A large number of Filipino Overseas Workers (OFWs) in Riyadh strongly opposed the mandatory terminal fee of Php550 (about $12) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that will take effect from October this year.

Jun S. Aguilar, a regular member of the technical working group and committee on OFW Affairs, at the House of Representatives asked OFWs here to oppose the terminal fee policy imposed by the government which is not being used at many airports in the world.

Among the participants were Patnubay, Filipino Migrant Workers Group (FMW) and Susan “Toots” Ople, Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA) and Migrante-Middle East (M-ME). New graduates of Data-Phil Technology Educators, Inc. also joined the campaign.

The visiting veteran OFW, who is also a regular member of the Committee on Labor in the Philippine Senate said: “While our government is finalizing its next year’s fiscal budget, we have to be united against the Php550 NAIA terminal fee for OFWs.”

Thousands of OFWs leave the country on a daily basis and the move could roughly generate millions of pesos for the NAIA administration everyday. However, the fee does not include the Php1,620 ($38) travel tax charged by the government on travelers leaving the country.

The aim of the drive, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), is to reduce waiting times at the airport and to address the congestion problem for departing passengers. According to Kenji Solis, a PEBA volunteer, OFWs and OFW groups were not consulted before the signing of the order.

The protest will be a global plea to defer, if not to stop, the implementation of the order pending the discussion for a fair solution that will not hurt the OFWs. PEBA believes that the refund process is a burden on the OFWs and that the un-refunded money will not necessarily benefit the OFWs and will possibly be diverted to corruption.

John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of the Filipino migrant rights group Migrante-Middle East (M-ME), told Arab News that the move is just overburdening the OFWs.

“We will be forced to pay when obtaining our flight booking via the airlines ticketing offices or online. Then, we will be asked to apply and queue for a refund,” he said.

He added: “We will oppose the imposition of the Php550 terminal fee. The Migrant workers Act categorically exempt all OFWs from paying the Php550 terminal fee when they obtain an OEC.”