Should a parent leave his or her family to work abroad for money?
In our life, our number one way to gain money is to work. For us to have money, we should sacrifice, work hard and focus on the work. Philippines is still a developing country and Filipino people must really work to survive. But what if a parent must leave his/her family for money? What if a parent chooses to be an OFW or Overseas Filipino Workers. Will there be a problem?
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, last 14 April 2016 our OFWs are over 2.4 Million. Literally, most of them are working for their families. Some of them are having a homesick and stressed out because of the truth that their families are far from them, but they are trying to get used to it for their family. As a daughter, I can also see the trials of my parents to give us a good life. As I can see, a lot of parents out there or very frustrated to have money and to be rich. Since our country is not that rich, a lot of people can see their good future in different rich countries that’s why they choose to be an OFW. We have had heard a lot of news about the stress or problems of our OFWs but we never heard the problems of their families who were left behind. It is really not good to leave their family behind because it can affect the family relationship and their child’s mindset.
Filipino families really do bond together a lot. We’re family-oriented and meal- oriented. Being a family-oriented, it can see the family traditions and families’ closeness on this one. It can help the family Filipinos strong and firm. Our Filipino families do breakfast together, lunch together and dinner together. We always love the idea of family meals. It is not only good for the child’s growth but also for their strong relationship. On the research of Dew, J. Britts and Houston, S. (2012) they said that if the financial issue comes to the point of the family, the members will be stressed and moody (RBFIDFR, 2012). Family problem is really a problem for the family and obviously it shows the decision of a parent to work abroad. Other countries have better opportunities and better salary that’s why parents chose to leave. Unfortunately, without a parent, it leads to unhealthy and unhappy family. A parent has a big role in the family and if it gone, slowly and surely the family relationship they’ve build will be gone too. One day, the family will not give importance to the family relations, traditions and closeness. To the child, it will lead to anti-social kid, low self-esteem and low self-confidence. The insecurities will win in the child’s mind that’s why even one parent left, it can change the child.
In our country, our family is our strengths. We actually relay on each other. If a parent leaves his\her family, it will actually change a lot of things—not only their relationship but also on the child. For me, a parent should not leave his\her family for money and treasure because the family is everything. It is our home and the number one treasure.











