Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez wants bigger VIP lounge space at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for departing Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Speaker made a surprise visit to NAIA Terminal 3 Tuesday to inspect the site of NAIA’s newest OFW lounge.
The OFW Lounge is a pet project of Speaker Romualdez in partnership with the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA). Since opening its doors to Filipino contract workers in January, the OFW Lounge has served close to 75,000 workers or roughly 2,000 OFWs daily, Romualdez said.
“We can see here in Terminal 3 an OFW lounge similar to the one we have in Terminal 1. That one is very nice but already full to the brim. Since there are more passengers in T3 we are very grateful to Mr. Ramon Ang and Mam Cecille (Ang’s daughter) for accommodating not only the OFW lounge here but they want to provide a larger space that’s almost double the area,” the Speaker said.
SMC-SAP & Co. Consortium of San Miguel Holdings Corp., RMM Asian Logistics, Inc., RLW Aviation Development, Inc., and Incheon International Airport Corp. bagged the P170.6 billion PPP project aimed at the comprehensive rehabilitation and operation of NAIA.
“We’re also grateful to OWWA and the NAIA management for coordinating this request to ensure that migrant workers traveling through NAIA are accommodated as VIPs should be,” Speaker Romualdez said.
He added that the planned OFW lounge in Terminal 3 could be operational by the end of June this year.
The Office of Speaker Romualdez also delivered yesterday an initial donation consisting of a 55-inch and a 65-inch television set that would be installed at the NAIA Terminal 1 OFW lounge to provide entertainment and valuable information for departing migrant workers
A subsequent donation of four TV sets will be delivered for use of the OFW lounge in Terminal 3.
Speaker Romualdez, who witnessed the signing of the PPP agreement in Malacanang, earlier expressed confidence the vital project would bring about substantial improvements in airport facilities and services.
“The rehabilitation and operation of NAIA under this PPP framework demonstrate the unwavering commitment of the administration of President Marcos, Jr. to fostering sustainable growth and innovation in our transportation infrastructure,” said Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives.
During his visit in NAIA terminal 3, MIAA General Manager Eric Ines, present and show the floor plan of the VIP lounge they are going to build in NAIA for OFWs.
Photo MIAA
