An overseas Filipino worker has renewed calls for airport authorities to revisit the Philippines’ terminal fee refund system, saying the shift to automatic digital refunds has left many OFWs without the P550 they are legally exempted from paying.
The worker, who shared his experience while preparing for his flight, recalled the earlier setup in which exemptions were processed on the spot. He said that years ago, claiming the refund required nothing more than clearing airport security and presenting a boarding pass. “Previously, after security check, pipila lang bawat OFW, show the boarding pass, then they get the P550 refund in cash,” he said.
The exemption itself is not new. Under rules implemented by the Manila International Airport Authority and TIEZA, OFWs holding valid OECs or OEC-Exemptions have long been entitled to terminal fee waivers. The amount was later integrated into airline ticket prices, with refunds issued afterward for eligible workers. But despite the system overhaul, agencies have repeatedly acknowledged that significant sums—estimated in past reports as hundreds of millions of pesos—remain unclaimed.
The OFW said the more modern, automatic-refund setup only created new complications. “Pag thru credit card ang purchase ng ticket eh sa credit card na din ang refund,” he explained, noting that this becomes a problem when employers shoulder the airfare. According to him, refunds now end up in the company’s account instead of the traveler’s, even if the exemption was meant specifically for OFWs.
He added that his own tickets were charged to a corporate card under his name, yet he has never received any returned amount. “Wala naman napupuntang refund kasi in my case I use a company credit card under my name. Never pa may nabalik na refund,” he said.
Past advisories from government websites mention that refunds are processed through airlines or airport counters, depending on how the ticket was purchased. But the worker said repeated attempts to seek help have gone nowhere. “I tried to reach out sa DMW and POEA but wala po nangyayari,” he said.
He believes the losses are either due to system lapses or mishandling. “I think it is a form of corruption either sa airline or kung sino man sa gov. Kung hindi man corruption, the benefit of each OFW is being denied. So injustice din,” he said.
Reports in recent years have highlighted how many OFWs fail to reclaim the amount, often because refund procedures are unclear or because airlines automatically route the money back to payment accounts that workers cannot access. The OFW said the impact is most visible among first-time migrant workers who expect the exemption and feel anxious when nothing is returned. “Lalo na yung first timer, mahahalata mo na helpless sila. Kawawa po,” he said.
For him, the issue is not merely about the amount but about respect for entitlements meant to support Filipinos leaving to work abroad. “Sayang din ang 550, pang kape or dagdag pang meryenda,” he said.
