OFWs have been exempt from paying the travel tax and terminal fees as long as the migrant worker shows his/her OEC issued by the POEA (http://www.poea.gov.ph/rules/omnibus%20irr_ra10022.pdf RULE XVII Section 4 Paragraph 2). However, recently, the terminal fee has been added to the total price of an airline ticket. It's more convenient for travelers in general, but this change means OFWs will need to do one more thing before being able to get on their way back to the country they work in.
To minimize the hassle once you're at the airport, it would be best to know what you need to prepare so you can get a refund. Yes, OFWs will need to queue and present more stuff to get a refund for something that they (we) shouldn't have been required to pay for in the first place.
Here's what you will need:
- Your OEC
- A copy of the electronic ticket that includes the fee for the travel tax
- Boarding pass
There are some articles online that mention a fourth requirement, namely an MIAA exemption certificate. Surely, an OEC can be used for that, if it's not the same thing, which it should be.
I wonder how long the queues would be at the refund counter when 25% of the people that fly internationally are exempted from paying this fee.