The Roles of Gender and Education on the Intrahousehold Allocations of Remittances of Filipino Migrant Workers

Marjorie Pajaron, Stanford University

This paper adds to the intrahousehold allocation literature by incorporating migration and remittances using datasets from the Philippines. I examine whether the individual’s bargaining power within the household affects how remittances are allocated or spent. Using gender and education of household head as proxies for bargaining power, female heads with absent spouse allocate remittances more on education and health, and less on alcohol and tobacco. Male heads with migrant spouse devote more on alcohol, tobacco, and education; less on food. The allocations of male heads on education and food are consistent with the presence of the wife. Educational attainment of the head also captures heterogeneity in the allocation of remittances among male- and among female-headed households. It appears that it is the less-formally educated heads who value and allocate more remittances on education, this is true for all female-headed households and male-headed households whose wives are present.