Overseeing From Overseas: The Role of ICT in Sustaining Parental Relationships

The study investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in sustaining parental relationships among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) families. Specifically, the study sought to determine the communication tools and its usage in terms of frequency, features and mode. It also tested any significant relationship between ICT usage and the degree of family closeness. The theories, Bowen Family Theory and the Media Richness Theory, were integrated to gather data from the purposively chosen students of Laguna State Polytechnic University with one or both parents are OFWs for at least one year. Results revealed that laptops and mobile phones are mostly used by the families as communication tools while Facebook is the most popular online platform because of the variety of features. The study also revealed a significant relationship between the perceived role of ICT tools with the degree of closeness of the family. Parents mostly initiate communication, indicating their desire to strengthen the closeness of the family. Their left-behind children, however, do not fully share details about their life, causing them to have a distant relationship. Further studies can provide more relevant information that can be used in the development of migrant workers and their families