DIOCESAN SCHOOLS OF LAUNION

SAN ALBERTO MAGNO ACADEMY

TUBAO, LA UNION

EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF A SON OF AN OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKER
(OFW)

Aaron B. Dacayanan

Mark Christian V. Estonilo

Kyle Roy C. Gesell

Rodg Victor S. Regatcho

Anna Marie J. Nalica

Rhescy Gail P. Mapalo

Introduction

Due to poverty and the high unemployment rate, some of our Filipino people used to seek

jobs overseas for it is the only way to break through poverty and have a decent status of living in

society. Through that parents are separate from their children and this leads into a long term

detachment, hence the children separated from their parents experience difficulties in growing

up. It can have an impact on their emotional quotient that can affect their academic performance.

Family separation and incentives for undocumented immigrants to come forward need to be

addressed in any sensible comprise -Dan Mclaughlin.

Background of the Study

Emotional quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ), is the capability of

individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different

feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and

behaviour, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one's goals.

Although the term first appeared in The Communication of Emotional Meaning paper by a

member of Department of Psychology Teachers at College Columbia University Joel Robert

Davitz and clinical professor of psychology in psychiatry Michael Beldoch in 1964, it gained

popularity in the 1995 book Emotional Intelligence, written by author and science journalist

Daniel Goleman. Since this time, EI, and Goleman's 1995 analysis, have been criticized within

the scientific community, despite prolific reports of its usefulness in the popular press. Emotional

intelligence incorporates the important aspects of interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships,

adaptability, moods and stress management skills, which have a profound effect on the academic

performance of students. The long term separation of the parent to its children has an impact on

the emotional Quotient of the child, and it can affect their academic performances.
Statement of the Problem

The main focus of this study is to know if the Emotional Quotient of the Sons and

Daughters of OFW can affect their Academic Performances. Overseas migration of parents from

the Philippines has resulted in increasing numbers of long-term separations of parents from each

other and their children.

This study sought the answer the following questions:

1. What are the factors of Emotional Quotient Affecting the Academic Performances of

Sons and Daughters of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in Senior High school?

2. Is having an Overseas Filipino Worker parent motivates the children to excel in their

studies?

3. How do the children cope up with an absentee (OFW) parent?

Stating the Assumptions

   The primary assumption in this research project is that having an Overseas Filipino

Worker family member has an impact on each family member. This unravels the factors that

may affect a family member based on the situation that he/she is facing. An absentee parent

has an emotional state of a student has a strong effect on their academic performance. This

project assumes that Separation Anxiety has a big impact to the student when it comes to their

emotional quotient.

Scope and Delimitations

This study focuses only on the emotional quotient affecting the academic performances

of Sons and Daughters of OFW parents and, this study also seeks the phenomena on how the

children cope up with the changes. Out of Two hundred Fifty-one (251) students of San Alberto

Magno Academy, twelve (12) students are used as a sample in conducting the interview. The

researcher selects two (2) students’ boys and girls in each grade level. This research project

limits its coverage on selected students only. Its major purpose is to identify the common

problems that the respondents encounter and how do they find ways to deal with it. This study

considers every aspect of students’ personal information that has an impact on their academic

performances such as their parent’s educational background, their parent’s income, gender,

age, and home location. Each of the respondents is given the same questions to be answered.

And this study focuses on the SAMA student in the present school year, 2019-2020. 
Importance of the Study

This study aims to identify the factors on how emotional quotient affects the academic

performance of the sons and daughters of OFW of the different grade levels of San Alberto

Magno Academy.

The following are the beneficiaries of this study;

Students

This study gives information to the students regarding the possibilities of their

emotional quotient or emotional intelligence affects their learning capacity.

Teachers

This research helps the teachers to see such problems, and opportunities to address the

issues to the emotional quotient that the students are facing.

Researchers

This study benefits the researchers to grasp the emotional quotient affecting the sons

and daughters of OFW’s academic performances. With this information, researchers can reflect

on the respondents’ stories.

Society
 This research gives information and awareness in the society regarding the impact of an

absentee parent in academic performances.

Definition of Terms

Overseas Filipino Workers

- A person from the Philippines who is living and working in another country, typically

on a temporary basis.

Emotional Quotient

- The level of a person's emotional intelligence, often as represented by a score in a

standardized test.

Separation anxiety

- Is when someone is afraid of being separated from a particular person, persons, or

even on a pet.

Academic Performance

- Is an extent which student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-

term educational goals.

Phenomena

- An observable fact or event.

Unemployment Rate

-  Is defined as the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labour force.

 CHJAPTER II

Methodology

This chapter includes the research methodology of the study. In more details this

chapter presents the research design, population of the study, sampling method used, research

approach, the procedure of data collection, the treatment of data and, the Ethical

Consideration.

