Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusions

What does the 2003 Children and Families Study reveal about the impact of international labor migration on the young children and families left behind? On the question of parental absence, based on the survey, the study finds that parental absence creates displacements, disruptions and changes in caregiving arrangements. The departure of one or two parents leaves an emotional mark on the young children left behind - the children long for the presence of the migrant parent(s), especially when the mothers are away. But the study also suggests that the children are attended to by the family - mostly the mothers when it is the fathers who migrate, other female relatives and/or the fathers when it is the women who leave, and other female relatives and the extended family when both parents are out. Despite the emotional displacement, the children of migrants are not disadvantaged vis-à-vis the children of non-migrants in many dimensions of well-being. Thus, when the family is stable, it can withstand the separation imposed by migration.

In terms of socio-economic variables, the children of migrants are markedly better off compared to the children of non-migrants. Aside from objective indicators of SES, such as home ownership and ownership of durable goods, the children of migrants also perceive their families as doing well as far as economic status is concerned. This economic advantage appears to provide the children of migrants with other advantages. More OFW children are enrolled in private schools. The study has also documented that OFW children are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, such as camping, field trip, school programs, and so forth. Their exposure to these programs not only broadens their learning, which may have contributed to their overall academic performance. Unlike the 1996 study (Battistella and Conaco, 1998, 1996) which found that OFW children fared less in academic performance relative to non-OFW children, the present study found the opposite. At least during the elementary years, various school/academic indicators point to OFW children belonging to higher sections, earning higher grades and receiving school awards. However, consistent with the 1996 study, the children of migrant mothers tend to lag somewhat behind compared to the other children. It is also possible that the better economic status of migrant families has contributed to the better health outcomes observed among OFW children.

The cradle of the extended family system provides the children of migrants with care and socialization which are not that different from what the children of non-migrants receive. Children, both from OFW and non-OFW families alike, are given chores at home, which forms part of their responsibility training. The values transmitted to children - basically an emphasis on traits and characteristics to promote smooth interpersonal relationship - are similar in both migrant and non-migrant families. Children in both groups also receive spiritual formation from their families. Interestingly, the present study finds higher church/mosque attendance and praying among the children of migrants than non-OFW children.

Due to the migration of one or both parents, children in OFW families ex-perience a reconfiguration of gender roles in the family as well as different ways of maintaining family relationship. The departure of mothers and both parents has clearly rearranged caregiving and provider roles. Thus, in migrant families, the distribution of gender roles is different from the traditional stay-at-home mothers and "working" fathers or the emerging dual-earner families. The changing roles of mothers, fathers, and the extended family (particularly, other female relatives) are evident in migrant families. Family relationships remain close, but in migrant families, these are maintained not by presence but by constant communication. The popularity of cellphones and the use of phone calls and texting have displaced other modes of communication. Particularly in the FGDs, it was apparent that the access to instant communication has helped bring family members together despite the distance.

In terms of physical health and socio-psychological measures, the children of OFWs are as well-adjusted or they even fare better compared to non-OFW children. Among OFW children, however, the children of migrant mothers do not do as well (although the differences are not always marked).

Thus, data from the survey indicate that in general terms, the children of OFWs in two-parent families are managing well. The challenge is the future. For now, the children are fine. However, the FGDs with the ado-lescents indicate trouble spots ahead since they have to deal with issues other than family and school. The challenge, thus, is how families and other institutions can shepherd and support children as they tread the transition into adolescence.

It should be mentioned that when we consider the data from the FGDs with left-behind caregivers and adolescents, we also get a different picture: the lingering emotional costs of the separation of family members. For the most part, families (according to left-behind caregivers and adolescents in the FGDs) manage their problems within the family and through prayers. There is reluctance to seek out other agencies or institutions when it comes to non-economic problems - concerns about trust and confidentiality were mentioned. When FGD participants were asked about programs OFW families need, the usual answer was "livelihood" and "income-generating programs." The FGDs with the community development workers and NGO/Church personnel highlighted the difficulties experienced in drawing the participation of OFW families (particularly husbands) and in sustaining their participation in programs that cater more to social-psychological concerns.

The children's responses indicate that overseas migration will continue. This early, the children are already entertaining thoughts of migrating and working abroad, and their career plans are very much shaped by what would be marketable abroad. This has implications not just for the family but for the country as a whole.

Towards Caring Families and Communities

Findings from the study provide some implications for policies and programs concerning left-behind families. The recommendations were discussed in a dissemination-validation workshop attended by the staff members of the partner organizations and some resource persons.¹²

Following are some recommendations:

• Although there are existing programs targeted at families of OFWs, there is a need to review and finetune these programs (see Box 7). A regular assessment of existing programs is necessary to review objectives, approaches, and developing plans of action (including the identification of critical resources) to carry out these programs. Most of the programs or projects targeting famiiles are economic assistance programs. Very few are specifically targeted at young children; or if children were the focus, these were special programs which were offered on a short-term basis (e.g., drama or art workshops). The FGDs with the community development workers and NGO/Church personnel revealed useful insights of "on-the-ground" realities which would be helpful in reviewing existing programs. They mentioned, for example, the need for training (particularly in counseling, approaches in community organizing), financial resources to carry out the programs, and awareness about good practices and strategies based on the experiences of other organizations and institutions.

• The mass media can be harnessed to provide education and information to OFW families (e.g., parenting tips, child rearing, the role of fathers, changing gender roles), particularly in reaching inaccessible groups such as husbands.

• The school has an important role to play in delivering programs to OFW families. It is a "natural" venue in reaching out to children, parents and caregivers. The school could be a venue for offering programs on parenting/caregiving, gender sensitivity, constructive coping mechanisms, and programs for children. As noted by the study, young children approached teachers, classmates and friends when they encountered some problems. The familiarity of the teachers, particularly the home room advisers, about the children's background was apparent during the field work for the study. The role of teachers as part of the support system of OFW children can be enhanced through programs to increase their awareness and understanding of migration issues.

One of the findings of the study points to the popularity of marketable jobs abroad in shaping the children's career and life aspirations. The school can offer programs and activities - or incorporate topics in the curriculum - to guide children in making plans about work and life. Curricular offerings can also include more inputs that would promote nationalism on the one hand, and an appreciation of multiculturalism and other values that promote interdependence on the other.

• The involvement of the local government in the promotion of the welfare of OFW families was a suggestion that came out of the FGDs with community development workers and Church/NGO personnel working with OFW families. As they pointed out that there are millions of OFW families, which the staff and resources of their institutions (OWWA, the Church, and NGOs) cannot adequately handle. Local government units could be encouraged to establish Migration Desks to coordinate activities pertaining to the migrant sector.

• To promote more awareness of migration issues, particularly the social impacts, the involvement of the Department of Education and the Department of the Interior and Local Government can be harnessed in the celebration of migration-related events, such as International Migrants Day (December 18), Migrants Day (June 7), and National Migrants Sunday (first Sunday of Lent).

• The importance of communication between family members cannot be overemphasized. Training migrants and their families on the use of the Internet and e-mail (as an alternative to cell phones) and exploring possibilities for employers/workplaces to provide more communication facilities (e.g., shipping lines) could also be explored.

These avenues for cooperation underscore that "it takes a village to raise a child."

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¹² The dissemination-validation workshop was held on 17 June 2004 at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.