Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are willing to sacrifice everything just to give their family the best possible life they can give to their family.
They are called modern day heroes as an appreciation for their contribution to the country's economy but there are collateral damages inflicted on them by their overseas job. Broken parent-to-children relationships, broken marriages, children being exposed to drug abuse and teenage pregnancy, and worse, family involved in incest because the other partner is busy working overseas.
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In a report by Emil Sumangil on GMA News, "Caloy", real name withheld, the father of the victim, is doing sexual molestation on his daughter while his wife is not home. The wife is working outside the country as an OFW.
According to Police Chief Inspector Rhoderick Juan of Valenzuela Police, the suspect is doing it since his daughter was only 7 years old until his OFW wife recently discovered what he has been doing to his own daughter.
Caloy is now facing statutory rape charges in relation to child abuse.
The suspect is in deep remorse for what he did asking for forgiveness to his wife and daughter.
Chief Inspector Rhoderick Juan warned the public to be vigilant and observant to people's behavior even if they are a member of the family or living in the same roof.
We can be affectionate to our kids but w must know that there are limitations.
Filed under the category of Overseas Filipino workers, modern day heroes, economy, working overseas, overseas job, incest, drug abuse
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Incest, by definition, is sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in a consanguineous relationship (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity, stepfamily, those related by adoption or marriage, or members of the same clan or lineage.
While it can be very difficult for a family member to know if incest is occurring in the household, there are certain warning signs, said Keith Fadelici, licensed clinical social worker and the assistant director of Victims Assistance Services.
“There are no definite signs and anything on the list as an indicator is always potentially explainable in another way,” he explained. “But some of the noteworthy signs are that a child will either avoid or be very attached to that parent, that the child may act more sexual, and that a child may have either extreme fearlessness or fearfulness.”
Often, he said, young victims will respond to incest with self-injurious behavior such as drug abuse, cutting themselves or acquiring an eating disorder. These are ways that kids try to adapt to what’s happening to them, Fadelici said. Incest victims are in deep emotional pain because it is an authority figure in their life, upon whom they depend, who is victimizing them, he explained.
Incest is more likely to occur in a family where at least one parent is a stepparent, said Alan Davis, head of the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence, and it shows up far more often in homes where both parents are not the natural parents.
Incest marks its victims with traumatic and long-lasting effects, Davis said.
“They grow up not trusting, and it can be pretty devastating,” he explained. “And if the incest becomes a criminal matter, then it can be even more traumatic as the child must be interviewed by nonfamily members.”
Children younger than age 3 when they were victimized are less likely to suffer long-term effects, Davis said. In all cases, counseling and therapy should be provided.
“It’s possible to recover,” Davis said, “if you get help.”
If a parent is at all suspicious that incest is going on, it’s important to discuss concerns with the other parent.
“In homes where there is incest, there are usually a lot of secrets and a tendency to push one parent out of the picture,” Fadelici said. “We always advise people to pay attention to their gut feeling and to honor those feelings. As parents, give each other feedback and communicate openly. If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable about the other parent’s behavior, you should discuss it.”
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco also expressed alarm over a recent report regarding high numbers of children in Zamboanga becoming pregnant as a result of incest and rape.
A report that came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Julie Alipala titled “Zamboanga phenomenon: 10-yr-olds giving birth” cited alarming statistics from the local health office in the city: 3,249 teenagers gave birth in Zamboanga in 2017 (52 girls gave birth at ages 10-13; 552 at ages 14-16 and 2,645 at ages 17-19). Local health sources also said that there were 410 mothers with ages 10-14 in 2016, while 558 were aged between 15 and 16. Those who gave birth at ages 17-19 numbered 2,118.
The Inquirer report also stated that in 2017 alone, there was 126 sexually abused children in Zamboanga City. It was determined how many of these figures were victims of incest as authorities chose to categorize the cases as rape.
The Population Commission has also reported that in the Zamboanga Peninsula, five girls aged 10-14 give birth each day.Read More:
