#ICYMI: House panel OKs bill abolishing travel tax

This aims to lessen the cost burden on Filipino travelers.

The end of travel tax?

Abolishing the travel tax for Filipinos

The House Committee on Tourism has approved the measure consolidating 18 bills to seek to abolish the travel tax.

In a statement, the House of Representatives said the abolition of the travel tax was added to the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority list as of February 10, 2026, with a target of passing the measure by June 2026. The proposal seeks to eliminate the current PHP 1,620 to PHP 2,700 tax imposed on departing passengers.

With the proposed removal of the travel tax, the panel members sought to ensure that programs and projects funded by proceeds, such as tourism, cultural development, and scholarships, will continue to have funding support.

Republic Act 9593, or the "Tourism Act of 2009," directs travel tax revenues to agencies such as Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing said funding continuity for the programs of these agencies will be addressed as the measure moves forward in the legislative mill.

TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid said travel tax collections reached PHP 8.7 billion in 2025 and were used for tourism development, cultural programs, and improvement of public tourist sites, as well as cultural heritage and ecotourism destinations.

Part of the fund is also devoted to programs to attract private sector investments in tourism enterprise zones under TIEZA. The CHED and the NCCA allocate their share of the tax for programs pursuant to their respective mandate.

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Source: House of Representatives