Overseas Filipino workers passing through Clark International Airport will soon have a dedicated space to rest before their flights, following an agreement signed on July 21, 2026 between the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corporation.
The facility, set for Terminal 2, will become the fourth OFW Lounge operated by OWWA at a major international gateway in the country. It joins existing lounges at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1 and 3 and at Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Formal operations are expected to begin on September 16, 2026. Once open, the lounge will let departing workers eat, rest, and seek help before starting their trips abroad.
The signing was led by OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan and LIPAD President and Chief Executive Officer Noel F. Manankil. Under the terms, OWWA will run the lounge, while LIPAD provides the physical space and support needed to keep operations safe and uninterrupted.
Services at the lounge will be free. Workers will be able to obtain food and drinks, process OWWA membership, request welfare assistance, and get details on the agency’s programs and benefits while waiting to fly.
Caunan tied the project to a standing directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to build dedicated OFW Lounges across the country’s main international airports, giving Filipino workers secure and comfortable areas ahead of departure.
She framed the effort around the long journeys many workers make just to reach the terminal.
“Alam naming marami sa ating mga OFW ang bumibiyahe pa nang ilang oras bago makarating sa paliparan. Pagdating nila sa Clark, gusto naming may lugar silang makaupo, makapagpahinga, makakain, at makahingi ng tulong kung kailangan. Hindi nito mababawasan ang sakripisyo ng paglayo sa pamilya, pero maipapakita nito na bago pa man sila lumipad, may gobyernong nagmamalasakit at naghahanda para sa kanila.”
