This policy brief presents findings from the third wave of the Child Health and Migrant Parents in Southeast Asia (CHAMPSEA) project, conducted in 2023 in the provinces of Laguna and Bulacan in the Philippines. Data were collected from 823 households, including 317 Young Adult households previously surveyed in 2008 and 2016, and 506 newly sampled Young Child households. Over the 15 years of CHAMPSEA, the local context has changed significantly, with increased urbanization, declining agricultural work and infrastructure development. Migration remains to be a part of Filipino families’ livelihood strategy, driven by limited domestic job opportunities and higher wages abroad, particularly in the Gulf countries. Comparing migrant and non-migrant households, migrant households are generally smaller, with more co-residing grandparents. While female relatives, often grandmothers, take on caregiving roles when mothers migrate, fathers also step up as carers. While fathers’ migration continues to be viewed positively, attitudes toward maternal migration have become more favorable since 2008. The policy brief highlights the need for policies better addressing the social costs of migration and support for left-behind families.

CHAMPSEA Wave 3 and the CHAMPSEA-Philippines Policy Briefs were supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council Research Impact Fund (R7028-21).