Families to Mothers?—Poverty-Driven Maternal Labor, Extended Family’s Potential for Support, and Boys’ Educational Disengagement: Further Investigation in Marinduque, MIMAROPA, Southern Luzon

This chapter investigates the unintended effect of maternal labor force participation (MLFP) in rural Philippine households, focusing on its determinants and the potential for extended family support to mitigate this effect. Using data from Marinduque, the study employs empirical analyses to examine the drivers of MLFP and assess whether extended family settings can offset its unintended impact on boys’ educational time use. A bivariate probit analysis reveals that MLFP is primarily driven by economic necessity, with household poverty and insufficient fathers’ labor force participation (FLFP) compelling mothers to enter the labor market as a compensatory strategy. While MLFP sustains family livelihoods, it reduces boys’ time spent on educational activities and increases their leisure time. Extended family settings, though more common in rural areas, provide only limited relief and fail to fully mitigate the unintended effect of MLFP. These findings challenge interpretations of the unintended effect as merely causing a reversed gender disparity in education, instead highlighting how entrenched traditional gender norms continue to burden mothers while indirectly affecting boys. The chapter underscores the need for systemic policies to address household poverty, enhance employment stability, and foster equitable educational opportunities to mitigate these challenges.