Research Design

To satisfy the objectives of the study, the research design used is Phenomenology.

Phenomenology is an approach to qualitative research that focuses on the commonality of a

lived experience within a particular group. The fundamental goal of the approach is to arrive at

a description of the nature of the particular phenomenology (Creswell, 2013).

Phenomenological research design is used since the study aims to unravel the factors if it has an

impact on the emotional quotient of the son of an Overseas Filipino Worker that affects their

academic performances.

Population and, sample of the Study.

The respondents of this study came from the San Alberto Magno Academy. The

sampling method used is random sampling since the respondents are the whole student

population of San Alberto Magno Academy. Two (2) students in each grade level are selected,
so the overall community of the respondents has an expected twelve (12) students. The two (2)

picked students from each grade level must be a son of an Overseas Filipino Worker.

Research Approach

The research approach followed for this study was the Descriptive approach since this

type of approach attempts to distinguish the characteristics of a problem through a description.

The study purpose of utilizing the descriptive approach is to describe the written accounts

provided by the respondents and to have an in-depth explanation about the findings.

Data Collection

The process of gathering the data in this study is through a questionnaire. Instead of

conducting an in-depth interview, the respondents are task to answer the given questionnaire

for them to lessen the pressure and be confident in responding to it. The answer of the

respondents provides a piece of information if having an Overseas Filipino Worker parent has

an effect on the academic performance of the children and in its emotional quotient.

The questionnaire comprises two divisions. The first division is the Personal Information

part wherein it tackles the personal information of the respondents. This section is kept away

from the public for it is intimate and private, since it contains the respondents' identity. While

on the other hand, the second division which is the Personal Experience part wherein this is the

focal point of the questionnaire since this is the primary reference of the data required to fulfill

the objectives of the study

 Img1. Gathering of data Procedure

Determine the respondents for Acknowledge the respondents

the study. what are the goals of the study.

Gathering of data begins.

Transcribe the results and Have the respondents answer the

compilation of their answers. questionnaire

Code the data and classify the

findings based on their
relativeness.
Treatment of Data

The method of interpretation of data used for this study was the Deductive Approach.

According to this approach, a deductive approach concerned with developing a hypothesis

based on existing theory and then designing a research strategy to test the hypothesis.

Deductive reasoning works from more general to the more specific. Sometimes this is

informally called a “Top – Down” approach. The purpose of utilizing the Deductive approach is

to break down the accounts that the respondents have provided by reading and analyzing the

statements and categorizing it by its relativeness. The data analysis provides several words that

will help in the coding of the findings, while it is also the most appropriate for small samples

that produce qualitative data.

Ethical Consideration

The accounts, personal information, and opinions of the participants are stored and

kept to the public for these materials are confidential and exclusive only for this study. The

names, opinions and, reflections, as well as personal experiences, will remain as it is.
 CHAPTER III

Findings and Discussion

This part of the study includes the presentation of data, the research findings, the coded

data, and studies that validate the findings.

Furthermore, as presented in Table I, it shows the effects of the different factors that

affects the Emotional Quotient of the respondents that may influence their academic

performance and their different ways of dealing with it.

Table I

Factors Affecting the Academic

Performance and, the Emotional
Quotient of a Son of an OFW.

 The Absence of the Parent

 The Lack of Guidance
 And, the lack of Emotional Support

Their Coping Mechanism

Results

The following are their way

It has And, Negative
of coping in their situation
Positive Effects wherein
wherein students become:
Effects students become:
wherein
 Lonely  Dependable
students
 Yearning  Comprehended
become:
 Overthink
 Motivated  Distracted
 Independent
For better understanding, the following are the Extracted versions of the Coded data findings

seen in Table I, wherein under the Negative effects the students more often become:

Lonely – Loneliness is a complex and usually unpleasant emotional response to isolation.

Typically includes anxious feelings about lack of connection or communication with other

beings, both in present and extending into the future.

Feelings of loneliness and isolation affect all types and ages of people, although some,

like adolescents, are more likely to be impacted than others, the elderly are also at high risk.

Studies indicate that more than 20 percent of people over 60 frequently feel intensely lonely.

Extract 1

“Yes, because having absentee parents makes you feel lonely, it’s like you missed one

piece of your puzzle/self.”

Extract 2

“Yes because they are not in my side.”

Extract 3

“Yes for me it’s hard because I need someone who will guide me and teach me when to

stay by my side.”

Yearning – The feeling when you want something that you cannot have. The feeling when you

keep on thinking how good it would if you had it.

 When people desire something, they want to be close to it and interact with it. Since

that is not possible with on objective of longing, people instead think or fantasize about it.

Extract 1

“’I’m sad also crying and begging my mother to stay by my side.”

