Asian Studies International Journal - Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2015 - ISSN: 2279-1949
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENT’S OVERSEAS WORK ON THE
LEFT-BEHIND CHILDREN’S QUALITY OF LIFE AND CAREER
CHOICE INTENTION
Renan Kasilag
De La Salle University, Philippines
Abstract
Using data from a sample of 109 college students from a private college/university in the Philippines, this
study examined the relationship between parent/s’ overseas work and left-behind children’s career choice intention
in terms of overseas employment, domestic employment and entrepreneurship and the quality of life of their leftbehind children. Contrary to the assumptions, result showed that generally, parent’s work abroad is not related with
the career plans and quality of life of their children. College course/degree where respondents are enrolled at had the
significant relationship with their career choice intention specifically in domestic employment. Further, it had
significant relationship with their perception of the quality of life in social acceptance aspect.
INTRODUCTION
Working overseas has positive and negative impacts on the individual themselves and the family members
they left behind. Notwithstanding the negative stories we hear regarding the plight of Filipino contract workers,
overseas work may have positive contribution on the life of the overseas workers and their family members. Some
empirical evidences (e.g. Scalabrini 2003, Semyonov and Gorodzeisky 2004, Parrenas 2005, and Booth and Tamura
2009) would attest that Filipinos working overseas are able to provide better living for their families. The study of
Semyonov and Gorodzeisky (2004) for example revealed that among the 2,346 sample households, a large number
was unemployed prior to migration but consequently has improved their purchasing power after getting work
abroad. The study of Scalabrini (2003) and Booth and Tamura (2009) likewise found that migration has positive
effects especially on the economic and educational aspects of their families left behind. Parrenas (2005) found that
although the children of migrant workers are not considered as the poorest of the poor in the Philippines, once their
parents work abroad, better health and education, and a well-built house were brought for the families left behind.
All these pieces of evidence highlight the positive results of parent’s overseas work.
Overseas work too has negative impact on the family especially on children. Studies in the Philippines
show that a mother’s absence in the family has a larger negative effect on the educational outcomes of children
(Cortes 2011). Save the Children’s study in Sri Lanka (2006) found that mother’s absence resulted to loneliness and
sadness in left-behind children as caregiver’s love cannot replace that of a mother. McKenzie and Rapoport, (2006,
p.19) found that in Mexico, there is a significant negative effect on school attendance among boys but insignificant
for girls, although both have lower chance of finishing high school. Aside from the risk of leaving school due to lack
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Asian Studies International Journal - Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2015 - ISSN: 2279-1949
of motivation, children from migrant households in Moldova and Ecuador were judged as “arrogant, aggressive, and
rude”.
A UNICEF’s study in 2008 on the children of Moldovan migrants found that most of the children left
behind diminished in their school performance. In their study among migrant communities in Mexico, Claudia et.
al. (2009) found that among the households which have a spouse who migrated to US for work are likely to have at
least one problematic child. The study of Wen & Lin (2012) showed how children left behind disfavour the
migration of their mothers. This scenario of rural-urban migration in Hunan Province of China brought negative
impact on children in their behaviour and school engagement.
Seemingly, studies on the effects of migration and overseas work on the children and families left behind
do not present single generalization. Results differ due to variables ranging from age group and their “cognitive
development”, gender, relationship, labor sending and host countries and their policies on migration, flow of
remittances and whether the children are raised in single-parent homes.
Migration studies particularly focusing on the impacts of overseas work on left-behind families are already
extensive. They look at the impacts in terms education (e.g. Kandel 2001, Parrenas 2005, Kuhn 2006, Antman
2012, Vellymalay Suaresh Kumar 2012, Lu 2012,), behaviour (e.g. Cortez 2007, Claudia et. al. 2009, UNICEF
Moldova, UNICEF Barbados & Caribbean 2009, Wen & Lin 2012, Lu 2012, Asis 2013,), labor and remittance (e.g.
Rodriguez & Tiongson 2001, Yang 2008, UNICEF Barbados & Caribbean 2009, Lokshin & Glinskaya 2009, Mu &
van de Walla 2011, Arguillas 2012,) and health (e.g. Kanaiaupuni and Donato 1999, Parrenas 2002, UNICEF
Barbados & Caribbean 2009, Smeekens 2010, Mu & van de Walla 2011, UNICEF Moldova, Antman 2012).
There are various studies which tried to examine the real social risks of migration. In the Philippines,
Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives, a nongovernment organization (NGO) that extends
assistance to overseas Filipinos and their families cope with separation and provides educational sessions on savings
and entrepreneurship, admitted that there is still a need to provide empirical evidence rather than just anecdotal
findings about the “real” social cost of migration. It is in this context that this study was framed.
