Abstract
Cognizant of the nature and type of family as factors that affect the experience and coping of its members, this study sought to examine the impact of the pandemic on overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) families using a qualitative instrumental case study of four OFW families. Three themes emerged from the analysis: (1) worry over the conditions of the distant family members, (2) disruptions in plans and family relationships, and (3) monitoring and caring from a distance. From these findings, it could be reflected that despite the negative effects of the pandemic, OFW families can recreate patterns over time to retain their familial relations and routines and protect members from coronavirus and its consequences.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a massive challenge to societies and families to ensure the safety and well-being of their members. The actual and potential health problems and life changes brought about by this public health emergency can impact the members and the functioning of the family as a unit (Luttik et al., 2020). During quarantine, families have to provide for members and maintain the unit amid restrictions on movement, health and safety protocols, and the general threat of COVID-19 on health and livelihood. The measures implemented to control the spread of coronavirus have a disruptive effect on family relationships in several ways, including loss of community and freedom of movement, loss of income and access to resources, and disruptions in planned activities or celebrations (Luttik et al., 2020; Rolland, 2020; Walsh, 2020).
While a wealth of evidence suggests the detrimental effects of the pandemic on the family system (Luttik et al., 2020; Montauk, & Kuhl, 2020; Prime et al., 2020; Rolland, 2020), the role of the family in protecting its members from COVID-19 and its consequences has also been deemed important to develop their individual and collective resilience (Walsh, 2020). This is especially true in Philippine culture that values strong family orientation. The sense of well-being of Filipinos is attached to the positive welfare of their family (Samaco-Zamora & Fernandez, 2016). During the periods of lockdown due to COVID-19, Filipinos spend more time interacting with family members (Cenon et al., 2020), and this helps them cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
The nature and extent of the COVID-19 impact to and coping of a family vary based on its type and social location. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, age, and gender of members and living arrangements of the family influence its response to the pandemic (Rolland, 2020). The proximity and well-being of the assigned caregivers and vulnerable members of the family also improve the unit’s resilience to COVID-19 (Prime et al., 2020). In the Philippines, a special type of family structure has been coined for those who have members who are migrant workers or overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in another country but still maintains a collective sense of familyhood: OFW families (Bryceson, 2019).
The Philippines has one of the largest diasporas in the world. There are an estimated 10 million Filipinos abroad, working for the promise of higher wages and better opportunities for themselves and for their families back home. In 2019, remittances from OFWs reached a record high of more than 200 billion Philippine Pesos (PhP) (Mapa, 2020). For decades, the existence of OFW families (the Filipino variant of transnational families) has become a common feature in the societal landscape of the Philippines.
Prior to the pandemic, OFW families have had challenges that are not experienced by traditional nuclear families living together in a single household. These include social and emotional costs on the left-behind children, transnational parenting, maintaining communication ties despite the distance, persistence of gender disparities in caregiving, management of remittances, and establishing effective transnational family arrangements (Graham & Jordan, 2011; Reyes, 2007; Uy-Tioco, 2007). We argue that because of the particular struggles that are inherent among OFW families, the COVID-19 pandemic would affect them differently compared to other family types. We also argue that the experiences and capacities gained by OFW families in coping with the challenges of maintaining transnational relations will influence the way of their response and adaptation to the pandemic that will eventually shape their family resilience in the long term.
Cognizant of the actual and potential effects of the pandemic on the members of the family and the family unit as a whole, and the unique characteristics of OFW families that can shape their experiences during the time of coronavirus, we conducted this study to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on OFW families.
Method
Research Design and Procedure
This research is a qualitative instrumental case study that examines the impact of the pandemic on four OFW families. We conducted two virtual interviews using videoconferencing applications for each family: one with the OFW member and the other with a member residing in the Philippines.
Data collection was conducted in October 2020, 7 months after COVID-19 was considered a pandemic. Since then, the Philippines had been in quarantine (ABS-CBN News, 2020). We made use of a semistructured interview guide and probing questions in order to collect in-depth information on their experiences as an OFW family during that long period of time. After transcription, we used thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2014) to analyze data from all of the eight total interviews.
The protocol of the study upholds the Philippine national ethical standards for health-related research (Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, 2017). Informed consent was secured from each participant prior to the interview. The audio and transcripts of the interviews were secured in an encrypted cloud storage. Privacy and confidentiality of the identities of the interview participants and their families were observed.
Profile of the Participants
Four families were purposively selected through the social networks of the researchers. Each family was represented by the OFW member and one left-behind member in the Philippines. No member of the participating families has contracted COVID-19. The names of the participants were changed to maintain anonymity. Aliases with “*” at the end are the OFW members.
