Voices Heard: Perceptions of Adolescents with Migrant Mothers Regarding Maternal Migration and Family Relationships

Abstract

The OFW phenomenon has been a part of the Filipino society for quite some time and there are studies that propose the notion that migration, specifically of mothers, has unfavorable effects to the family. This study explored the perceptions of adolescents with migrant mothers regarding maternal migration and the relationships within their families. The respondents were obtained through purposive and referral sampling. A total of 40 males and 42 females, 13-17 years of age; were surveyed and in-depth interviews were also conducted. The findings suggest that most of the adolescents have developed a "permissive" attitude towards migration. In terms of family relationships, the husband-wife bond is the one that the adolescents thought to have suffered the most due to separation. It was also found that adolescents have developed a slightly better bond with their fathers after their mothers started working abroad. Most migrant mothers have become keen in fulfilling their role of being the families' provider while still making efforts to keep their role as the nurturer in order to sustain their relationships with their left-behind families. The adolescents on the other hand, have sought to become "good" sons and daughters, believing that this will help them maintain their relationships with their migrant mothers.