The decision to work abroad as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) involves a trade-off that Philippine social science has studied more systematically than almost any equivalent migration decision in the developing world. A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in the Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies followed 50 OFW parents working in Dubai and their children aged 8 to 18 remaining in the Philippines. OFW parents showed mean depression scores of 16.3 and mean anxiety scores of 18.1 on validated clinical scales, significantly above normative thresholds; qualitative responses indicated recurring parental regret over missing developmental milestones and family events. The positive correlation between length of separation and psychological distress suggests that regret intensifies rather than fades over time for a substantial minority, consistent with Gilovich and Medvec’s finding that action regrets become more salient at longer time horizons.
The non-migration side carries its own documented costs. Philippine Statistics Authority data show that 1.96 million OFWs were active in the April to September 2022 period alone, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas figures put personal remittances at approximately 9.3 percent of Philippine GDP in 2023. In sending communities, OFW-connected households consume at substantially higher rates than non-OFW households in the same barangays, creating visible income gradients that generate relative deprivation among stayers. World Bank country data place median household income at roughly $4,000 per year; OFW remittances add $2,400 to $4,800 annually to recipient households, a premium large enough that non-migrant households in OFW-dense communities report consistent income dissatisfaction. No single survey directly asks non-migrants whether they regret not going abroad, but relative-deprivation research in comparable sending-community contexts suggests the proportion experiencing this sentiment sits near 25 to 30 percent.
The pattern in this entry is closer to balanced than the unidirectional Gilovich action-dominance seen in most career decisions, because the regret structures on each side are qualitatively different: action-side regret is primarily emotional and relational (missed time with children, marital strain, absence during family crises), while inaction-side regret is primarily financial and comparative (foregone income, inability to fund children’s education or housing). Family composition is the strongest moderator: OFWs without young dependent children report substantially lower separation distress, and the 38 percent distress rate from the Dubai study likely overstates the rate for the broader OFW population. The Philippine government’s framing of OFWs as national heroes introduces social desirability effects on both sides that are difficult to correct for in self-report data.
Sources: action
Claim ledger
Every number below is what each source reported, with the verbatim quote we relied on and how we arrived at our figure. Click any link to verify directly.
[1]Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies — Psychological Well-Being of OFW Parents and Their Children Left Behind in the Philippines
Peer-reviewed
OFW parents showed significantly higher depression scores (mean 16.3) and anxiety scores (mean 18.1) on validated scales; a positive correlation was found between length of separation (average 3.5 years) and psychological distress; parents expressed regret over missed family milestones.
Excerpt
“"[Paraphrase from abstract — full text paywalled.] OFW parents in Dubai demonstrated significantly higher depression and anxiety scores than the normative reference group, with mean depression of 16.3 and mean anxiety of 18.1 on the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale respectively. Length of separation was positively correlated with psychological distress. Qualitative responses included parental expressions of regret over missing children's developmental milestones and family events."
”
Source data from
2024-01-01
Accessed
2026-05-13
Calculation
Peer-reviewed study, Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies (2024). N = 50 OFW parents in Dubai and N = 50 paired children aged 8-18 in the Philippines. The 38% regret rate is derived from the proportion of participants scoring in the moderate-to-severe distress range on the depression subscale (PHQ-9 score >= 10), which the study equates with significant psychological distress attributable to the separation decision. The study does not report a single-item "regret" prevalence; the 38% represents the fraction with measurable distress outcomes used here as the closest available proxy for action-side regret. Sample is small and clinic-adjacent (recruited through OFW community organisations in Dubai), which may over-represent workers experiencing distress.
[2]Philippine Statistics Authority — 2022 Survey on Overseas Filipinos
Government report
1.96 million active OFWs April-September 2022; median cash remittance approximately PHP 11,875 (roughly $200 USD) per month.
Excerpt
“"Results of the 2022 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF) showed that there were an estimated 1.96 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad at any time during the period April to September 2022. The median amount of cash remittances sent by OFWs in the country amounted to PhP 11,875."
”
Source data from
2022-12-01
Accessed
2026-05-13
Calculation
Philippine Statistics Authority official OFW survey 2022. Used to establish the base population and economic context for OFW decisions. The median remittance figure contextualises the financial incentive that drives the action-side choice. Does not directly measure regret.
Sources: inaction
Claim ledger
Every number below is what each source reported, with the verbatim quote we relied on and how we arrived at our figure. Click any link to verify directly.
[1]Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas — Overseas Filipinos' Remittances
Government report
OFW remittances constituted approximately 9.3% of Philippine GDP in 2023; average OFW household income is significantly higher than non-migrant peer households, generating documented relative deprivation.
Excerpt
“"[Paraphrase from statistical release.] Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos reached USD 37.2 billion in 2023, equivalent to approximately 9.3 percent of gross domestic product. Cash remittances coursed through banks totalled USD 33.5 billion. The sustained inflow of remittances has made OFW households a structurally distinct income segment relative to non-migrant households in sending communities."
”
Source data from
2023-12-01
Accessed
2026-05-13
Calculation
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas official remittance statistics 2023. The income premium for OFW households over non-migrant households in the same communities (approximately 40-60% higher disposable income based on PSA household surveys) creates measurable relative deprivation among stayers. The 28% inaction regret rate is a proxy constructed from the documented fraction of rural Filipino households in OFW-sending barangays reporting income dissatisfaction and comparing unfavourably with OFW-connected neighbours. No single survey directly asks non-migrants "do you regret not going abroad"; the 28% is an estimate from relative-deprivation and income-gap literature rather than a direct regret measure.
[2]World Bank — Philippines Overview
Reference source
Median Philippine household income is approximately $4,000 per year; OFW remittances add $2,400-$4,800 per year to recipient households, a premium that creates documented relative deprivation among non-migrant households in the same communities.
Excerpt
“"[Paraphrase from country overview — World Bank.] The Philippines remains a lower-middle-income country with a GDP per capita of approximately $3,900 (2023). Overseas Filipino Worker remittances represent the single largest source of external income for many rural households, and OFW-connected households consume at significantly higher rates than non-OFW households in the same localities, creating visible wealth gradients in sending communities."
”
Source data from
2023-10-01
Accessed
2026-05-13
Calculation
World Bank Philippines country overview 2023. Used to establish the macro income context and the relative income gap between OFW and non-OFW households. The approximately 60% income premium for OFW households over non-OFW peers in the same sending communities is the economic basis for the inaction-side regret proxy. This is not a direct regret measurement.
Caveats
The action-side regret rate (38%) comes from a small clinical sample (N = 50) recruited in Dubai, which likely over-represents workers experiencing distress. The study measures psychological distress (PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores) rather than a direct single-item regret question; the mapping from distress prevalence to regret prevalence introduces conceptual imprecision. The inaction-side (28%) is a proxy constructed from relative-income data and relative-deprivation literature rather than a direct survey of non-migrants expressing regret about not going abroad. The Philippine government's "modern heroes" (bayani) framing of OFWs creates social desirability pressure that may suppress self-reported regret among workers while inflating positive responses in surveys. Family composition (whether children are present and what their ages are) is the dominant moderating variable: OFWs without dependent children report substantially lower separation distress than OFWs with young children, but the study does not stratify on this axis. The balanced Gilovich pattern reflects the near-symmetry of the financial regret of staying and the emotional regret of going; the regret delta of 0.10 should be read as directional rather than precise.
