Abstract -- Filipino migration is characterized by taking up positions abroad that conform to gender roles, while nonmigrating household members take over the duties of the absent migrant. When those duties do not conform to one’s gender... more
Abstract -- Filipino migration is characterized by taking up positions abroad that conform to gender roles, while nonmigrating household members take over the duties of the absent migrant. When those duties do not conform to one’s gender role, one is less likely to perform the duty. In the case of a mother migrating, the father (who is “traditionally” seen as the main breadwinner, but not as the primary parent) is put into a position wherein he earns less than his wife and is expected to take care of the children. However, men are also commonly considered less capable of raising children, despite communications technology having advanced so that dual parenting can still be accomplished from abroad; fathers do not have to be seen as the only parents in this situation. The stigmatization that men experience as a result of their wives migrating has a serious effect on their feelings of masculinity and is further exacerbated by the “New Heroes” national script put forward by the government, which praises migrants as saving the nation while ignoring the equal (or greater) labor carried out in their absence. This thesis, built upon fieldwork conducted in Cebu City, disputes the widespread reputation of men as incapable fathers who rely entirely upon their wives’ remittances, and advocates calling more attention to the gender- and vocation-biased praise of the New Heroes propaganda.
