A transnational phenomenon

“Labor migration is expected to continue, despite improvement in the country’s economy. Previous administrations claim the migration is one of choice, and not of forced circumstances.

In 2018, the average size of a Filipino household was five members with more than half of the household characterized as dependents as per Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which pegged overall dependency rate at 57.7 percent.

Predictably, food expenditures eat up (pun intended) close to half of the household’s monthly budget, amounting to a whopping 41.5 percent of the family’s total income. More is spent on food than other basic necessities such as shelter (housing) or water. With food expenditures depleting a hefty chunk of household funds, a Filipino family is thus left with severely limited funds for health care, education, utilities, and even housing.

As revealed by the recent Social Weather Stations survey, 11.1 million Filipinos have classified themselves as “mahirap (poor),” and 8.5 million have claimed to be “food poor.” Both SWS and PSA data show the hungry multitudes increasing at deplorably fast rates. The struggle to survive has become the paramount concern of the Filipino family.

The Filipinos’ deeply ingrained pro-family orientation has fueled this instinctive desire to help the family survive and rise beyond poverty. Inevitably, this has been the raison d’être that has continuously pushed Filipinos to seek economic opportunities, whether here or abroad.

With scant prospects of local employment, Filipinos are constrained to cast their lot in foreign shores. The deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) for the period from April to September 2018 has been estimated at 2.3 million by the PSA. The labor migration is expected to continue, despite improvement in the country’s economy. Previous administrations claim the migration is one of choice, and not of forced circumstances. This continuing deployment of our workers in wealthier countries in Asia, the Middle East and North America certainly bolsters the economy, but at inestimable social costs.

The continuing labor migration has caused the emergence of “transnational families” or families whose members live separately in different countries for extended periods of time. Social scientists agonize over the rising numbers of “transnational families” as the forced geographic separation of a parent from the child for prolonged periods would have a detrimental effect on the child’s health and well-being.

Of the OFW deployed, women constitute 58 percent, of which 18.6 percent will most likely be in household service, caregiving, cleaning and nursing occupations. This feminization of our labor deployment deprives countless numbers of Filipino children of a mother’s nurturing care and love.

The significance of a mother’s role in a child’s development, particularly in improving cognitive and social skills, has been universally acknowledged and recognized. The absence of a parent, specially the mother, has potentially adverse implications in a child’s general welfare.

Ironically, the very means for the family’s survival will contribute to its demise.

“When I think of home, I think of a place where there is love overflowing.”

Like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” most Filipinos believe that home is undeniably where the heart is. Love alas cannot keep hunger pangs at bay. And for the many transnational families, love will not keep them together. With international labor migration policies inopportunely commodifying temporary migrant labor, it is familial love that will regrettably keep Filipino families apart.