Extract 2

“I was sad because most of all they are my parents and I will miss them so much.”

Extract 3

“I feel sad because he/she work on abroad.”

Overthink – Think about (something) too much for too long.

When you analyze a comment and repeat the same thoughts over and again, instead of

acting, you are overthinking. This habit prevents you from taking action. If consumes your

energy, disables your ability to make decisions, and puts you on a loop of thinking anf thinking

over and again.

Extract 1

“Yes because sometimes I got tired of the entire thing because sometimes I think I am

not important.”

Extract 2

“Yes, sometimes I wonder is my mother doing well in other country.”

Extract 3

“When my mother doesn’t call and chatting me, I thought they don’t care about me.”

Distracted – sometimes that takes your attention away from what you’re supposed to be doing.

Distractions come from both external sources, and internal sources. External distraction

includes factors such as visual triggers, social interactions, music, text message, and phone calls.

There are also internal distractions such as hunger, fatigue, illness, worrying, and internal

distractions contribute to the interference of focus.

Extract 1

“Yes because it’s so hard to focus in my studies especially when my mother is not here.”

Extract 2

“Yes because having an OFW parent is hard, you cannot do what you want to do.”

Extract 3

“Yes because it’s so hard to focus on the school.”

Now under the positive Effects, the students are more often become:

Motivated – the reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.
 Motivated requires the biological substrate for physical sensation of pleasure and pain;

Motivation goes on to includes the capacity to form concepts and to reason which allows

humans to be able to surpass this minimum state, with a much greater possible range of desire

and aversions.

Extract 1

“My mother is my motivation to keep on studying.”

Extract 2

“No because it makes me more motivated to study harder.”

Extract 3

“My family, they are the reason why I always keep studying, they always motivate me by

telling me I can do it and I always put it in my mind.”

Independent – free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.

Being able to take care of your own and assume responsibility for your decisions while

considering both the people around you and your environment.

Extract 1

“No because by this it makes me stronger, more independent and they are my

inspiration, they got my back and I know that I’m safe.”

Extract 2
 “No because what I am experiencing now is what it makes me stronger.”

Extract 3

“No because I am getting independent because it is part of growing up.”

Furthermore, under the coping mechanism part, the students often become:

Comprehended – grasp mentally; understood.

To comprehend something is to understand it, like when you have to read a difficult

passage more than once in order to comprehend it.

Extract 1

“No because I understood naman why they go abroad.”

Extract 2

“No, because they are doing it for my future and for my siblings, and I know that being

an OFW is not easy because I will be separated in your love ones.

Extract 3

“No, because I understand why they working abroad, it is for my future, and to support

my financial needs.”

Dependable – someone or something who is reliable and trust worthy or who can be counted

on.

When one can count on him or doing what he or it is expected to do competently.

Extract 1

“I share my problems to all my close friends and who I trusted.”

Extract 2

“My friends, because they make me feel I am important to them.”

Extract 3

“My friends, usually because I trusted them and they give me advices.”
 According to the Literature Review of Reyes (2008) “ Unlike theperceived *notions,

children of migrants performed well especially during gradeschool compared to non migrant

children (based on the study of Scalabrini). Thisfinding also came out in the 1996 study

(Battistella and Conaco) and seems tosuggest the importance of mother’s presence in the

academic performance of the children. At the same time, based from the actual interview and

observation ofParreñas (2006) in the conduct of her study, the two boys she met in one school

whowere labeled as trouble maker by the guidance counselor have acted with respect and

obedience and have higher cognitive skills. This can also be seen in Cruz’ study(1987), where

students’ performance did not show significant difference between children of migrants and

nonmigrants, majority even received good ratings in termsof conduct and discipline in class

from the teachers (78% children of migrants and81% children of non-migrants). Cruz (1987) also

noted that children of migrantsinteract more with classmates and actively participate in class

discussion/activitiesand *extra- curricular activities.” Even children are behaving well, as

disciplined one,as it coincide to the study of Parreñas, and Cruz, still it shows the importance of

a migrant parent’s care and guidance as they tend to performed well, the emotions ofmigrant

children has a possibility to affect them.

In Asia, the Philippines is the major supplier of labor migrants to over100 countries and

the leading female migrant sending countries along with Indonesia.More than 8 million (10%)

out of the 85 million Filipinos were working or living abroad.While over 72% of total migrants

from Philippines were women workers. Many ofthese women work as domestic helpers,

nurses, caregivers, and entertainers. Withthis huge number of Filipino migrants (and still more)

living the country temporarily(or permanently), a more pressing concern is with regards to
children left behind. Though there is no systematic data on the number of children left behind,

it isestimated to be 9 million or 27% of the total youth.The impact of migration varies - ranging

from economic benefits notonly for the family but the country in generally through its

*remittances to the securityand well being of the family of migrants. But a major concern here

is the social costsof migration specifically to the children left behind. Parental absence creates

“displacement, disruptions and changes in care giving arrangement.” There is always an

emotional aspect that goes along with parents leaving their children, especially forlong periods

of time. Nevertheless, it is also a relief to have the extended familylooking after the children

left-behind. However, it cannot negate the fact that thechildren are longing for the love and car

e of their biological parents” said Reyes(2008).

