This film tells the tale of a Filipino family struggling with a very real situation of having a family member working overseas in order to make ends meet. This issue hits close to home for me, as I have a few relatives that are in this same situation, working in the U.S. and elsewhere to send money to family back in the Philippines. In this movie, the problem of having an alienated family member is exacerbated by the death of the main character's husband. Josie (the mom) returns to the Philippines to find that her older children have grown up without her and that their relationships may have been irreparably harmed by her years spent abroad working to provide for them. The acting and some of the scenes were very strong and emotional and I felt really bad for what the characters were going through.
I would like to discuss the main character Josie, and her decision to work overseas. In one scene, she refers to herself and her OFW (overseas Filipino worker) friends as the heroes of their time. She is indeed a hero in my book, as she has suffered greatly for the benefit of her family. She also does a great job in exposing the unfair characterization of her and other female OFW's from people that stand in judgment of their decision to work abroad. In one scene, she questions why a man is revered for working to provide for his family, yet a woman is scorned for doing the same and she is admonished for abandoning her children and other family duties (more or stronger traditional gender roles in the Philippines probably).
The film is a great example of the hardships that families must face when a family member (especially a parent) has to work overseas in order to send money home to support them. This is a big issue in the Philippines as over 2 million people work overseas in order to do just that (Caguio and Lomboy, 2014). The movie illustrates the suffering of the laborers having to work for people in almost slave like conditions, where the employer has all of the power, even controlling the passport of the worker and locking her in the house, so she can't leave without their say so. This is more than exploitation, this is illegal servitude. The movie also brings to light the possible outcomes of the children left behind when a parent leaves to work overseas. Feelings of abandonment, and loss, can lead the children to seek out other options to fill the void of emptiness left behind when a parent leaves. The character of Carla (daughter) has her vices (alcohol, sex, and drugs) to fill her time and numb her pain. She does not wait around to be abandoned anymore; in fact she is empowered by leaving her boyfriends at a moment's notice, stating that she would rather be the one leaving than be the one being left behind. Of course, the main issue is the economy that necessitates the leaving of the OFW's. Pervasive poverty and the poor economic situation in the Philippines cause many to leave their homeland. If not for the hard conditions and lack of employment at home, the OFW's would not have to leave in the first place.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie and have learned a lot about the plight of OFW's and the families they leave behind.
Caguio, R., & Lomboy, O. (2014). Understanding How Overseas Filipino Workers Engage on National Issues in Pinoy OFW Facebook Page. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 155, 417-421. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.315 Santos-Concio, C.; DeGuzman, M.; Lasaten, J. (Producers), Quintos, R. (Director). (2000) Anak Motion Picture. Philippines: Star Cinema Films
I would like to discuss the main character Josie, and her decision to work overseas. In one scene, she refers to herself and her OFW (overseas Filipino worker) friends as the heroes of their time. She is indeed a hero in my book, as she has suffered greatly for the benefit of her family. She also does a great job in exposing the unfair characterization of her and other female OFW's from people that stand in judgment of their decision to work abroad. In one scene, she questions why a man is revered for working to provide for his family, yet a woman is scorned for doing the same and she is admonished for abandoning her children and other family duties (more or stronger traditional gender roles in the Philippines probably).
The film is a great example of the hardships that families must face when a family member (especially a parent) has to work overseas in order to send money home to support them. This is a big issue in the Philippines as over 2 million people work overseas in order to do just that (Caguio and Lomboy, 2014). The movie illustrates the suffering of the laborers having to work for people in almost slave like conditions, where the employer has all of the power, even controlling the passport of the worker and locking her in the house, so she can't leave without their say so. This is more than exploitation, this is illegal servitude. The movie also brings to light the possible outcomes of the children left behind when a parent leaves to work overseas. Feelings of abandonment, and loss, can lead the children to seek out other options to fill the void of emptiness left behind when a parent leaves. The character of Carla (daughter) has her vices (alcohol, sex, and drugs) to fill her time and numb her pain. She does not wait around to be abandoned anymore; in fact she is empowered by leaving her boyfriends at a moment's notice, stating that she would rather be the one leaving than be the one being left behind. Of course, the main issue is the economy that necessitates the leaving of the OFW's. Pervasive poverty and the poor economic situation in the Philippines cause many to leave their homeland. If not for the hard conditions and lack of employment at home, the OFW's would not have to leave in the first place.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie and have learned a lot about the plight of OFW's and the families they leave behind.
Caguio, R., & Lomboy, O. (2014). Understanding How Overseas Filipino Workers Engage on National Issues in Pinoy OFW Facebook Page. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 155, 417-421. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.315 Santos-Concio, C.; DeGuzman, M.; Lasaten, J. (Producers), Quintos, R. (Director). (2000) Anak Motion Picture. Philippines: Star Cinema Films