Questions · OFW families
Questions for OFW families, for the call and for the homecoming
When a parent works abroad as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker), the nightly video call is often the whole family life for months at a time. These questions help the call be about more than “nakakain na ba kayo?” and the next padala.
- 17 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
What kind of message from me makes you feel close to me when we are apart?
Anong klaseng message mula sa akin ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na close pa rin tayo kahit magkalayo?
Distance does not always need constant contact. Sometimes one thoughtful message can help you feel connected again.
Hindi laging constant contact ang kailangan kapag magkalayo. Minsan isang thoughtful na message lang, nakakatulong nang maramdaman ulit ang connection.
The questions
17 questions for OFW parents, partners and kids
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
For the nightly call
5 questions
Short enough for a call squeezed in after a shift.
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What word would describe your week so far?
Anong word ang babagay sa week mo so far?
Back of the card
Sometimes one word is enough to begin. Naming the week can help you notice what your heart has been carrying.
Minsan sapat na ang isang word para makapagsimula. Kapag napangalanan mo ang week mo, mas nakikita mo kung ano ang bitbit mo.
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Name one small part of today that felt okay.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na part ng araw mo na okay naman.
Back of the card
An okay moment still counts. It does not have to fix the whole day to be worth noticing.
Bilang pa rin ang okay na moment. Hindi niya kailangang ayusin ang buong araw para mapansin mo siya.
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Which part of the day usually feels easiest for you?
Anong part ng araw usually pinaka-madali para sa'yo?
Back of the card
Some people come alive in the morning, some at night, and some during one quiet pocket in between.
May taong buhay na buhay sa umaga, may gabi ang favorite, at may isang tahimik na part lang sa gitna na hinihintay.
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Which part of your day do you look forward to?
Anong part ng araw mo ang inaabangan mo?
Back of the card
The part you look forward to can be a clue. It shows where your day still gives you a little life.
Clue din yung part na inaabangan mo. Ipinapakita niya kung saan may konting buhay pa sa araw mo.
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While waiting for food, a ride, or someone late, how do you pass the time?
Habang naghihintay ng pagkain, sasakyan, o late na tao, paano mo pinapalipas yung oras?
Back of the card
Waiting brings out our tiny survival styles. Some people scroll, some observe, and some start making stories in their head.
Lumilitaw yung tiny survival style natin kapag naghihintay. May nag-scroll, may nag-oobserve, may gumagawa na ng kwento sa isip.
So the distance feels smaller
5 questions
Messages, photos and the ordinary time you miss.
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What kind of message from me makes you feel close to me when we are apart?
Anong klaseng message mula sa akin ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na close pa rin tayo kahit magkalayo?
Back of the card
Distance does not always need constant contact. Sometimes one thoughtful message can help you feel connected again.
Hindi laging constant contact ang kailangan kapag magkalayo. Minsan isang thoughtful na message lang, nakakatulong nang maramdaman ulit ang connection.
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What could you and a faraway friend enjoy doing together online?
Kung nasa malayo ang friend mo, ano ang puwede ninyong gawin online na pareho ninyong mae-enjoy?
Back of the card
Choose a little ritual to start it: the same greeting, the same song, or your own idea.
Puwedeng may nakasanayan kayong panimula: parehong bati, parehong kanta, o sarili ninyong ideya.
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What kind of message from a friend is easy for you to reply to?
Anong message mula sa friend ang madali mong sagutin?
Back of the card
You could write an example with no names or real chat details.
Puwede kang gumawa ng halimbawa na walang pangalan o detalye ng totoong chat.
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Who do you wish you could spend more normal, no-special-plan time with?
Sino yung gusto mong makasama nang mas madalas, kahit walang special na lakad?
Back of the card
Ordinary time can build closeness slowly. Not every good moment needs an occasion.
Nakakabuo rin ng closeness ang ordinaryong time. Hindi lahat ng magandang moment kailangan may special na lakad.
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If your old phone could save only one, would you keep the photos or the messages?
Kung isa lang ang mase-save sa lumang phone mo, photos o messages ang ititira mo?
Back of the card
Imagine giving the saved memories a title. No need to show any photos or messages.
