Eat, shower, nap: NAIA T3 adds more perks for OFWs in its lounge

FOR OFWS. A sneak peek of the OFW Transit Lounge in NAIA T3, which has yet to be opened to the public.

Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler

OFWs at NAIA T3 can already enjoy free meals and may soon get free beds, showers, and massage chairs at a soon-to-open transit lounge

AT A GLANCE

• A new OFW Transit Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 will offer free amenities like sleeping quarters, showers, and massage chairs for overseas Filipino workers.
• The existing 24-hour OFW Lounge provides free food and drinks, serving over 371,000 OFWs from January to July 2026.
• OWWA allocates over P10 million monthly for food and lounge expenses, ensuring the program's sustainability despite budget changes in the upcoming fiscal year.

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MANILA, Philippines – A free meal is already waiting for overseas Filipino workers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. 

Soon, those with a few hours to spare between flights might also be able to squeeze in a shower, a massage, or even a nap.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is preparing to formally open a separate OFW Transit Lounge at Terminal 3’s pre-departure area, adding sleeping quarters, showers, and massage chairs to the freebies already available to migrant workers at the airport.

It has separate sleeping areas for men and women, with 14 spaces each, plus showers and massage chairs.

Since beds at an airport can understandably be in demand, OWWA is considering giving each passenger up to two hours to sleep so more OFWs can make use of them.

And, like the regular OFW Lounge next door, everything will be free.

The transit area has actually been around for about six months, but it has yet to formally launch, an OWWA official told Rappler during a tour of NAIA.

That’s because there’s just one thing that needs fixing first: the air-conditioning in the area. But that might change soon as the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation (NNIC), the private operator of the airport, has told Rappler that it’s looking to fast-track repairs before the facility fully gets going.

Free food while you wait

For OFWs who don’t need a bed, Terminal 3 already has a 24-hour OFW Lounge where OFWs can rest before boarding.

There’s Wi-Fi, plenty of outlets and charging stations, seating, and perhaps most importantly for a traveler waiting around an airport — free food and drinks. Lighter snacks such as nuts, bread, and congee are readily available, while more filling food like pancit, siomai, and siopao is served around mealtimes.

And based on OWWA data shared with Rappler, quite a lot of travelers have been enjoying the lounge.

From January to July 2026, the Terminal 3 lounge served 371,254 OFWs, or more than 50,000 a month on average. Its counterpart at Terminal 1 served another 108,487 OFWs over the same seven months. 

That also means there are plenty of mouths to feed.

OWWA allocates more than P10 million a month for food and refreshments at the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 lounges combined, although OWWA told Rappler that the actual amount used changes depending on how many OFWs show up and what the facilities need.

NNIC shoulders the rent and electricity costs, while OWWA funds the food and other lounge expenses.

All told, OWWA said P86.19 million had been utilized for the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 lounges as of August 25. That includes P2.58 million in December 2025 and another P83.60 million from January through August 25, 2026. 

Funding comes from Alagang OWWA, the agency’s broader welfare program for migrant workers. And for OFW travelers hoping the free meals will still be around next year, OWWA says there’s little reason to worry.

“There is sufficient budget to sustain the continued operation of the OFW Lounge program,” OWWA told Rappler in a statement. “While the specific special provision for the OFW Airport Terminal Lounge may no longer appear in the FY 2027 National Expenditure Program, OWWA has available funding to support the continuation of the program, subject to the final FY 2027 GAA and applicable budgeting, accounting, and auditing rules and regulations.” – Rappler.com