Family 1: Andres* and Andrea
Andres* (30 years old, male) has been working as a pharmacist in Saudi Arabia for 6 years. Andrea (28 years old, female) is Andres’s wife who lives in Central Luzon (main island of the Philippines in the north), together with their 1-year-old baby and a house help. Andrea also works as a pharmacist in a local manufacturing company.
Family 2: Nicolas* and Nora
Nicolas* (42 years old, male) works as a quality assurance officer in Singapore. He had also worked in China before. Nora (43 years old, female) is Nicolas’s wife who lives in Southern Luzon. Nora is a housewife, and she lives with her two high school–aged sons.
Family 3: Lucia* and Lara
Lucia* (47 years old, female) has been a teacher in Bahrain for a year. She is single and is the eldest child of the family. She is currently the breadwinner of the family. Her family in Southern Luzon includes her elderly mother, her two brothers, and her younger sister, Lara (46 years old, female), who remained unemployed to take care of the needs of the family in the absence of Lucia*.
Family 4: Celia* and Carol
Celia* (47 years old, female) has been a domestic helper in Hong Kong since 2013. Carol (20 years old, female) is Celia’s eldest daughter, who is a college freshman. The members in their home in Northern Luzon are Celia’s husband, an ex-OFW and on-call driver, younger daughter in high school, and Carol’s 1-year-old son (Celia’s grandson).
Findings
There are three major themes that emerged from the analysis of the interviews, which we simply coded as anxious, apart, and attentive. “Anxious” refers to the worry that members feel over the conditions of their distant members because of the ongoing pandemic. “Apart” refers to the extended periods of separation between family members because of travel restrictions during the pandemic, and how these affect their plans and relationships as a family. “Attentive” refers to the way OFW and left-behind family members are still able to maintain and reframe their communication to and care for each other despite the distance during the time of COVID-19.
Anxious: Worry About the Conditions of the Distant Family Members
Participants from the four families all admit having heightened anxiety all throughout the pandemic. Unlike families who are living together in the same household, OFW families have members in different nation states and experience COVID-19 differently. This prolonged separation shapes a unique experience of anxiety among OFW families.
Andres* shares that he is worried about the health of his infant son, who is often left under the care of the house helper and in-laws when his wife Andrea goes to work. Andrea on the other hand is also concerned about Andres because OFWs like him in Saudi Arabia are asked to report to work more often compared to prior to the pandemic. She believes that this puts her OFW husband in higher risk of contracting the virus.
Nicolas* has expressed anxiety over his wife and children’s well-being. However, he is also worried about his aged parents who are living far from his immediate family as he understands that old-aged individuals have a higher risk of getting infected.
Another factor that heightens the anxiety of the OFW members over their left-behind loved ones is the concern over the high number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The OFWs perceive that the Philippine government’s response to the pandemic is unclear and uncoordinated compared to their host country. Lucia* shares: I am more worried because of the higher number of cases there in the Philippines, compared to here. Also, here in Bahrain, we know how the government is responding to and handling the COVID-19 cases. We have better awareness here. Of course, I am also worried because it is a problem everywhere in the world. But I am less worried because the COVID-19 situation there is not as serious compared to the Philippines. They have better technology that’s why you can better avoid getting infected. When the pandemic happened, there were a lot of cases in Hong Kong. My mom was not allowed to go back to the boarding house. She was asked to stay with her boss. I worried about her because she would not get some rest if she stayed there.
Apart: Disruption of Plans and Family Relations
Prepandemic, these OFW families have already established a pattern in order to maintain family social patterns despite the distance. These include planning communication and interaction times and channels and the OFW members visiting the Philippines at least once a year to physically reconnect with their left-behind members. However, because of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed because of it, many of their interactional patterns have been disrupted.
For instance, Andres* reports regular communication and visitation patterns prior to COVID-19. He and his wife Andrea would go online and talk to each other every day at 12:00 p.m. in the Philippines and 09:00 a.m. in Saudi Arabia and longer during his rest days. Also, Andres* goes home to the Philippines every August because it is his baby’s birthday. However, because of the pandemic, he could not come home because all flights are not allowed in Saudi Arabia. Andres* disclosed that he and his wife do not have consistent communication during this time because of the emergency nature of her work as a pharmacist.
On the other hand, Nicolas* was supposed to go home three times this year, but because of the travel bans, he had to rebook his tickets. The decision was difficult for him since he wanted to routinely visit his family at home to look after his children on a more personal level. He verbalizes: COVID-19 had a big effect on me. I’m supposed to be in the Philippines from July to September 2020. I really want to visit home yearly to be with family, especially our baby who is growing up without me by his side…I only see him through gadgets….
