Womens work and child care arrangements in the Philippines.

A close examination of mothers who have no potential substitute caregivers in their household other than their spouse or a child less than 6 years old suggests that an association exists between the availability of potential child care substitutes and an increased likelihood that the mother will work for pay or in a family enterprise. A 12-month birth cohort of about 3000 Filipino infants was used to examine the labor force patterns and child care arrangements of postpartum mothers. Focus in particular was on 12-month old infants and their mothers as by this time the labor force participation of postpartum mothers has reached its peak and stabilized. A less-detailed analysis was done of 2-month and 6-month infants. The extent to which certain types of work situations appear to be more compatible with child care than others was explored along with whether the number of hours spent in market work is associated with different child care arrangements depending on job compatibility. To do this the primary and 2nd most important caregivers in the household were identified. The study site was an area embracing the City of Cebu and surrounding rural areas of central Philippines island of Cebu. Households were surveyed between May 1 1983 and April 30 1984. Mother were grouped into work status categories along 2 main dimensions: the broad distinction between wage labor and self-employment and difference in occupational prestige or status. On the whole mothers working for pay on a time basis reported that their jobs were incompatible with child care whether they are of a professional or managerial status or a lower status (clerical sales laborer craftsperson). The professional/managers who reported a degree of compatibility were of the same occupational categories as those who reported complete incompatibility but were among those who reported living closer to home or working out of their homes. The other wage workers paid on a time basis who came home to feed mostly worked near their homes. Those workers whose regime was least structured and least well-remunerated reported high levels of compatibility with child care: self-employed and piece workers. Of the mothers who worked long hours in compatible jobs 57% of them were still the primary caregiver and provided over 75% of child care compared to only 22% of their counterparts in incompatible jobs. 70% of the mothers who worked long hours in incompatible jobs were neither the primary nor the 2nd most important caregiver for their child compared to 33% of mothers working shorter hours in incompatible jobs and only 10% who did not for pay at all.