Lived-experiences of males with OFW spouses in selected Barangays of Infanta, Quezon, Philippines
List of Authors
  • Teresita Dacillo Ruanto

Keyword
  • Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), lived-experiences, migration

Abstract
  • This study is entitled: “Lived-experiences of Males with OFW Spouses in Selected Barangays of Infanta, Quezon, Philippines. It sought to answer the following questions: 1. what are the significant experiences of males with OFW spouses, 2. what meanings do males draw from their lived-experiences, 3. what joys and challenges do males go through and how do they manage them while fulfilling their responsibilities as single-household parents, 4. what are the implications of the study to the school’s student services as an integral part of the educational process? This study is phenomenological. It describes the journey of males, a study that seeks to understand the life- situations and reality of men’s experiences. It tries to discover the experiences of males whose wives are overseas. Phenomenology is considered appropriate in identifying the “essence” of human experiences concerning a phenomenon as described by the participants of the study. The respondents in this study are called co-researchers since the study focused on the narratives (lived-experiences) of males with wives overseas including the researcher’s husband. Thematic analysis was developed from the narratives of the co-researchers then came up with essence. After exploring the lived-experiences of males, the researcher came up with an eidetic insight. The findings of the study as seen from the analyses are as follows: the significant experiences of males with OFW spouses include overwhelmed by great sense of responsibilities as single-household parent and shining moments. The meanings that males draw from their experiences signifies feeling of incapability and self-blaming, feeling of emptiness, feeling of insecurity and comfort seeking. The joys that males went through while fulfilling their responsibilities as single household parents were when they experienced attending graduation of their children, family gathering, building homes and possessed material things that boost their lives. However, males faced the challenge of being separated from their wives while fulfilling their responsibilities as a single-household parent. After exploring the lived-experiences of males with OFW spouses, the researcher concludes that the overall experiences of males with OFW spouses is negative for it makes men feel more inadequate which often results to negative consequences for the wellness of the family and therefore, it does harm to the family. The husbands developed a deep sense of remorse.

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