MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives of the Philippines has approved on second reading a proposal seeking to abolish the country’s travel tax, a move aimed at easing costs for Filipino travelers.
During the plenary session on Wednesday, lawmakers approved House Bill No. 8464 via a viva voce, or voice vote. The measure was sponsored by Eleandro Jesus Madrona, chairperson of the House Committee on Tourism and representative of Romblon.
After the discussion, Yevgeny Emano, Deputy Speaker of the chamber, granted the motion to approve the bill on second reading.
The proposal seeks to repeal the travel tax imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183 and related provisions of the Tourism Act of 2009, effectively removing fixed charges that can reach P2,700 for first-class passengers and P1,620 for economy-class travelers.
According to Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, the House Majority Leader and author of a related measure, the travel tax is an outdated financial burden on passengers.
“The travel tax was created in a very different economic context. Today, it has become an added cost that restricts mobility and weighs heavily on ordinary Filipinos who simply want to travel for work, family or opportunity,” Marcos said.
Currently, the travel tax generates around P8 billion annually, with funds allocated to agencies including the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the Commission on Higher Education, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
However, the proposal has raised concerns from the Commission on Higher Education, which relies on a portion of the revenues to support the Higher Education Development Fund under Republic Act No. 7722.
During the deliberations, Mikaela Angela Suansing, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations and representative of Nueva Ecija, expressed support for the measure but emphasized the need to address potential funding gaps.
She said the committee has been working with the Department of Finance (Philippines) and the Department of Budget and Management (Philippines) to ensure affected agencies receive alternative funding.
The proposal to abolish the travel tax is also among the 21 priority measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
Malacañang earlier said Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expects Congress to pass the priority bills by June, ahead of his State of the Nation Address.
