, the father is the one working for the family to sustain mainly the financial needs of the family but due to the absence of father (single-mom), they have to work hard for their children.
Philippine government offers a low salary even in some professionals like nurses, engineers and teachers that’s why many would prefer to work as a domestic helpers or office clerks and leave their professional jobs in the Philippines because in most cases, they’ll get paid higher overseas. And also discrimination in having job opportunities is implemented. In this case, overage applicants which comprises the age of the parents are given the least opportunity so they decided to work overseas. Another is the school which they have graduated, which is practically not necessary, is also a big factor to the employers in the country.
Table 4 demonstrates the problems, with respect to their home and family relations, which children of an OFW encounter in the absence of their parent/s. These are the feeling that they don’t have a home (1. 95), not getting along well with their brother/sister (2. 00), not getting along well with their mother/father (2. 15), and also the feeling of anxious and lonely most of the time (2. 10). This means that these problems do not exist to them as a child of an OFW.
With corresponds to their moral values, the respondents do not viewed the above problems as a problem of an OFW child.
These are being inspired to study well (2. 40), affecting their punctuality in attending classes which includes being late (2. 55), receiving low grades (2. 10), and not having support from family members when doing their school-related activities. This means that most problem that a child of an OFW encounter is not receiving support from family members when doing their school-related activities. This is because their parents are away so they have to do that on their own or by the help of their friends. On the other hand, receiving low grades is not their problem.
Students of an OFW still study well even if their parent/s is not around to support them. Table 7 shows the problems, in accordance to the respondents’ general well-being, which children of an OFW encounter in the absence of their parent/s.
These are longing for parental care (2. 40), experiencing confusion on gender boundaries (2. 00), experiencing reversal of gender roles (2. 15), having poor social adjustment (1. 50), and putting burden to girl children in performing household chores (2. 20). This means that as a well- being, respondents do not experienced the above-stated problems and strongly disagree they are having a poor social adjustment because in the absence of their parent/s, they usually have their friends to socialized.
Table 8 illustrates the three different ways of communication the respondents communicate with their parent/s abroad which are internet (60%), phone (40%), and airmails. Due to the innovation of modern technology, most of the respondents communicate with their parent/s abroad through internet and phone.
Today, airmails or paper mails are not been used in communicating.Table 9 demonstrates the frequency of communication between the parent/s abroad and their children. 30% of the respondents admitted that they have their communication almost every day, 3-5 times a week, and 1-2 times a week.
Only 10% of the respondents have their communication once a month. Most parents working abroad give advices to their children regarding to their problem (35%). They also cheer up (20%) their children when they have problems to increase their children’s confidence in solving problems that they’re facing.
Other ways are having a heart to heart to talk until the problem is solved (10%), sharing stories and past experiences with regards to the problem (10%), and also giving their support o their children (10%). Table 10 How does parent/s working abroad help their children in solving their problems?
They share stories to me regarding to my problem. Table 11 presents the recipient of the money earned by the parent/s working abroad. Mostly, the money is managed by the father or mother that is left (75%).
If both parents are working abroad, the money is been given to manage by other older relatives (15%) like grandfather or grandmother and also by an older sister or brother (10%). Table 11 Who is the recipient of the money earned by the parent/s working abroad? Table 12 above presents the way of managing the money earned by parent/s working abroad. It shows that the money is being used primarily for household allowance (3. 50) in buying the daily needs of the family and next is for the education purposes or school allowance (3. 0) in paying the educational fees and daily allowance of the students in the family.
The respondents also admitted that they used the money for the medication (2. 95) of the family whenever someone has been hospitalized or get sick. On the other hand, they refused that the money earned by their parent/s abroad is being used for shopping (2. 10) or buying luxury items.
