OWWA Administrator's Budget Warning vs. The Agency's "Fake News" Claim: A Tale of Two Narratives

MANILA—A discrepancy has emerged between statements made by the head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and a public release from her own agency, creating confusion and concern among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families.

On Friday, September 12, during a budget committee hearing at the House of Representatives, OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan warned lawmakers that the current level of services at the OFW Lounges at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) could be discontinued in 2026. She specifically stated that the proposed Php142 million allocation for the "Alagang OWWA Fund" under the National Expenditures Program (NEP) was insufficient to maintain even one of the lounges, which operate 24/7 and provide free food, water, and Wi-Fi to OFWs.

Caunan's statement, made under oath before the House committee, was a direct plea to augment the agency's budget. "Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, if we follow the allocation at the NEP... we cannot continue the level of service that we're giving our OFWs for not even one of the lounges," she said.

However, a separate statement from OWWA, released soon after, labeled reports of the lounges being stopped as "fake news."

The Takeaway

The conflicting narratives highlight a potential miscommunication between the OWWA's public information office and its leadership's direct appeals to Congress. While the official statement reassures the public that the lounges are here to stay and will even expand, Administrator Caunan's testimony suggests that this expansion and even the maintenance of existing services is contingent on lawmakers restoring the agency's budget.

The core of the issue appears to be a disconnect between the optimistic long-term plans for the lounges and the immediate, on-the-ground reality of the proposed budget allocation. While OWWA's statement refutes the "stopping" of services, it does not dispute the Administrator's specific claim that the current budget is insufficient to sustain them at their existing level. The warning, therefore, seems to be less of a definitive shutdown and more of a strategic alert to Congress about the consequences of the proposed cuts.

OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan's Statement

"Reports circulating online that OFW Lounges will be stopped due to lack of budget are false. As directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his State of the Nation Address, OWWA is strengthening and expanding the OFW Lounges.

We are set to launch the new OFW Lounge at NAIA Terminal 1 with improved facilities and better services for our migrant workers. We are also preparing to establish additional lounges in Cebu and Clark to make these benefits accessible to more OFWs and their families.

Our request for additional budget in Congress is precisely to continue upgrading and improving services, expanding facilities, adding new lounges, and sustaining the free food and other amenities that our OFWs deserve.

At this time when the world is difficult and our OFWs already carry many burdens, we hope that they will not be weighed down further by fake news. We ask the public to be responsible and trust only official announcements from OWWA and the Department of Migrant Workers. OWWA remains fully committed to the President’s directive: Serbisyong may Puso, para sa bawat OFW at kanilang pamilya."