OFW lounges may stop services due to Owwa budget cut
A service offered to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as a gesture of gratitude for being the country’s “modern-day heroes” may stop in 2026 due to the budget cut suffered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan told lawmakers on Friday.
During the hearing of the House committee on appropriations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Agimat party list Rep. Bryan Revilla asked Caunan about the status of the OFW Lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
In response, Caunan said the Alagang Owwa Fund had no sufficient funds to support the operation next year of the OFW Lounges.
There are lounges operating at Naia Terminals 1 and 3. They are open 24/7 to provide Filipino workers leaving the country a comfortable waiting area, food, charging stations and Wi-Fi connectivity.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, if we follow the P142-million allocation in the NEP (National Expenditure Program), then we cannot continue the level of service that we’re giving our OFWs for not even one of the lounges. Mr. Chair, these lounges operate 24/7,” Caunan said.
“That’s why it’s important for us that the Alagang Owwa Fund be augmented, because this is not a contingent, it is a direct assistance for our OFWs and their families,” she added.
Sleeping quarters
According to Caunan, the OFW Lounge at Naia Terminal 3 is a dedicated space for OFWs who need to arrive hours ahead of their flights. She said the lounge has sleeping quarters for those who wanted to rest. Assistance counters are also available in the lounges to help answer queries of OFWs, especially first-time travelers, about matters related to their trip.
“We have also built sleeping quarters, Mr. Chair, because there are people who arrive at the airport early in the morning but their flights are either in the afternoon or at night. Through these amenities, we believe that they can feel that they are being afforded the services fit for our modern-day heroes,” she said.
“In fact, we received feedback that they find the ‘serbisyo’ counters of the Owwa and DMW very helpful, Mr. Chair, because if they are first-time travelers, they are not yet accustomed to the processes. We consider this our last contact point before their flight,” the Owwa chief said.
Caunan said the Owwa wanted to establish more lounges in other airports that many OFWs use, like the Clark International Airport in Pampanga province and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu province. These plans, however, would have to be supported by additional funding.
“People are happy with these lounges because, of course, they thought this treatment is exclusive to business class passengers. And this is how we treat our OFWs, this is how we should treat them,” Caunan said.
Hearing these, Revilla asked the panel to restore the full DMW and Owwa proposed budget for 2026. Under the NEP, DMW and Owwa are getting a combined P10.2 billion for 2026, but Revilla said this allocation was, ironically, lower than the P2.2 trillion worth of remittances brought in by OFWs in 2024.
Safe space
“Let that sink in. What our OFWs contribute in a single year is over 215 times larger than what we propose to invest in the very institutions mandated to protect and serve them,” Revilla said.
“Instead of slashing Owwa’s budget, we should be expanding and improving these lounges—especially in our major international airports. These facilities are not just rest areas; they are vital sanctuaries for OFWs in transit or in distress, shielding them from exploitation and giving them a safe, dignified space to rest and regroup,” he added.
Revilla also lamented during the hearing that DMW employees, including those in job order positions, had been forced to buy their own equipment due to the agency’s budget shortage.
“They hold the line while millions [of people] depend on them,” he said. “These are not luxuries. These are essentials that directly impact how well we protect and serve our OFWs.”
Economic contribution
“If our OFWs can carry the torch of our nation through the darkness of distance and years of longing, then surely, we can keep that light burning for them in return. This is not just a budget issue; this is about who we choose to stand for,” Revilla said.
According to the latest available data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of OFWs who worked abroad from April to September 2023 was estimated at 2.16 million, an increase of 9.8 percent from the previous year’s estimated number of 1.96 million.
PSA data also showed that in 2023, the distribution of OFWs across countries worldwide indicated that Asia (77.4 percent), North and South America (9.8 percent) and Europe (8.4 percent) were the leading destinations for OFWs.
Among Asian countries, Saudi Arabia was the leading destination, accounting for 20 percent of the total OFWs in 2023, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 13.6 percent. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
