The Social Dimension of Labor Migration:

Maintaining Connectivity among OFW Families

Prof. Ma. Catalina M. Tolentino

Framework of the paper

Defining connectivity among transnational families-Sender-message-channel-receiver-effect (SMCRE) modelCommunication maintenance ( with elements of frequency, regularity, substantiveness of messages).

Proper communication maintenance can help bridge emotional gaps and resolve conflicts, despite distances

Dimensions of connectivityMaintenance of communication – message sendingEconomic link – thru remittances, entrepreneurial activities

Levels of connectivityCountry – role of mass media, role of govt/non-govt agenciesCommunity - role of govt/non-govt agencies, entrepreneurial efforts Family – role of interpersonal media

How can communication among OFW families be maintained and why?

Availability of new ICTs

Telephone, mobile phone and email are interpersonal communication media (McQuail, 2005). Relationships are sustained thru the use of these media.

New media are changing cognitive and behavioral patterns. Even attitudes and beliefs of people may be transformed due to interaction through the new media.

Filipinos adoption of and adaptation to communication technologies

In the Philippines, the cell phone has a strong penetration in society. The cellphone has penetrated all classes of society from high-to middle and even the lower economic strata and across all age groups

The computer has a lower rate of penetration compared with the cellphone . Based on the 2001 report of the National Computer Center, there were only 3 million Filipinos who had access to the internet. Many users are those aged below 29 years of age and are in the knowledge work category.

OFWs ownership and accessibility to ICTs

There are emerging studies that indicate the growing interest of both the migrant workers and their families in the Philippines on the use of communication technologies to keep the correspondence going among themselves.

Paragas 2005 survey (OFW respondents at POEA)Mobile phone

83% had mobile phones in host country, some with 2 units -- 1 subscribed to host country, 1 to Phil. Network76% had mobile phones in Phils.Half of those with mobile phones have camerasMobile phone serves as “lifeline” for a distressed worker

Country level connectivity

Many OFWs particularly professionals have internet access. They connect to their home countries thru online media such as Inq.net, The Filipino channel, OFW websites, Pinoy central or thru foreign news channels such as CNN, BBC. OFWs are abreast with news in the Phils and have strong opinions about national issues (Tolentino2005).

There are Filipino newspapers sent abroad, (e.g. Bahrain) but are delivered late

POLO/OWWA networking services called “Operation Center”operates 24 hrs/day. OFWs could inquire about programs and benefits

Community level connectivity with an economic dimension

Why should we reintegrate OFWs to the Philippine economy and how?

The ‘OFW phenomenon’ has become the Philippine economy’s savior. The OFW remittances help keep the economy going

In RA 8042, it is provided that a re-placement and monitoring center shall be created in the DOLE which shall provide mechanisms for local employment for returning OFWs. The center shall develop livelihood programs and projects in coordination with the private sector.

Despite economic gains, there are problems faced by OFWs:pre-departure, arrival at country-of-work, disconnection from families in the Philippines.

Community level

In compliance with RA 8042, NGOs such as the Development Action for Women Network established the project SIKHAY, a production and marketing enterprise with 3 components: tie-dying, sewing and handweaving. Another NGO with its own social and economic reintegration program is the Unlad KabayanMigrant Services Foundation ( Opiniano 2002 in Macaranas2004).

The Microsoft computer centers have created a positive impact on the local communities they are attached to because some graduates have set up or expanded their business ventures using their computer skills. Because of the large number of graduates, these graduates in the future will have the opportunity to share their learnings with their families, their friends and townmates.

Family level connectivityPrimacy of Filipino family

Transnational/OFW families (Parrenas 2005) are young families with children who are at childhood or adolescent stages. These are the stages where the presence and guidance of parents is important to raise well-functioning children.

Family members primarily use the cellphone, secondarily the email, webcams to keep communication going

Even while abroad, OFWs communicate with their families in the Philippines more frequently than with their co-workers and friends in their countries of deployment (Paragas, 2006). Using the cellphone, OFWs manage to send messages more than once a day.

At the Balikbayan Center in Laguna, where an ICT booth exists, members of the family – husband, wife, brother, sister, children, etc. – try to catch a glimpse of each other through the webcam at the center. The encounters are sometimes emotional and eventful because some have not seen each other for years.

The Microsoft (MS) -OWWA connectivity programor Tulay

An evaluation of the MS Tulay program was done to determine its effectiveness. OFWs and their families who were trained and graduated from the program were surveyed and interviewed. Among the respondents were returning OFWs vacationing in the Philippines and those currently deployed abroad.

The evaluation results showed that most respondents expressed positive interest in acquiring computers with internet connections.