The disruptive effect of the pandemic in the lives of Lucia* and Lara is seen in several ways: First, it prevented their scheduled reunion in June 2020. Lucia* was supposed to return to the country at the end of the school year in Bahrain but was unable to do so because of quarantine restrictions. Aside from reuniting with her family, Lucia* looked forward to her annual vacation so that she would have been able to “rest and recharge” from work.
Second, the pandemic prevented Lara from finding a new job. While she and Lucia* think that being unemployed meant that Lara would be able to take care of the family’s needs more easily during quarantine, she still desires to go back to work and also help with finances like her OFW sister. Lara shares: One of the challenges is that someone has to sacrifice…I was planning to get a job, just here in the city but I was unable to because of the lockdown. Many companies closed and stopped hiring. Even if my sister is working abroad, she also needs some help [financially]…. There are a lot of challenges, such as we could not celebrate birthdays with her, special occasions. I thought she would be able to attend my Grade 12 graduation, but the pandemic happened. As early as January [2020], she was already planning to come to my graduation. My sister feels bad as well because she was not able to attend her moving up ceremonies.
Moreover, Celia* and her family experience other disruptions aside from canceled reunions. Carol shared that the online classes she had to attend to during the pandemic have interrupted her communication time with her mother. Before the pandemic, we would have more bonding time, longer conversations. Now, because of the online class, we have become very busy. Before, when my mom calls, we could talk to her at the same time. Now when she calls, I can’t be with the rest of the family….
Attentive: Monitoring and Caring From a Distance
Despite the long-standing anxieties and the disruptions brought about the pandemic, the families were able to reimagine their relationships and establish new patterns in order to express their care toward each member, regardless of being indefinitely physically separated from each other in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The four families demonstrated unique ways in how they were able to implement usual and creative measures to monitor and care for the members within and outside the Philippines.
As much as he can, Andres* communicates with his wife to remind her to follow necessary protocols to prevent getting infected with coronavirus. Andrea follows through and says that she had already developed a protective routine at home, which includes regular disinfecting, frequent showering, using masks and face shields, and avoiding outside trips unless necessary. Andrea also monitors her husband’s conditions abroad. She has established a Korean mini-mart, with the hopes of being financially stable enough so that Andres* no longer needs to work abroad and be exposed to uncertain circumstances. Andrea shares: It’s hard that Andres is far away, but our extended families help…. We always check up on each other through Facebook…. But if you ask me, I’d rather Andres stay here with us…that’s why I put up a Korean Mini-Mart, so that eventually Andres could already come back here to stay with us….
Despite being in Bahrain, Lucia* facilitates protective behaviors among her family members in the Philippines. She regularly monitors the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines due to her worry about its worse situation. In addition, she regularly checks on family members, especially her elderly mother who is considered at risk for coronavirus. Lucia* advises her on proper eating habits and healthy activities. Lucia* also reminds her working siblings to follow safety protocols while traveling. Lucia* instructs her sister Lara, who goes out to secure essential needs, not to get lax in following preventive measures against COVID-19.
Even though Celia* is far away from her family, she continues to perform the role of mother to her children, especially during the time of the pandemic. Carol and her sister confide in her virtually when they have problems. Aside from the customary reminders on protective measures, Celia* helps her two daughters in adjusting to online classes. Carol recounts: My mom is the one who understands my situation regarding online classes. Daddy doesn’t know anything about the internet and social media. So, it’s to my mom that I would rant about how difficult it is, how there are so many things to submit…. She knows better about these things than my dad although it’s dad that we are with here…. It helps that I am able to talk to mom, to become mentally stable. The intense pressure from online class has psychological effects, so it helps that I am able to express my frustrations to her.
Discussion
This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among OFW families through the experiences of four families. To our knowledge, this is the first COVID-19 study that looks into the very specific context of OFWs and their families left behind. While we believe that we were able to flesh out the specific nuances and draw out insights from the experiences of these families through a qualitative case study approach, its generalizability is limited. Nonetheless, this study informs the development of programs and interventions to address the mental health and social welfare needs of transnational families during the pandemic.
The first major thematic finding of this present study, anxious, demonstrates the heightened worry and concern that the family members feel. Because some members of OFW families live in different nation states, their anxiety is exacerbated by distance and the inability to be physically present to check the situation of family members. Also, having vulnerable members, such as the very young and very old, in the household also is a cause for higher concern. While traditional families living together only have to worry about local pandemic situations and management, OFW families have to be concerned of the COVID-19 status of another country where their other member/s reside. These specific considerations make the anxieties of OFW families more complex. The pandemic anxiety and worry over distant members are also exacerbated by the long length of time (7 months) of being separated.
