Dubai OFW's viral NAIA lounge video puts OWWA's connecting-flight rule and arrival help desks in focus

A Filipino worker returning from Dubai said she was turned away from the OFW lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 because she had no connecting flight; OWWA says CCTV shows she was eventually let in, and points returning workers to its arrival assistance desks after Customs.

A Filipino worker returning home from Dubai went viral after saying she was turned away from the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, Khaleej Times reported.

In an emotional Facebook video, Remy Ropero Santos said she tried to enter the lounge to find a place to stay and something to eat. She said she had no money on her, as she could only withdraw cash the morning after she arrived, and only then could she buy bus and boat tickets for the rest of her trip.

She told lounge staff she had no connecting flight because there are no airlines to her province. Santos was on her way home to Sibuyan Island in Romblon after two years in Dubai, Khaleej Times said.

What OWWA says

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said closed-circuit camera footage, incident reports and staff accounts show the worker was given access to the lounge even without a domestic flight, according to The Global Filipino Magazine.

"Based on CCTV footage, she eventually entered the lounge and was assisted by our personnel with her registration and luggage. She was also informed she could get food and refreshments," the agency said, as quoted by Khaleej Times. OWWA said it is still reviewing the incident and will release its findings. "Kung may pagkukulang, aayusin natin," it said ("If there were lapses, we will fix them").

The lounge rules

The lounge sits in the departure area and is mainly for workers leaving the country or catching a connecting flight. According to The Global Filipino Magazine, an OFW arriving on an international flight may use it only with a confirmed domestic connecting flight departing within 24 hours of arrival, and visits are capped at six hours.

Migrante International chairman emeritus Garry Martinez urged OWWA to revise the policy. "If an OFW is travelling by sea and land onward, the more they need a place to rest," he told Khaleej Times.

Help for arriving workers

Distressed workers arriving home from the UAE who need help at the airport, transportation, food or temporary lodging should go to the OWWA Airport Arrival Assistance Desk in the arrival area, located after Customs at NAIA Terminals 1 and 3.

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