The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced on September 4 through its official Facebook page the opening of the new OFW Lounge at NAIA Terminal 1, designed to provide a larger, brighter, and more comfortable waiting area for overseas Filipino workers.
According to OWWA, the facility is meant to give OFWs a dedicated space where they can relax before their flights. Access is free of charge but limited to departing OFWs who can present their Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC), passport, and boarding pass. In some cases, family members such as spouses or children may also be accommodated.
The lounge at Terminal 1—located on the 4th floor pre-departure area—was the first to be launched earlier this year, with another branch opened at Terminal 3 near Gate 7 last July 19. The Terminal 3 lounge can seat around 200 passengers, reflecting the government’s push to prioritize OFW welfare.
Inside the lounges, travelers will find comfortable seating, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, charging stations, televisions, newspapers, and free refreshments such as coffee and snacks. Plans are also underway to add rest beds, massage chairs, showers, and lockers for those facing long layovers, although no official timeline has been released.
In addition, OFWs benefit from a dedicated immigration counter at NAIA, helping them save time and avoid long queues. The initiative is part of a broader effort to make airport services more responsive to the needs of migrant workers, who are often hailed as modern-day heroes for their contributions to the Philippine economy.