According to the studies of Arguillas M.J.; Williams L. (2010) “ Familystructure,

household resources, numbers of siblings competing for those resources, and parents’ own

educational attainment are often important predictors of children’s education outcomes.

Overseas migration of parents from the Philippines hasresulted in increasing numbers of long-

term separations of parents from each otherand from their children. Western-based analyses

might predict negative education outcomes for children as a result of parental absence. We find

that separations caused by overseas migration often are either neutral or can have positive

effectson schooling outcomes, at least among older children. Girls fare better in terms

ofeducational attainment than do boys overall. Boys are often more affected by background

variables, including parents’ international migration.

 CHAPTER IV

Summary, Conclusion and, Recommendation

Summary

            This study is about determining if having an Overseas Filipino Worker parent has an

impact or factors that may affect the emotional quotient of the separated child from its parent

and if it influences their academic performance. To satisfy the objectives of the study, the

researches came up with some ideas that may help to ascertain what are the factors that affect

the emotional quotient of the separated children and if these factors have different effects on

them. The initial step in determining the factors which affect the emotional quotient of the

students is the researchers conducted a survey questionnaire, wherein the respondents are

task to answer the given questionnaire provided by the researchers. The transcription of data

provides a coded version of the findings. Furthermore, the coded findings provide pieces of

information that show the factors and their different interactions with it wherein some of the

respondents assert that the different factors discovered have a Positive, negative and, their

coping mechanism. In proving the findings, the researchers proposed related studies that

empower or validate the findings that the researchers have gathered through the span of the

study.
Conclusion

           This study concludes that separation anxiety and long term separation have an

impact on the emotional quotient of children which, affects their academic performance. This

research unravels the different factors that affect the emotional quotient which, influences the

academic performance of a son of an Overseas Filipino Worker; also this study concludes that

those factors have different effects on the students depending on how they comprehend their

situation. Furthermore, this study shows the coping mechanism of the students and their way

of dealing with their difficulties.

Recommendation

On the basis of the findings and conclusion of this study, the following are the

recommendations:

1. Pupil-respondents should be continuously encouraged, motivated and, directed to have

study time at home to improve their academic performance.

2. OFW children in school should be given opportunities to study harder and to participate

in extracurricular activities like competitions in spelling, reading, public speaking, drama

and even music in the classroom and school levels to improve their academic

performance.

3. Newspapers, magazine, journals and other learning materials and resources like

computers with internet access should be made available in the school library (not

necessary) so pupils who cannot afford can access to these materials. OFW children and
 left behind members of the family must be trained to use the internet and e-mail as an

alternative to cellular phones.

4. Other support system must continue to extent moral, spiritual and even personal

assistance to OFW children for them not to experience the absence of an OFW parent.

5. Schools must continue its program for OFW children, or may adopt programs that will

help these OFW Children overcome anxiety and other problems brought by the changes

that happen in their own household caused by migration.

6. To the Teachers, that if ever they may encounter such student with an OFW parent and

if they see something unusual behavior of the student help them to realize things that

they should understand, educate them and make them feel that someone care for them

and avoid them from feeling of neglect. Ensure that they will perform well in their

academic life and always secure their attendance in every class session because

teachers are the person who influences the future hope of this country. Help them to be

integrally and holistically develop person with dignity.

7. To the Students, that they should understand the selfless act of their parents, ask their

parents if they are doing well in other countries. Always communicate with them and

make them feel that you understand them. That student should do their best in their

academic life to honor the sacrifices of their parents, and value what their parents give

to them including the material things. Furthermore, always initiate a conversation with

them.
8. To the Readers, that if also you may encounter such person, try to understand them if

ever they do something bad, help them to reach out and motivate them to be a better

person. If needed, be a good epitome to them.

9. To the Parents, that they may spare quality time with their children and when they have

a break in their work or at least set a schedule in communicating their children via

technological product such as Cellphones and social Medias. Moreover, help them to

understand why they have to go abroad, that they should asked each other of how their

days went Moreover, parents should asked about certain things about the life of their

children in order to prevent awkwardness between them. To the Student, that they

should understand the selfless act of their parents, ask their parents if they are doing

well in other countries. Always communicate with them and make them feel that you

understand them. That student should do their best in their academic life to honor the

sacrifices of their parents, and value what their parents give to them including the

material things. Furthermore, always initiate a conversation with them.