Why I Didn’t Go Abroad To Look For Work

No, this blog is not about the recent scandal of the Santiago couple (Claudine and Raymart) that happened in NAIA 3. Anyway, a few days ago, I have watched an old Vilma Santos’ film called Anak (transliterated: Child). After watching the film, I wondered what life would be like if I left my daughter and pursue a job abroad.  Personally,  I have thought about going abroad to look for work. However, as a single mom, leaving my daughter in the care of my relatives is something that I cannot dare to do. This does not mean that I don’t trust my family to take care of her but what scares me the most is that  I won’t be around to look after her while she is growing up.    

The presence of their parents is very important as children grow up. The age 7 to 13 years old is the time when children establish their own identities based on the things that are going on in their immediate environment. Without the presence of their parents, there is a high chance that children will likely often grow up feeling inferior  than other children whose parents stay behind. This also leads to children not being attached to their absentee parents. Although working abroad presents better opportunities,  it does not always guarantee that life will get better when you work in a foreign land. On the other hand, staying at home means that your sources of income will be limited compared when you work abroad. For parents who want nothing more than what’s best for their children, it is difficult to weigh both career and family. You need to choose between the two and deal with the consequences.  In my case, I chose my daughter instead of better opportunities abroad and, even if I don’t earn too much,  I never regretted my decision.