This work has not been peer reviewed by the University of the Philippines Rainbow Research Hub or its project members. The views expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Hub or its project members.
2026 Philippine Queer Studies Conference
POSTER PRESENTATION
Rainbows across borders: Psychosocial support experiences and views of Ilocano lesbian and gay tagasalo working overseas
Julianne D. Formacion, Mary Joi C. Abang, Jairus F. Barlaan, Kristal Joy B. Subadi, and Chester Alan R. Merza, RGC, RPsy, RPm
Tagasalo is a Filipino term that refers to the catcher of responsibilities at home. This study explored the experiences and views of psychosocial support of Ilocano lesbian and gay tagasalo working overseas. Participants were self-identified lesbian and gay individuals aged 30-35 years old. They are tagasalo and OFW for two (2) years and above, and they were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. An online interview was conducted to gather data, and the results were subjected to thematic analysis and investigator triangulation. Findings show that the experiences of emotional, social, financial, and spiritual support meaningfully reshaped their views of psychosocial support as customary, where seeking support is normal, unwarranted, where asking for support is not needed, instinctive, where support should not be deliberately sought, but instinctively given, and situationa,l where seeking support applies to specific situations such as decision making. It suggests that seeking support is a basic part of the human experience, especially in the Filipino collectivist lens. However, as tagasalo, self-reliance or the concept of agwayas in Ilocano culture is also a determining factor of not seeking support.
