Editorial: Facing Reality

Facing Reality

Editorial

OFW Guardian
Tuesday, 01 March 2005

Critics of the government’s overseas employment program say that OFWs who “sacrifice” family life by going overseas are actually absentee-parents doing Philippine society a disfavor. These same critics believe that government in particular and Philippine society in general should re-evaluate the OFW phenomenon under the following context:

(1) Parents are responsible for the physical, intellectual, and emotional health of their children. This responsibility can be fulfilled only if parents are present during their children’s formative years.

(2) Every child not raised optimally presents itself as a cost to society. The cost may range from wasted public education funds all the way to law enforcement costs due to the criminal activities of individuals from dysfunctional families.

(3) OFWs with young children living in the Philippines are not present during their children’s formative years. As a result, OFW parents are likely to be remiss in their parental duties. This, in turn, could lead to a whole generation of dysfunctional children. In the end, critics of the whole OFW phenomenon believe we should ask ourselves the question: “Is the social cost of absentee parenting compensated by the financial rewards of foreign employment?”

The reality, however, is that for a lot of Filipinos going overseas is not a choice but a necessity. How can one be a good parent when you cannot afford to clothe and feed your children?

It seems critics of overseas employment have forgotten or choose to ignore this aspect of being a “responsible parent”. Sometimes, even children of OFWs do not know why their parents are away. In the end, most Filipinos go abroad in order to provide their families with a good life and their children with a good education. There are no other reasons.

It is therefore unfair and inaccurate to label OFWs as bad parents when in fact it is for “love of family” that these men and women consider overseas employment.

What we need to do is to make sure that a portion of the financial bounty of foreign employment is channeled to sustainable domestic enterprises rather than simple consumerism. Such domestic enterprises can help mitigate the social costs of foreign employment. Government, NGOs, and the private sector can also help out by engaging in programs that keep a family “whole” despite the absence of a loved one. Examples of such programs include support groups, family visits, reintegration seminars, and OFW family cooperatives.

Whether we like it or not, the OFW phenomenon is here to stay. We all need to make sure, however, that the social costs of overseas employment do not overshadow its benefits. By doing so, we ensure that the sacrifices made by OFWs become worth it.