SITUATION ANALYSIS (OFW PARENTS)

Globalization has engendered the phenomenal growth of transnational economic

migration, with its opportunities and heartaches. The economic interdependence of countries

has resulted not only in the exchange of goods but also in the exchange of services, in the

form of the movement of migrant contract workers from poorer economies to more affluent

ones. However, the need to maximize profit by factoring the least cost in production has

brought about the massive importation of cheap labour.1In this case study, I will set out the

situation of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families, and explore biblical and

theological themes relevant to their plight. Although I would reflect on the particular case of

Filipino economic migrants, many of the issues discussed here apply to other labour migrants

as well.

I. The Broken World of OFWs

With about eight million Filipinos residing overseas, comprising 10 per-cent of the country’s

population of 86 million, the Philippines has one of the largest proportion of migrant workers

in relation to its total population of all countries. For many Filipinos, migration is a symbol of

hope because it provides an alternative to being unemployed or underemployed, living in

poverty, or having a life that is qualitatively less than one’s aspirations. Remittances sent by
a family member working overseas can give significant economic help to a household in the

Philippines. On a national scale, migration is seen as necessary for national survival. The

remittances of OFWs make up 20% of the country’s exports and 10% of GDP, which are a

lifeline to a government struggling with a large external debt. Because of the OFWs

contribution to the economy, the export of migrant workers has become part of national

policy. However, labour migration means also marginalization, social dislocation, downward

social mobility, and family fragmentation.

Filipino migrants experience marginalization in two ways. First, they become socially and

structurally invisible in relation to the host society. Even though they have college degrees

and professional backgrounds in the Philippines, and may have prominent roles in their family

and community, they disappear into other people’s homes, hospitals, nursing homes,

manufacturing centres in other countries. Second, they experience a subaltern existence. The

pain of marginality is made acute by being regarded as mere instruments of policy and by

being subjected to ethnic, economic, and social differentiation. Migrant workers are often seen

as mere objects to advance the interests of both the country of destination and the country of

origin, without regard to the personal and family fragmentation and disempowerment that this
produces.

Those who work as domestic workers are vulnerable to abuse since, as live-in workers,

they are dependent on their employers and have no private spaces of their own or complete

control of their time. As foreigners who are employed in jobs on the lowest rung of the

economic and social ladder, they are also subject to prejudice. More-over, as temporary

residents, they do not have adequate legal and civil rights to protect them from being

exploited. In addition, because migration holds the promise of economic advancement, some

Filipinos have resorted to illegal means to be able to work and live overseas. This has given

Filipinos the reputation of being law-breakers and has led to some humiliating deportations

and imprisonment.

In addition, economic migration produces the phenomenon of transnational families, in

which one or two parents are abroad while children are reared by one parent or by relatives.

This arrangement brings a lot of emotional stress – guilt for parents, insecurity and loneliness

for children, and emotional distance between parents and children.This is especially the case

when the migrant is the mother,a common situation since women comprise more than fifty

percent of OFWs. A conflict then results between the economic security of the family and its
emotional and psychological well-being.On a national scale, the migration of so many

nationals means massive brain drain as teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers move to other

parts of the world. This is tragic, considering that in many villages in the Philip-pines, medical

facilities are under-staffed,while vital infrastructures are needed for the development of the

local economy.

It is emotionally and physically challenging for the children to accept that their family set-

up is not the same with other families. But as the child matures, he begins to understand the

rationale why the parent has to work abroad and is able to get back on track and take on the

responsibility of managing their household and family life on their own. The researchers aim

to find out the significant experiences of OFW children according to their parent-child

relationship, the researcher’s perceived effects, the relationship they had with the OFW

parent, and their coping. For the experiences, three themes were identified, namely, Absence

of Parental Role, Initial Changes, and Maturity at an Early Age. This situation is also

consistent with Battistella and Conaco’s in 1996 their study reveals that parental absence is

experienced particularly as a sense of loneliness and abandonment. Parents’ migration

requires changing previous arrangements concerning the division of care and other domestic
responsibilities within the left-behind households (Pessar & Mahler, 2003; Leavitt & Glick,

