Dr. Kathryn Tan, assistant chief of the acute female division of the National Center for Mental Health, expressed her opposition on OFWs bringing their children to their country of work. She claims that it would essentially give their children a revamped life, stripped away of the society, life and culture they grew up with.
“You’re tearing them away from their home country, from their friends, from their relatives, from their comforts, and you’re transferring them to another continent with different people, exposed to racism, different language, different culture. It’s culture shock,” she said. She further adds that if these adjustments are not achieved, these could sometimes lead to absence in school, promiscuity, substance abuse, leading to depression.
The children’s studies will also be greatly affected as they will definitely have to deal with lessons that are believed to be much different from the Philippines. These statements were made at a forum tackling the effects of migrant labour to Filipino children.
“Ang naging isang problema nila ay yung pagaaral sapagkat hindi valid yung klase ng edukasyon na ibinibigay dito pag nakakarating na sila sa [ibang bansa],” Tan said.
Resource speaker, Fr Benny Tuazon, a parish priest at St. Anthony Parish, reminded OFW to spend more time with their children, or better yet, “seek employment in the country.”
Source: GMA News