OFW’s Aren’t the Only Ones Who Battle Separation Anxiety

OFW’s are not the only ones who are battling loneliness, separation anxiety and depression. In fact, their children face the very same problems at home. Without necessarily knowing it, parents who seek employment outside of their home country often leave their children feeling abandoned. An article recently outlined what it’s like from the children’s perspective.

According to a study by the Asia Pacific Policy Center, there are today more than eight million children in the Philippines grappling with these issues, as six out of ten families have at least one parent living abroad.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration puts the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) anywhere between 8.6 million to 11 million. Away from their families, they work as doctors, nurses, engineers, entertainers, caregivers, domestic helpers and maids, just to ensure their children have a more secure future. But while life may have certainly become better for their children in financial terms, the absence of parental guidance is taking a toll on their emotional well-being.[source]

These numbers might be shocking to some, but they are commonplace in the Philippines. In fact, many OFWs have no choice but to find work in other countries because there is so little work (or too little pay) at home. One parent, sometimes both, are forced to move away while leaving the children in the care of family and friends while they work to send money home to provide a better life for them.

Psychotherapist Dr Angelo Subida, whose clients include OFWs and their families, says, “There is a difference between parenting and providing. The social, psychological, and emotional costs of parents going abroad are huge. It may have its financial benefits, but it hurts the family, especially the children. [source]

So how can something like this be corrected? The parents, one or both, are forced to seek employment away from the home. How then can they salvage some of the relationship with their children in their time of need. All is not lost however, as technology has become more affordable and easier to access leading to a stronger connection between the parent who is away and the children back at home.

…through social networking sites like Facebook and free internet voice call services like Skype, parents can keep up with the day-to-day happenings in their children’s lives. [source]

As technology become more affordable, OFWs will be able to keep in contact with their children on a daily basis instead of periodic visits only on holidays. Daily communication combined with support back at home can take away the anxiety that many children face while their parents are away from home. This, of course, also helps parents rest at ease that while they are trying to make a better life for their family back at home, they are not also hurting their children (unintentionally) in the process.