'House husbands' emerging in Phl

Manila, Philippines -  With more than 50 percent of Filipino migrants being women, a Catholic Church official hinted yesterday that more fathers or “house husbands” are left at home to care for the children and do household chores.

Fr. Edwin Corros, executive secretary of the

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant (CBCP-ECMI), said that while they do not have figures to back up this claim, it is a given that majority of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are women.

“More than 50 percent of them (migrants) happened to be Filipino women,” he said.

But he clarified that since OFWs are not classified according to their civil status, it would be difficult to determine how many of them were married and had left their families to seek employment abroad.

“Even if they say that they are married, but they did not disclose that they are separated, that can also be a problem. That’s why it’s hard to make a generalization, but it’s possible that they (house husbands) are many,” he added.

The CBCP official noted that there are more employed women than men in the country.

“Since the demand for jobs are changing, women are now more proactive in work than men,” Fr. Corros said.

But he said there is no shame in being a “house husband” since they contribute a lot to the welfare of their families by caring for the kids and doing the household chores.

“Don’t be ashamed if you are a house husband… It’s only proper for those husbands who do not have work to do their share by doing the work that is normally being done by women at home to contribute in improving their families,” he added.

He urged the children to give these “house husbands” a fitting tribute, especially this Father’s Day.