The provincial government of Cebu may soon host what could become the largest and most well-appointed overseas Filipino worker lounge in the Philippines, following high-level discussions between the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and local officials on expanding migrant welfare infrastructure across the region.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan led the delegation to the courtesy call with Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, accompanied by Deputy Administrator for Operations Rosalia Susana Bahia-Catapang, Deputy Administrator for Policy Development and Strategic Partnerships Ryan Vincent Uy, and other OWWA Central Office officials.
A proposed OFW Lounge at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport was among the centerpiece items on the table — one that both sides envision as a flagship facility where departing workers can rest and have a meal before heading to their overseas job sites.
Beyond the lounge, the two parties also took up the establishment of a Seafarers’ Welfare Center, a move aligned with the mandates set under the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.
The talks further covered plans for OWWA Region 7 to secure its own dedicated Regional Welfare Office, a move that administrators said would allow the agency to significantly widen the reach of its programs and services to OFWs and their dependents in Central Visayas.
Expanding the network of OFW Help Desks — extending them to satellite offices and local government unit offices across the region — was also discussed as a way to bring front-line assistance closer to workers and their families.
The Cebu discussions come as OWWA continues rolling out OFW Lounges in major Philippine airports. Facilities are already operating at NAIA Terminals 1 and 3, and one recently opened at Zamboanga International Airport. A lounge for Davao’s international airport is also under construction.