This finding confirms Schneider et al. (2015) which noted that during periods of recession (such as in the time of COVID-19), family members experience an increase of daily stressors, even if they are not experiencing illness or unemployment. For OFW families, this pandemic anxiety goes on top of worrying about the social costs of members being separated from the children, siblings, and parents (Bernhard et al., 2005). Inability to be present and care for loved ones in the time of COVID-19 can be a cause of psychological distress among family members (Montauk & Kuhl, 2020).
The second major thematic finding of our research, apart, suggests that due to the pandemic, the usual family plans, patterns, and interactions of the OFW members have been disrupted, extending their time of being apart. The most common form of disruption is the cancellation of the migrant members’ visitation to and reunion with their family members in the Philippines. Also, because of the added functions of members during the pandemic, such as performing preventive measures, attending to emergencies, and engaging in online schooling, even their usual virtual transnational communication patterns have also been interrupted.
Canceled travel plans have been noted as one of the sources of stressors during the pandemic (Cleofas, 2020). Visitations and family reunions have been considered important among OFW families. Left-behind family members long for the physical presence of the migrant member, especially the parent (Uy-Tioco, 2007), which is why OFW families are disappointed about the travel restrictions. On the other hand, the disrupted communication patterns can be attributed to changes in family routines and increased caregiving burden during the pandemic (Prime et al., 2020) and the challenges brought about by online classes (Dutta & Smitta, 2020).
To reflect how family members have eventually coped with the anxiety and disruptions brought about by COVID-19, the third major thematic finding, attentive, emerged. Despite their distance and inability to reunite because of the travel restrictions, the migrant and left-behind family members were able to devise ways to monitor and attend to the needs of their distant loved ones. Through the use of internet and communications technology, the families are able to maintain intimate ties with each other and check in on the lives and health status of each member. Through technology and recreation of new interactional routines, distant members are able to help their loved ones cope with the pandemic whether through reminding members of safety protocols or providing emotional support for children engaged in online classes.
Our findings demonstrate important principles of the family resilience framework (Walsh, 2020). The families’ ability to learn from their previous stressful experiences, including the painstaking process of adjusting to migrant members being away from the family, can be used in order to care for and protect distant loved ones from COVID-19 and its consequences. Walsh (2020) asserts that resilient families are able to reconnect with and learn from the past in order to innovate their family patterns in response to the long-standing pandemic (such as the use of CCTVs and establishment of business as seen in the selected cases). Like the families in our present research, previous studies have reported the use of digital and mobile technologies in maintaining communication ties and performing transnational parenting and caregiving for family members (Uy-Tioco, 2007) to protect the well-being of members in a time of pandemic (Prime et al., 2020).
Conclusion
In the face of anxiety and disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in the past 7 months, and the distance between members, OFW families can maintain routines and create new ones especially those that protect them from the threat of coronavirus and continue caring and nurturing relationships in the face of stress. Due to limited mobility during the time of pandemic, expressions of intimacy and support are mediated by technology, which allows a number of possibilities for OFW families to be present, play their traditional roles, and mobilize the family toward becoming resilient in these difficult times.
Implications to Practice
During this time of pandemic, online counseling services are vital for families with members working in another country. These services are provided among OFWs by various agencies in the Philippines. While those who access these services find advantages such as convenience, anonymity, and less stigma, some OFW families have minor reservations about its effectiveness. Hechanova et al. (2015) suggest that the success of online counseling services among OFWs includes the counselor’s online skills, assurance of safety and privacy, using platforms and apps that clients find appropriate, and patience in establishing a virtual emphatic relationship.
Resilience is a cultural value that is inherently Filipino. During this time of uncertainty, crisis, and losses, practitioners can employ strategies to strengthen this among OFW families kept separated by the pandemic. To address this, the family resilience (Walsh, 2020) framework may be used. Helping professions can assist OFW families through providing helpful information. Practitioners can also help family members explore how they can make sense of their present, learn from their past, reorient their positive outlook, and appreciate the innovations and growth they achieved during this time.
We recommend that organizations concerned with the welfare of OFWs and their families continue to expand and strengthen telecounseling services in order to address the long-term anxiety and psychological distress brought about by the extended separation of members due to the pandemic. As family reunions are deemed important by family members, travel regulations must be carefully studied so that restrictions can be safely lifted. Future research can look into conducting quantitative studies on a larger sample of OFW families and also study OFW families with members who were infected with COVID-19.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
