INTRODUCTION

There are many stories about children being left behind by their parents

because of the greener pasture for their family. Because of their eagerness to give

the comfortable life for their love ones they sacrifice everything even if it is painful

to their side. Parents who work overseas assume that their kids understand fully

why they have to leave that it is for the children’s good and their future. Children

of OFWs believe their parents are working abroad to give them better food, better

education and better home.

According to Suarez-Orozco et al, 2009 and colleagues used data from

immigrant youth recently arrived in the United States from various countries of

origin to explore separation and reunification among immigrant families. They

found that children who arrived as part of a family unit were less likely to report

depressive symptoms than children whose families had been geographically

separated prior to reunification, but no significant difference separated and no

separated children on other measure. The length of separation from a parent was

not found to be associated with psychological symptoms.

Moreover, In Ghana, the large scale of transnational migration has raised

concerns about his effects on the children left-behind, such as their schooling and

health care needs (Coe, 2012). Migration has also been associated with a number

of issues affecting children’s personal and social development when they are left-

behind (UNICEF, 2009). This is because children who have one or both parents

migrating are perceived to bear the burden of the cost of migration (Smeekens et
al, 2012). According to Ansell and Young (2009) children have different levels of

acceptance in a situation where a parent or both parents migrate. In some

situations, younger children view migration as a form of neglect (Ansell and Young,

2009) Smeekens et al, 2012).

The researchers contend that the Large-scale overseas migration has

raised concerns about left-behind children, who are perceived to be most affected

by the absence of fathers, mothers both. Without their ‘real’ parents (especially

mothers) to rear and guide them, left-behind children are perceived to bear the

brunt of the social cost of migration. Although migration creates emotional

displacement for migrants and their children, it also opens up possibilities for

children’s agency and independence.

Social behavior of children can also be affected by migration of their one or

both parents. In the previous study by Battistella and Conaco (2010), children with

absent mothers ahowed poorer social adjustment and suffered impeded

psychological development but in the 2012 Scalabrini study, It showed that

children have generally adjusted socially mainly because of the strong social

support from family members and relatives.

Regardless of whether the parents are here or not, children also share some

responsibility in the household chores. Among the common chores are cleaning

the house, setting the table/washing dishes, taking care of the siblings, doing

errands, watering plants, taking care of the animals, etc. and although “migrant”
children reported experiencing difficulties and longing for their absent parents, they

also acknowledge that they learned to be more independent in the process.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to know and understand the hardship of

students, based on their life experience which their parents working abroad and

risking life just to give them better future.

This study will be conducted in Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges

located at Pioneer Avenue Cor.Roxas St. General Santos City.

Research Questions

The overall objective of this phenomenological study is to determine the life

experiences of students in which their parents working abroad.

Specifically, the researcher sought to answer the following question:

1. What are the feelings of the absence of one or both migrant parents?

2. What are the changes of your family life and family practices?

3. How you cope up the migration of one or both parents?

Significance of the Study

The researcher believes that the study will serve to be meaningful and

beneficial to the following:

Parents Working Abroad- They will be aware of all things responsibility

as a parents of their children even if they not there in their side.

 Children/Students- So that they understand their parents of what they doing

because it was all for their family.

Teacher- It will help all teachers aware for understanding the side of their

students who were having a parents working abroad.

Researchers- It can help them to widen their knowledge about feelings of

people were having that kind of issue.

Definition of Terms

Students- Is a learner or someone who attends an educational institution.

It is also denoting someone who is studying in order to enter a particular

profession.

Parents Working Abroad- It is the parents who were working abroad for

their families.
 METHODOLOGY

This section presents the research design, the role of the researcher, and

research participants to be utilized by the researchers in accumulating the data of

the study.

Research Design

In this qualitative research, the researcher will use descriptive qualitative

method specifically phenomenology. It is interested in the individual experiences

of people. It usually involves long, in-depth interviews with subjects, and

sometimes researchers will interview the same subject several times to get a full

picture of their experiences with phenomenon. (Ethan, 2015)

Role of the Researcher

Better job opportunities and higher pay overseas have urged many

Filipinos to work abroad and leave their families for years. The situation is far

from normal and is more likely to cause a huge impact on the mental and

emotional well-being of the children.

At present, the researcher, as a student, has notice about this problem of

many students have to get used to having their parents miss some of the biggest

events in their lives. It is in the light that this research was conducted to determine

the life experience of the students which their parents working abroad.

Research Participants
 Prior to conduct the study, we have already distinguished our one respondent.

The identified respondent was a Senior High School student in Ramon Magsaysay

Memorial Colleges.

We made sure that our informants were well prepared, and properly oriented

upon doing the interview.

Data Collection

In the collection of data of the study, we were guided with following

processes; Audio or video recording and taking hand written notes.

Before the Interview, the researchers oriented the respondent of what

she/he must going to do if we are started recording video. The researchers also

observed the environment and the behaviour of the respondent so that he/she will

be confident to answer our questions.

During the interview, the researchers take down notes those answer of the

respondent to their question.

Trustworthiness

To establish the trustworthiness of the study, we observed its four

components. These are the following: credibility, conformability, transferability, and

dependability.

Credibility,
Conformability,