To most OFWs however, the cellphone, more than the internet, is still the preferred medium – but mainly for texting purposes. The cellphone is the most widely used channel to relay messages and express thoughts and feelings.

the graduates believe in the effectiveness of the internet as a tool in corresponding with their relatives abroad. The problem is clearly one of access to a computer with internet connection, which, in turn, is related to one’s financial capacity to acquire the technology.

Table 1. Regularity of communicating with family members using the cellphone and Internet (Microsoft program evaluation survey)

With spouse-cellphone

With children-cellphone

With other relative

s-cellpho

ne

With spouse

-Interne

t

With children-

Internet

With other relatives-Internet

Mean .83 .94 2.45 1.58 1.71 2.85

Median .00 .00 3.00 .00 .00 3.00

Mode 0 0 4 0 0 0

Std. Deviation 1.563 1.480 1.695 2.328 2.277 2.285

Rating scale: 1 is everyday, 2 is 3-5 days a week, 3 is 1-2 days in a week, 4 is every few weeks, 5 is every few months, 0 is for no answer, don’t know. Standard deviation scores indicate high variability of responses from 0 to 6.

Table 2. Effectiveness of ICT as channels

(MS program evaluation survey)

Rating scale: Minimum is 1 (Not effective at all) up to 5 (Veryeffective), maximum is 6 (Never used it), 0 (no answer, don’t know).

Statistics Email Webcam CellphoneMean 3.03 2.73 3.78

Median 4.00 4.00 5.00

Mode 5 5 5

Std. Deviation 2.253 2.397 2.022

Minimum 0 0 0

Maximum 6 6 6

Use of ICTs and topics

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Remit Greet Health Invest Emotions Child edu

topic

Perc

ent Text

Email

Landline

Returned OFWs and their families in Zamboanga, Cagayan

de Oro, Cebu and NCR learn computer skills

OFWs in Singapore, Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan learn computer skills

OFW success stories of connectivity

with families and communities

Lucita Abellar

A domestic helper in HongKong, She taught her husband in Cavite how to use email and webcam as their means of communication.While in HK, she enrolled in MA in Education, a distance education program of the Philippine Women’s University.

Nancy Candelaria AnactaA domestic helper in HongKong. She finished computer engineering in Las Pinas. she makes use of the cellphone and webcam to talk to husband and children aged 6, 5 and 2 in Laguna . “Kahit pagodako, nawawala” she says of their webcam encounters

Encar MontalesPresident of the Filipino Overseas

Workers in Singapore, has a bachelor’s degree in Medtech. Uses the cellphone and landline esp. when family members have to talk about problems. “Mas gusto kong naririnig angboses ng kausap ko”. She f indsit costly to use internet at the cybercafe

Aida Sarmiento

She is working as a domestic helper in Singapore. She uploads digital photos on CD ROM and send them to the Phils. Husband and child view photos on DVD. She and husband send text messages, “everyday, everynight’

Lino MarAn electrical engineer, he invested his earnings in the Middle East in farm lots in Cebu, The farm is planted with coconut, corn, mango and vegetables. He is also developing an aquaculture business

Jesus TanHe worked in Saudi Arabia for 14 years. He is now trying out real estate brokering in Cebu. He would also like to set up an Internet café in the future

Jennifer RanesWorked in UAE as a fashion designer but was verbally abused by employer; returned to Phils and did not renew contract. Now based in Cagayan de Oro, she is now transacting with clients in the US and business partners in Middle East abroad thru email

Alexander BernardezA graduate of engineering,

he spent almost 20 yrs in Middle East and Asian countries. Has returned to the Phils. for good and set up an electronics business in Zamboanga City

Timoteo BernaldezA sea-based OFW, he took up

Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation. He maintains a micro livelihood (i.e., renting out sound system) while vacationing in Legaspi and waiting for renewal of contract. He does not intend to remain sea-based, “Malakas angkaba pag masama angpanahon, ” he says.

Ms. Eden de Castro VillaWorked as domestic helper in Hongkong for 1 year; set up micro enterprises in La Union: a school supply store, sericulture , handicraft business; supplies the SM mall with basket-woven products; “Gusto kongnagbibigay ng trabaho sa mgatao,” she says.

Fe RegalaA former domestic helper in

Hongkong, she is now into micro food processing business. She is an active community leader in La Union. She is an officer of several local organizations

Ferdinand BorbeSpent 4 yrs in Dubai as a

supervisor of a restaurant owned by an Indian. He has returned to the Phils and has started a handicraft business he registered at DTI as single proprietorship.

In conclusion, ICTs are becoming tools of empowerment to OFWs. They are maximizing the use of communication technologies and learning new modes of correspondence.

These communication technologies help sustain relationships among transnational families. It is now possible to maintain long-distance parenting, long-distance marriage and bridge emotional gaps.

Connectivity at the family level is the most crucial, the family being the basic unit in Phil. Society. But connectivity must be extended to the communities, thru entrepreneurial activities so that this will result to more economic gains for the country.

THANK YOU!