Half a Million Filipinas Struggle to Find Balance between Work Overseas & Home
The overseas Filipina struggle is a tough one. Filipina workers around the globe are some of the hardest working women on the planet. Working long hours far away from home to support their families is common place. The work conditions are tough but they soldier through with little to no complaint. They hold notable positions such as care givers and nurses. They provide much needed support in other countries while earning enough to send money back home and they do it all in the name of love.
Courtesy of Rappler.com
The jobs in the Philippines are scarce and don’t provide enough for Filipina women to stay where they are. In 2011, the Philippine Statistics Authority estimated that there were 2.2 Million Filipina Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW for short). Nearly half of them were women. That number has grown substantially since the early 1970’s (as seen in the graph to the right). Many Filipinas have no choice but to pack their things and find work elsewhere. Of course that means leaving their families and loved ones behind. That also means that they end up taking this journey alone.
OFWs turn to whatever resources they can to stay in touch with family/friends while they are away from home. They often use the internet to communicate with their families back home. Services such as email or skype allow them to stay connected with their children as often as they can. For those who are married, the time apart can put a strain on their relationships and often leads to divorce. The children become distant making women like Melanie Torres feel like they were “no longer needed” and “desperately wanted to be there” [source].
Single women have turned to online dating sites to find companionship while away from home. Often times, this is their only resource as many of the areas they work in are not suitable for finding a soulmate. In some parts of the country, it can be dangerous for women to even walk to streets, much less find a companion. That makes things like internet dating a more viable dating option. They have to be careful though because even with online dating, there are scam websites looking to take advantage of these women and men looking to find a true relationship.
Women, like Lea from the Philippines, live through similar struggles every day. She worked for years overseas as a laborer, working far away from her family and loved ones. She just couldn’t support her family back at home with the limited work that was available. She made the journey overseas and did what was necessary to support herself and her family. However, she found herself feeling lonely and isolated so far away from home.
That was until she met and fell in love with a man who rescued her from it all. She wouldn’t have to work overseas anymore or be away from her family. If not for a trusted and reputable internet dating site she would’ve never met her now husband Mark. She’s grateful that despite the hard times she faced with being an OFW, she is now leading the life she’s always wanted. A life full of love surrounded by her family again.
Just like Lea, many Filipinas are in the same boat. What they want is simple: Love and the ability to financially support their families. Some are able to find it, while others continue to work hard to support their families overseas until they can afford to come home again.
