Family Dynamics in Filipino Transnational Families: The Role of Non-Migrant Mothers

Abstract

Since the 1970s, large-scale Filipino migration has led to the formation of Filipino transnational families. This affects family stability and interpersonal relationships.. The crucial role of non-migrant mothers in sustaining family cohesion often remains overlooked. Addressing this gap, this study explores the roles of non-migrant mothers in maintaining family cohesion in Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) families, and the dynamics of communication and emotional support between Filipino non-migrant mothers, children, and their OFW husbands. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 non-migrant mothers with OFW husbands, the findings highlight how mothers maintain a sense of familyhood. The study shows that non-migrant mothers act as moral gatekeepers, embodying ideals of intensive motherhood within traditional Filipino family values to avoid social scrutiny and adhere to expectations of maternal responsibility. Beyond caregiving, they also serve as mediators in the father-child relationship, facilitating their husbands' symbolic presence and enabling migrant fathers to remain influential figures in their children's lives. However, this mediating role simultaneously reproduces mediated patriarchy. By sustaining the father's authority from afar, non-migrant mothers enable forms of surveillance over daily family life and financial management that extend beyond migrant fathers' direct involvement in co-parenting. At the same time, mothers frequently assume co-provider roles, though their capacity to do so varies – from survival-level contributions to strong economic participation – reflecting differences in socio-economic positioning. How mothers make sense of their labor force participation and financial contributions, in turn, shapes their perceived authority within the family vis-à-vis their OFW husbands. The study further underscores the contradictory role of transnational communication. On one hand, it is essential for emotional connection and interactional adjustment, helping preserve a sense of familyhood across distance. Positioned at the center of OFW families, non-migrant mothers function as key conduits between migrant fathers and children. On the other hand, particularly in households where mothers are full-time caregivers, transnational communication can reinforce mediated patriarchy by sustaining paternal oversight. Grounded in family systems theory, this study highlights the indispensable yet ambivalent role of non-migrant mothers in maintaining family cohesion within Filipino transnational families.