This study will investigate the relationship between parental overseas work and the quality of life of their
children left-behind and their career choice intention. Specifically it will look into the relationship between the
college course of the children left behind and their perceived economic status with their quality of life specifically in
terms of physical, psychological, parental relation, social support and social acceptance; their career choice intention
in terms of overseas and domestic employment and their intention to engage in local business. Such research
enterprise seems to be under investigated, hence this paper.
METHODOLOGY
Quality of Life and its Related Measures
There are different studies which dealt on the measures of the quality of life (e.g. Campbell and Jenney
1997, Meuleners et. al 2002, Serber & Rosen 2009,). Gill and Feinstein (in Campbell & Jenney 1997) define quality
of life as “a uniquely personal perception, denoting the way individual patients feel about their health status and/or
non-medical aspects of their lives”(p. 347). In fact there is an agreement that the measure of the quality of life is
multidimensional. Serber and Rosen (2009) admitted that quality of life (QoL) measures depends on how the
researcher perceived it. Utilizing the 10-health related quality of life (HRQoL) dimensions of Kidscreen-52 in
Ireland’s children and adolescents, Keenaghan and Kilroe (2005) found out that both boys’ and girls’ scores are
significantly high on social acceptance/bullying and parent relations. It implies then that from children’s view,
quality of life is associated with relationship among friends, peers and parents.
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Asian Studies International Journal - Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2015 - ISSN: 2279-1949
Career Choice Intention
Anonuevo & Anonuevo (2002) confirmed the reality that migration somehow influences the career choice
of the children left behind. Their studies opined that even choices of children in college degrees are those
marketable abroad like courses in medicine/nursing, teaching, and engineering/architecture. It affirms that even
with college diploma, children would still choose overseas work to get a higher pay.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Career Choice Intention
The respondents were asked who influenced them in their choice of course and more than half of them said
that they chose their college degrees for themselves (54.1%), free from the influence of parents, friends, and other
people. A good number or respondents claimed they were still influenced by their parents (34.9%). The respondents
were asked questions regarding their intention to find work abroad and the composite mean of the answers resulted
only to neutral. On the questions regarding the respondents’ intention to find domestic employment, result showed
that they agreed to stay and find local job in the Philippines. This is also the result on the question whether they are
willing to engage into local entrepreneurship. This finding contradicts the study of Moctezuma (in Cortez 2007) and
of UNICEF (Moldova) which saw that the adolescent children of migrant parents tend to leave their place and
become migrant workers too.
Further, results also showed that there is no significant relationship between the demographic profiles of
the respondents with the Career Choice Intention in terms of Overseas Employment and Local Entrepreneurship
except with the course/college degree which has a significant relationship with Domestic Employment. The
percentage frequency of those enrolled in the College of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Accountancy and the
College of Hospitality and Tourism Management are higher compared to the College of Nursing. In fact, these
courses are not related to the nature of work of the respondents’ parents. Parent’s work abroad has no significant
relation on career choice intention of the respondents neither in looking for work locally or in abroad. This
contradicts the findings of Anonuevo & Anonuevo (2002) which opined that the left behind children’s choice of
college degree are those marketable overseas like medicine/nursing, teaching and engineering/architecture.
Perceived Quality of Life
The respondents were asked about their perception on quality of life focusing on the following aspects:
physical, psychological, parental relation, social support, and social acceptance. Results show that among the
demographic profile of the respondents, the college degree/course they are taking is the only variable that has
significant relation with the respondents’ perceived quality of life specifically on social acceptance dimension. This
agrees with the study of Keenaghan and Kilroe (2005) which found that quality of life for adolescents is connected
with their relationship with friends and peers.
This study revealed that respondents did not classify their family as poor or very poor. This supports the
findings of Parrenas (2005) who found that the children of the OFWs are not considered poor. The fact that they are
enrolled in a private school, majority of the respondents belong to well-to-do families. This also agrees with the
study of Scalabrini 2003, Semyonov and Gorodzeisky 2004, and Booth and Tamura 2009 which revealed that
overseas work provide better living for the left-behind families. However, even this perception of the economic
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Asian Studies International Journal - Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2015 - ISSN: 2279-1949
stratus of the respondents did not post any significant relation with the career choice and quality of life of the
respondents.
CONCLUSION
In summary, it appears that for the left behind adolescent children, their parent’s overseas work and the
wealth and honor associated with it do not automatically bring them the quality of life they perceived to have. More
than half of the respondents chose their college degrees free from the influence of their parents as opposed to the
findings of Ferry (2006) which found that children really consider their parents in planning their college degrees and
career plans. In addition, these courses are neither related to their parents’ work abroad nor with their intention of
looking for work overseas. Thus, left-behind children are becoming disinterested in leaving the country and finding
job abroad. This is a surprising result in the country where “culture of migration” is the way of life. Perhaps,
economically speaking they are already satisfied, so migration is not anymore an option. They would rather stay in
the country where quality of life is easily accessed with the presence of friends and family.
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