Why do most men depend on their OFW wives?

Let's just admit the fact that women nowadays are more focused and firm in their goals of achieving what they really want for their families. On the other hand, we should not generalize still. Though there are those who perfectly suit your description, there are still those who play their parts amazingly and quite impressively. Yes, we all know that, generally, men are not raised and trained to be in charge of the household. Also, taking charge of the household is not an easy task. So in such cases wherein the wife decides to work overseas, I must say it is not only the wife who is making sacrifices. More efforts, hardships and sacrifices can be expected on the part of the husband who is left in charge of the family. Aren't they called now as househusbands? :-)

I think this happens because majority of our male Kababayans don't have much that education and credentials required for employment abroad, majority of overseas placements are domestic helpers that are offered only for women, and not for men. But don't worry, soon there will be more opportunities available for men.

I for one have a very personal experience on this and its so depressing to watch, not only husbands but the typical settings now a days is that the entire family depends on a member who works abroad, they still have this mentality that the member is living like a queen in a far away land but the fact is otherwise. the possible start of this habit is when a woman decides to work abroad which is easy and abundant, the husband volunteers to stay behind and look for the kids with best intentions but afterwards feels weak to remain faithful and indulge himself with vices that he taught can ease the pain of being far apart. others are just plainly shameless person that does not have the reservation of self pride and honor.

i do not know, really, but it saddens me as well. i often hear news about female OFWs maltreated overseas...you see, if only those OFWs are male, there are less chances they'll get abused.

I agree with the post above. I don't know many guys like that, actually I don't know any guy like that. But I know lots of OFW guys, most of them are sea man. But yes I'm sure there are those kinds of people too, but not that many. =) If you ask me I think it's ok for others if their wives have to work abroad as long as the husband is taking care of his family.

Using the word "most" is a bit over-the-top don't you think? My brother and his wife both work to sustain their family and they plan on going abroad together to work. Maybe you should rephrase your question to "Why do most men I KNOW depend on their OFW wives?" That would be most appropriate and it won't really offend most men who work hard for their families.

I call it women power where before the wife would just sit back, cry and just pray for things to get better. Now, they have a chance to make their lives and the lives of their children better by earning more than their husbands. More often than not, these husbands even have the guts to have extra marital affairs while their wives are working abroad.

Well I do not want to sound like pro men in here but I guess times have change nowadays. Since women lib started early last century job opportunities that men usually exclusively took are mostly taken over by women nowadays. I think there are more opportunities available now for women than for men. Take that for example in the office I work you can count the men employees than with the women working in my office. I am just fortunate I guess being hired in my work. But this office of mine is predominantly taken over by women than men. But I beg to disagree that most men are relying on their wives to work for them. I seldom see families that are like that in my place. I see most families worked together meaning husband and wife works and help each other and this is the common arrangement right now and is practical thing to do because it really is hard to let the husband work alone to provide for the family. Seldom do I see that women stay at home because of the hard times wives look for job since opportunities can be more hospitable for her than him.

We have different views at the same time, we know people with different background. It is true (partially) that men are more likely to depend on their wives who work abroad, this case happens because most of the "undergrad work" are for women that's why they work as "DH" abroad. Most of the time, men do depend on their wife's support since HE will be obliged to replace her as MOTHER/FATHER of the family. So, the men will usually do the chores his wife used to work for them. Sad but true, many men (more prone to temptation) will not use the money wisely. This case also happens to MEN working abroad.

Those kinds of husband are morons who don't have a life, and who aren't even man enough to take care of their wife and kids. I wouldn't mind being the OFW wife who provides for the family if I knew my husband was doing something useful with his life. But in the situation wherein the husband is in perfect health condition and has at least an average level of IQ with a normal mental capacity and yet , it's the wife who does all the earning for the family's survival, I think that's a very good ground for the wife to leave her husband and find a new one, or she's better off alone. LoL.

sweethums, this might be a topic close to your heart. I do hope that I don't get to hurt you. But the topic had become a worldwide phenomenon. Even in the United States, the number of fathers staying with home with the kids while the mothers work as nurses in Afghanistan had become an ordinary scenario. In the Philippines, we just have to get rid of that notion that the fathers left behind can do anything with the money his wife sends him for the family. I know for one a father who lies down on his stomach at the Blessed Sacrament so that God will keep his wife safe abroad. And he sees to it that his two boys are healthy and well.

Well about this issue this happened because maybe now a days we believe that men and women are already equal.Maybe when we still living in that world that we believe that girls should stay at home and boys will be the one to work this will not happened. But we rather accept that now a days its more different,We cannot criticize other husband why they choose to stay at home and their wives are the one working.Some husbands are the one taking care of their kids while their wife is working in another country. But it's another story also if he just waste the money in gambling and using it in another girl,it's not acceptable.They must know that in another country money are not just pick under the apple tree.

I dont think men like that, but because of circumstances like the husband unable to find a job, but the wife applied and got accepted for a job overseas...Then the family must make some very tough decisions and usually what happens will be wife will go in other country to work while husband gets left behind to assume the duty as housekeeper, taking care of their children and doing all the budgetting and management of home.

hello there! personnaly i have meet people with this kind of scenario where the mother/father is away and the other partner stays with the kids. most but not all have this attitude of not using the money well, well in both perspective both gender has the ability to show such negative attitude. for men, they usually have vices like smoking and drinking and so they waste much of their money on it as for the women they use to spend and waste their money in buying unrelevant things or spending too much for personnal gain. both can be subject to cheating and thats a fact. with regard to men depending on their wives, well it depends. most of this people havent gone to school and so its hard for them to find a god work. but since being a domestic helper doesnt need a strict educational background and women are commonly in need thats why they go leaving the kids with their father. fathers on the other hand has to take care of the kids and if only given the chance and oppurtunity like extra money those fathers with good intention will help. and those with not? well i just dont know what they are going to do, its attitude and its hard to change if the person is not willing to do so. happy mylotting =)

This applies to thos men who don't work at all and rely on their wives who are abroad. I think they should get up and try to get jobs to at least help their wives out. But if their reasons are valid, say like they'd rather stay home and take care of their kids, then I think it's not an issue to criticize on.

I am not sure with your statistics. Personally, I do not have a friend or an acquaintance in that kind of situation although I am sure there are families whose mother is working abroad as the sole breadwinner. My mother was an OFW more than a decade ago but my father worked here in the Philippines too. He was not a househusband. I do know that there is a growing number of women working abroad mostly because times have changed. In the medieval period, women were not expected to be breadwinners. Nowadays, the world is more practical and whoever can earn more would usually make that sacrifice for the family. I would suppose that Filipino women are more willing to do the hard work because mothers are usually willing to humiliate themselves and work menial jobs just so her children will have everything they need. I am not saying that men are not capable of this sacrifice, but mostly it is women who will hold several jobs just to send more money to the family. It is indeed sad that there are men who think that they are boy toys and are willing to let their women work abroad and not contribute to the good of the family and even gamble away the money sent by their wives. But this is not exclusive to men as there are wives with OFW husbands who are capable of this too.

Its a shame on such men who live on their wife's income. I have not seen such a thing in India. in India men are the bread winners and some men are so posessive that they dont let their wives work...but only at home. But the trend has now changed...earlier wome used to be at home...now both of them work to support their family.

well i dont know. i have a filipino friend that said it is a shame for filipinos if is the girl paying for stuff and things like that. anyway i dont think that they should wait for their wives money. they should also contribute with something. maybe they should both work men and women and wouldnt exist those confusions. anyway for a guy the most part they wouldnt do that i think, stay home and they work. my pinoy online friends the most part work^^