Isipin na bibigyan mo ng pamagat ang natirang mga alaala. Hindi kailangang magpakita ng photos o messages.
When they finally come home
5 questions
For the first dinner of the vacation, and the plans after.
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Design a celebration just for you. What would make it feel special?
Magplano ng celebration para sa sarili mo. Ano ang magpapaspecial dito?
Back of the card
Which part of the celebration would you happily repeat the next day?
Aling bahagi ng celebration ang masaya mong uulitin kinabukasan?
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Picture meeting an old friend after a few years. What would you want to do together first?
Isipin na nagkita kayo ng dating friend makalipas ang ilang taon. Ano ang una mong gustong gawin ninyo?
Back of the card
You could begin with the most ordinary thing you used to do together.
Puwedeng magsimula sa pinakasimpleng dati ninyong ginagawa nang magkasama.
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What food is hard for you to say no to?
Anong pagkain ang hirap mong tanggihan?
Back of the card
Food answers can be light, but they usually carry a little story: comfort, habit, craving, or someone who introduced it.
Light lang ang food answer, pero madalas may kasamang kuwento: comfort, habit, craving, o taong nagpakilala nito sa'yo.
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Which small plan are you looking forward to?
Anong small plan ang nilu-look forward mo?
Back of the card
Looking forward to something simple can help a week feel kinder. Small plans are allowed to matter.
Nakakagaan ng week kapag may simpleng nilu-look forward. Puwedeng maging mahalaga kahit maliit na plan lang.
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What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks?
Ano ang inaabangan mo sa susunod na mga linggo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "The part I cannot wait for is..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Ang pinaka-inaabangan ko ay..."
When the call goes quiet
2 questions
For the parent abroad and the spouse holding the house together.
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Share something you wish people understood about your life lately.
Ikuwento ang gusto mong maintindihan ng mga tao tungkol sa buhay mo lately.
Back of the card
You can keep this general or pass. Which part of your day would help someone understand your answer?
Puwedeng general lang o mag-pass. Anong part ng araw mo ang makakatulong para maintindihan nila ang sagot mo?
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Name something you are carrying this week that people may not notice.
Magsabi ng isang bitbit mo this week na baka hindi napapansin ng iba.
Back of the card
Not every weight is visible. Being honest about what you carry can make the load feel less unnamed.
Hindi lahat ng bigat nakikita. Kapag honest ka sa bitbit mo, kahit hindi agad gumaan, hindi na siya sobrang labo.
How to use them
Before you ask
A good question for an OFW family is one a nine-year-old and a parent finishing a twelve-hour shift in Riyadh or Hong Kong can both answer in a minute. Calls are short, the connection drops, and the person abroad often ends up asking the same three things every night because they are tired and afraid of missing something.
Rotate the questions instead. One small one each night (the easiest part of the day, what everyone is looking forward to) builds a picture of ordinary life that “okay lang po” never gives. Save the bigger ones for a weekend call, and keep a few for the first dinner when the parent comes home.
The cards come in Tagalog and English, which suits OFW families well: kids in the Philippines can read the Filipino, a parent can answer in whichever language the day has left them, and families who have settled abroad together can use either.
Good for
Tips
- Let the kids pick tonight’s card. It gives them something to bring to the call besides homework.
- Answer it too, from abroad. Kids want to know what a normal day looks like where you are.
- Don’t save every call for problems. A light question first makes the hard news easier to share later.
- Screenshot the funny answers. They make good wallpapers during the long stretches.
- For the homecoming, plan one ordinary day, not just the big outing.
Decks for this
OFW families
Frequently asked questions
What can an OFW parent talk about with their kids on video calls?
Small, specific questions work better than “how was school?”: the easiest part of the day, a word for the week, what they’re looking forward to. One new question per call gives you a real picture of their life over time.
How do OFW families stay close?
Regular, short calls with real questions, messages that share ordinary moments, and planning the homecoming together. Families say the everyday details matter more than long weekly calls.
What does OFW mean?
OFW stands for Overseas Filipino Worker: a Filipino working abroad, often on a contract, while family stays in the Philippines. Nurses, seafarers, domestic workers, engineers and caregivers are among the many OFWs.
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