Designing A Social Protection Program For Filipino Teachers In ASEAN Countries: The Case Of Indonesia And Vietnam

Abstract

Educators are joining the exodus of Filipinos leaving behind a generation of students hungry for quality education. Yet, behind the remittances that strengthen the country's economy are the untold stories of the so-called modern-day heroes. This study delves into the lived experiences of Filipino teachers in two ASEAN countries - Indonesia and Vietnam. Through in-depth interviews, the data were gathered and analyzed employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Interviews were transcribed, and followed the six standard steps in doing thematic analysis. The researcher was guided by the research objectives, i.e., describe the common struggles encountered by Filipino teachers in two ASEAN countries (Vietnam and Indonesia); determine the coping mechanisms employed to overcome challenges; identify the programs, activities and/or initiatives being implemented by the Philippine embassy to Filipino teachers in two ASEAN countries; and, propose specific social protection program or activities for Filipino teachers in ASEAN countries. The findings revealed that the common struggles encountered by Filipino teachers in Indonesia and Vietnam are language barriers, homesickness, discrimination, students' behavior, tedious document processing and lack of programs or activities for teachers from the Philippine Embassy. The result also exhibited the coping mechanisms employed by the six participants. Programs and activities provided by the Philippine Embassy were found to be lacking. The researcher arrived at three recommendations: the online application called OGP (Overseas Gurong Pinoy) to address the challenges encountered, the "Balikbayan Retirement Plan" as a social protection program for Filipino teachers and a proposed formation of ASEAN Filipino Teachers Association (FilTA).