OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS IN POLAND: Maternal migration and its effects on children and families left behind

Patterns and impetuses of labor migration is considered circular and recurrent in various parts of the world, and is often perceived in terms of cost and benefit. This qualitative paper explores the caring for families and children left behind, particularly in the Philippines, through an examination of the opinion, ideas, and experiences of female Filipino overseas workers (OFWs) in Poland. Ongoing researches have shown that although remittances are significantly beneficial to families, the negative implications on child and family welfare should be equally weighed in assessing the benefits of labor migration. While the Philippines has established support for women OFWs, their families, and their children, there is still a need for further understanding of the sociocultural and political factors that affect social action on this matter. Hopefully, there will be more in-depth research on this subject to identify gaps in government policies and services as well as develop more appropriate micro, meso, and macro-level interventions that utilize bilateral or multilateral cooperation among various local and international social work organizations.