(2004). For the perceived effects, four themes were identified, namely, Financial Stability,

Initial Academic Decline, Numbness to Absence, and Maturity at an Early Age. Migrants on

average receive incomes that are four to five times higher than they would at home, which is

usually more than enough to offset the boost of standard of living. (University of the

Philippines, 2002). Although remittances increase children’s ability to obtain school supplies

and pay school fees, some children left behind suffer negative educational outcomes. For the

relationship.
 SITUATION ANALYSIS (ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

STUDENT)

Academic performance of students is a key feature in education (Rono, 2013). It is

considered to be the centre around which the whole education system revolves. Narad and
Abdullah (2016) opined that the academic performance of students determines the success
or failure of any academic institution. Signh, Malik and Signh (2016) also argued that
academic performance of students have a direct impact on the socio-economic development
of a country. Similarly, Farooq, Chaudhry, Shafiq and Behanu (2011), asserted that students’
academic performance serve as a bedrock for knowledge acquisition and the development of
skills. Additionally, Farooq et al., (2011) emphasized that the top most priority of all educators
is academic performance of students. According to Narad and Abdullah (2016) academic
performance is the knowledge gained which is assessed by marks by a teacher and/or
educational goals set by students and teachers to be achieved over a specific period of time.
They added that these goals are measured by using continuous assessment or examinations
results.
Factors contributing to improvement in students’ academic performance have received
much attention from educators and researchers (Signh, Malik & Sign, 2016; Ali, Haider, Munir,
Khan & Ahmed, 2013; Farooq, Chaudhry, Shafiq & Behanu, 2011). These researchers found
that several factors contribute to improvement in the academic performance of students. Ali
et al. (2013) found daily study hours, social economic status of parents/guardians and age as
factors that significantly affects academic performance. Similarly, Narad and Addullah (2016)
and Farooq et al., (2011) also found economic status of parents, their academic background
and encouragement as factors that influence academic performance. Proper guidance from
parents and teachers, communication skills, and learning facilities have also been found as a
significant determinant to academic performance (Signh, Malik & Signh, 2016).
The findings from the previous studies is a combination of home, school, students and
teacher factors (Narad & Abdullah, 2016; Farooq, Chaudhry, Shafiq & Behanu, 2011) as well
as environmental, personal, social, psychological and economic factors (Sign, Malik & Sign,
2016; Ali et al. 2013). Other authors have also found that age, gender and parents’ level of
education affects academic performance (Khan, Iqbal & Tasneem, 2015; Eshetu, 2014). It
should be noted that these findings differ among countries, different academic levels and the
subjects involved. The current study focuses on factors contributing to improvement in
academic performance of students at the Junior High School (JHS) in Philippines.

Per the education structure in Philippines, JHS forms the third level of basic education.

According to the Report of President’s Committee on Review of Education in Philippines,

basic education is defined as “the minimum period of schooling needed to ensure that children

acquire basic literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills as well as skills for creativity and

healthy living” (Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 26). This level should be free and compulsory

and comprises of Kindergarten, primary and JHS. As indicated earlier, the focus of this

research is on JHS. JHS is a three year post primary education program which prepares

students aged 13 to 15 years to sit for a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in

their third year. From 2010 to 2016 the enrolment of JHS students increased by 10.6%

(Ministry of Education, 2016). Their performance at BECE from 1998 to 2002 was 60.1%; this

figure increased by 0.99% from 2003 to 2007 but dropped significantly by 9.1% from 2008 to

2011.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 If the study would be successful ,the researchers and other students will become fully

aware of how having an OFW parents affects the academic performance of Grade 7 of Unzad

National High School and also become knowledgeable in coping up with these.|

The researchers and other students will learn a lot of knowledge about parent- child

relationship and how it can affect academic performance of children at school.Also,they would

know why some students are having a hard time doing performance in school.

Moreove, this study would help spread awareness to OFW parents that they should not

lose communication with their children.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on how having an OFW parent can affect to the academic

performance of Grade 7 studdent of Unzad National High School.The study will be conducted

in the Junior High School building at Unzad National High School and within the vicinity of

Unzad,Villasis,Pangasinan.