Home alone: exploring the emotional challenges on children of overseas Filipino workers

Resumo

The economy's progress does not stop Filipino parents from working overseas and having to make the painful choice to leave their kids with their relatives; as a result, these kids face emotional difficulties that some people are unaware of their hidden feeling. This study aimed to discover the emotional challenges of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)’s children, how these children overcome the difficulties and their insight. We employed a descriptive phenomenological research design. Ten Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) children participated in the interview, and the data was analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results revealed the following themes: parental absence and emotional struggle with emotional challenges; healthy well-being and nurturing guidance for coping mechanisms; and acceptance for insights. The result of this study may become an aspiration to all their fellow Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)’s children who now may face different circumstances in life being far away from their parents and to the parents who work overseas to know the situation of their children.