Título
Munting-mukha ng pangingibang-bayan (facet of migration): Transnational parenting experiences among Filipino fathers in Portugal
Autor
Vigil, Raffy C.
Resumo
en
With the advent of the ever increasing, persisting, developing and becoming more complex
migration phenomenon, labour migration in particular, its widening and thriving consequences
are also notably uncovering. Transnational parenting, being one of the products of migration, has
been one of the concentrations of the current studies related to global migration in which this
research has also rooted its inspiration.
This qualitative research which employed grounded theory approach explored and delved on the
lived and distinct transnational parenting experiences of eight Filipino fathers in Portugal who
have children left-behind in the Philippines. The primary aims and objectives, which are also the
strengths of this study, were to empirically discover a facet of transnational parenting
phenomenon involving Filipino fathers and attempt to cull out potential theoretical perspectives
or model in keeping with the prescriptions of the used research approach.
In the final analysis, seven themes emerged highlighting the realities of these fathers’
transnational parenting experiences concerning their 1) perceptions about the meaning of
parenting, 2) deep desire to support the needs of their children back home and help them prepare
for their future, 3) general desire for better living condition, 4) performed long-distance
parenting (LDP) roles, 5) benefits of communication technology, 6) ways and means of
overcoming the challenges accompanied in performing LDP roles and lastly, 7) preference for
closer proximity type of parenting. The connections found on these empirical evidences provided
an opportunity to frame a theoretical model which the researcher coined, “The laddering forces
on transnational parenting” that is unique to the experiences of the participants but can be a
promising reference to help understand similar cases in the area of transnational parenting
markedly among Filipino parents across the globe. One of the highlights found in the model is
one paradox that in spite that the emerged themes tend to increase possibility of strengthening
adherence to performing transnational parenting among Filipino fathers, it has been articulated as
well that they still have preference for closer proximity mode of parenting (in which they are in
close physical contact with their children while doing their parenting roles) on two main factors;
Filipino culture/family values (a given factor) and longing for better economic/living condition
in general (longed factor) notwithstanding the location of performing parenting roles.