A social media post complaining about being turned away from the OFW Lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 has drawn a public explanation from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which defended a policy limiting entry to within six hours of a worker’s scheduled departure.
The post, which circulated on Facebook, described a traveler arriving at the airport around 6 a.m. and being barred from the lounge because their flight was not until 3 p.m. According to the account, staff cited a new rule allowing entry only six hours before departure, and the traveler said they were refused even when offering to leave after six hours. The writer concluded that this was why the lounge appeared empty.
In its response, OWWA acknowledged the difficulties faced by workers traveling from distant provinces who need to reach the airport early. The agency said the policy was introduced to manage limited space and ensure fairer access. It noted that the lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 can hold 216 people, while the Terminal 1 facility accommodates 140, against a daily outflow it estimated at roughly 4,000 to 6,000 departing OFWs.
OWWA said that before the policy took effect, the lounges were sometimes filled by workers arriving more than 12 hours ahead of their flights — and in some cases a day or two early — leaving those close to boarding without space. The agency said the six-hour window was meant to guarantee room for workers nearing departure, while adding that staff still try to extend consideration when space allows and a fellow worker is in need.
The agency said its lounges have served close to two million OFWs in the span of a year, which it cited as evidence of strong demand and a reason for continued expansion of the facilities. OWWA also announced that a new OFW Lounge would open this week at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The Mactan-Cebu lounge extends the agency’s network of worker facilities beyond Metro Manila for the first time, following the two existing lounges at NAIA Terminals 1 and 3.
OWWA thanked the public for the feedback, saying it helps the agency improve its programs and services for overseas Filipino workers.
