Sandro files bill abolishing travel tax

February 5, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  House majority leader Rep. Sandro Marcos has pushed for the immediate abolition of the travel tax, saying the levy has outlived its purpose and now works against the country’s goals of economic recovery, mobility and regional competitiveness.

Marcos filed House Bill 7443, which seeks to scrap the travel tax. He said it addresses the burdens faced by Filipino travelers.

“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 in a statement.

Under the bill, the travel tax imposed under Presidential Decree No. 1183 and related provisions of the Tourism Act of 2009 would be repealed, ending the collection of fixed charges that currently reach P2,700 for first-class passengers and P1,620 for economy class travelers.

“When travel becomes more expensive, fewer people move, fewer people spend and fewer opportunities circulate through the economy. Lowering the cost of travel allows Filipino families to allocate their money where it matters most,” Marcos said.

Marcos pointed out that the Philippines has increasingly become an outlier in the region, with many ASEAN member-states having already removed similar travel-related levies to stimulate tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

“A tax that discourages travel also discourages growth. If our neighbors are opening doors and reducing barriers, we should not be holding on to policies that place us at a disadvantage,” Marcos pointed out.

He said that abolishing the travel tax does not mean abandoning support for tourism, culture or education, which currently benefit from travel tax collections.

Instead, the bill shifts funding for agencies such as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the Commission on Higher Education and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to the General Appropriations Act.

“Public programs should be sustained through transparent budgeting, not through charges that disproportionately affect travelers. This approach ensures continuity of funding while removing an unnecessary burden on the public,” Marcos said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism would let Congress decide on whether or not to scrap the travel tax imposed on outbound Filipinos.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco maintained “there is a quantifiable benefit to the payment of travel tax” but she also noted that it is Congress that should decide on the fate of the travel tax.

Meanwhile, the House’s Young Guns bloc rallied behind Marcos’ “no work, no pay” bill for lawmaker yesterday, calling the measure a long-overdue reform aimed at protecting taxpayers, strengthening accountability and restoring public trust in the legislative institution. –  Ghio Ong

Recommended