PA, PAdayon: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Single Fathers Among Barangays in Tanjay City
Keywords:
Single fathers, lived experiences, phenomenology, thematic analysis, fatherhood, coping mechanisms, Tanjay CityAbstract
A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to understand the lived experiences of single fathers who raise their children alone in chosen barangays in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental. Specifically, it involved the investigation of the everyday tasks and responsibilities, emotions, financial difficulties, and coping strategies that these single fathers have encountered as they take up the task of parenting without a mate. Semi-structured interviews were held with five purposively selected single fathers whose verbatim responses were then subjected to thematic analysis using the framework of Braun and Clarke (2006). Four primary themes were identified, namely, (1) The Issue of Handling Double Roles and Household Execution that refers to the assumption of roles and tasks as caregiver and provider such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, and procuring household needs; (2) Financial Vulnerability and Economic Resilience that relates to the financial insecurity, physical labor, money management, and informal help received to ensure family stability; (3) Spiritual Faith, Personal Determination, and Social Networks as Anchors for Coping that include prayer, resolve, and female relatives such as mothers, aunts, and siblings who help cope with stress; and (4) Paternal Growth and Resilience and Child-Centered Motivation that show how the challenges of being a single father made these fathers responsible, emotionally attached to their children, and matured as individuals. The results generated knowledge about the experiences of single fathers living in selected barangays in Tanjay City, adding to the small literature regarding single parents, specifically those single fathers in semi-urban settings of the Philippines.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Luis Miguel D. Aguilar, Rhea Shenne L. Aguilar, Mary Ryzyl A. Estrellanes, Jicky Joy S. Dunque, Mary Lyka E. Porlares, Glimmerson B. Teves, Joseph L. Torres (Author)
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