The Social Reproduction of Filipina Migrant Workers Represented in Ten Filipino Films

The growing phenomenon of the Philippines’ high labor export has contributed not only to the country’s economy but also to that of countries all over the world who are receiving these migrants. With the demand for labor exports increasing, film narratives concerning overseas Filipino workers offer important insight into the experience of migrants. In particular, Filipina migrant workers (FMWs) face gendered socio-cultural constraints in their pursuit of financially supporting their families. While gender migration has been examined across various disciplines, the representation of the Filipina diaspora in mainstream contemporary Filipino films remains insufficiently explored. Thus, this study aims to determine how the narratives of Filipino women in local films in the last two decades are represented by assessing their family relationships, struggles, and opportunities. Narrative and thematic analyses were conducted by coding the ten systematically selected films to identify the emerging themes. By interpreting the descriptive representation through the lens of social reproduction theory, this study proves that many Filipina migrant workers, as providers of their families, face affected familial relationships, domestic abuse, and burdensome personal problems as a result of their migration. In particular, many FMWs in the films experienced family quarrels, rebellion, and infidelity from husbands during their stay abroad. Along with these familial burdens, FMWs experience personal conflicts caused by their new environment. Despite the challenges that they experience abroad, many FMWs believe that working overseas will benefit them in providing for their families back in the Philippines. Hence, women migrant laborers are burdened not only by their limited economic independence but also by the gendered demands they face at home. These pressures are compounded by the inherently exploitative institutional policies that govern their workplace and, consequently, their lives. Though some films represent improvement in the women’s experiences over time, findings indicate that overseas Filipina workers remain burdened by their gender-specific migration experiences due to external factors.